Coriander Kitchen and Farm

Some places you stumble into and immediately think how did I not know about this? Coriander Kitchen and Farm is one of those. Tucked on a canal in Detroit’s Jefferson-Chalmers neighborhood — a stretch the owners affectionately call the “Detroit Riviera” — it’s a farm-to-table restaurant where the farm is real: chef Alison Heeres and farmer Gwen Meyer grow much of the produce themselves on a farm a few miles away and pick it daily.

We sat on the patio, and it was genuinely one of the more special meals we’ve had in the city. Boats and kayakers drifted past on the canal. Swans — actual swans — kept gliding by while we ate. It feels less like Detroit and more like some waterside hideaway you’d drive hours to find. And the spicy margarita? Best I’ve ever had, full stop. I’m not a “order the same drink twice” guy, but Andrea took one sip of mine and immediately ordered her own. The food more than kept up — fresh, herbaceous, clearly built around whatever’s coming off the farm that week (the menu changes with the season, so what we had may not be what you get, and that’s the whole point).

The owners describe the vibe as “drunk grandma,” which is the perfect self-deprecating way to say cozy, unfussy, and a little eclectic. Two women built this from a catering business and a food truck into one of the most quietly magical spots in Detroit. It’s the kind of place that makes you want to become a regular — and judging by the people there who clearly already were, plenty have.