clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Detroit Ranks #3 on Zagat List of America’s Next Hot Food Cities

Just behind Birmingham, Alabama, and Oakland, California.

Green Dot Stables.
Green Dot Stables.
Michelle and Chris Gerard
Brenna Houck is a Cities Manager for the Eater network. She previously edited Eater Detroit and reported for Eater. You can follow her on the internet at @brennahouck.

Detroit ranks number 3 on Zagat's list of America's Next Hot Food Cities. "The food-obsessed from the suburbs and beyond are returning to the long-beleaguered downtown areas, with a new-found curiosity for exotic cuisines, flavors, and ideas," writes editor Kelly Dobkin. The guide focuses on Detroit's pop-up scene that serves as "a training ground" for chefs to explore new menu ideas and flavors and recommends visitors hit Corktown and the Cass Corridor.

The list was created based on a survey that asked "a mix of industry influencers, Zagat readers, and foodies across the country who were new to Zagat" to answer questions about 89 cities. "External factors like economic resurgence play a role in some areas, of course — like Detroit and Nashville — but every city that made the cut was noted for having some mix of ambitious/innovative chefs, supportive diners, and a baseline local foodie ethos." Zagat recently visited Detroit and filmed a video exploring "Detroit's Culinary Cult Classics."