I wanna goooo where all the hipstas knoooow my nammmme.  Doo doooo doo do do dooo!
      Owned by the same guys as the Imperial, this hip new 'dive' bar in Ferndale is a crowd pleaser.  These guys are bringin' a bit of flavor to Woodward and 9.  All restaurants in Ferndale are fairly Ferndale friendly to anyone and anything, but this restaurant is going for the that 70's upscale punk feel.  So what does that mean?  Throw on your best dark skinnies and the nicest scarf you have!  If you have a tat sleeve you'll fit right in. 
      The bartenders are nice, mix fast, and attend to your needs whether it's a quick drink or some random conversation it doesn't ever seem boring at the bar.  While you sit sipping your $8 craft cocktail (The Stella is my fave) you can enjoy the handpicked vinyl selection.  There are only certain artists they play to keep that upscale 'dive' bar feeling flowing all night.  

When Lockharts BBQ first opened up I kept saying, "it's no Slows."  You kind of fall in love with Slow's wooden decor, basin bathroom sinks, tattooed bar friends, and overall hip feel…or that's just me.  What ends up happening is you start getting really tired of waiting an hour or so for a table and driving to Detroit to have some barbecue.  Ain't nobody got time for that!
        So, in came Lockharts, a young restaurant with a lot of potential.  One may think, "How can you eff up barbecue?" You totes can.  Lots of people do.  There are many O'shite BBQ places out there.  However, this is NOT one of them. Don't let the early evening emptiness fool you.  In fact, love it while you can, because around 6:30pm on a Friday you'll see a whole crowd of people standing around your seat like vultures waiting.  Reminds me trying to find parking at Eastern Michigan University. You always felt bad that you were stalking someone, but you wanted not to walk 5 miles, so you did it anyway.  Ok, tangent over.

So you think that all Madison Heights, MI has to offer is mini-plazas and the ghetto Oakland Mall? Well, you'd be right, except for a few little gems.  Buried deep in the pool of plazas (by deep I mean next to the Asian hair salon) you'll see Pho Que Huong, 13 mile and John R. Pronounced "fuh-quay-hoong", it's a small Vietnamese restaurant that has some charm to it.  Don't judge it on the millions of food banners and horribly designed sign (that's the charm…).

Walking in, I noticed it was populated with all Asians. Sooooo you know what that means?  Asians eating Asian food - always a good sign.

Ordered: #3 Bánh mì thịt nướng (pork sandwich) #35 Bún tôm thịt nướng chả giò (Noodles, pork, shrimp, vegetables) #4 Chả giò (egg rolls)

If you are a native of Ann Arbor, Mi pass up this review because you already know how awesome this place is.  Zingerman's Deli and Roadhouse cater to the free-range and fresh produce Arborites and beyond.  If you are from out of town this is definitely a place to stop.  Huge sandwiches, fresh toppings, no hormone injected meats.  Turkey, pastrami, corned beef, chicken, beef, turkey, fish, pork, hot dogs, hash, vegetarian, salads, soups, and more!

The one downfall of Zingerman's Delicatessen (and Z Roadhouse) is that for all the 'goodness' you get… you definitely pay a sh*t ton of $ for a sandwich.  If you're big ballin' shot calling' maybe you'd buy a sandwich a day, but for us everyday foodies… one every once in awhile is good enough.  Buy one and share it with someone.  The image on the  left was a custom sandwich.  #76 Thad's Yes I Can! (free range chicken, applewood smoked bacon, muenster cheese, roasted red pepper spread, onions, tomatoes, avocado and cheddar cheese on roasted sour dough bread).     Zingerman's Menu   |   Zingerman's Website