Selden Standard

More than a decade later, he's slinging out dishes at four locations of his own restaurant concept, Bucharest Grill They're best-known for their foil-wrapped shawarmas Bookmarks like the namesake Bucharest version, stuffed with grilled chicken marinated for hours, pungent garlic spread, cabbage, pickles and crisp fries, all wrapped in pita.

The food: The food is upscale and meticulously prepared but doesn't take itself too seriously, with playful dishes like Escar-no," which is cremini mushrooms with parsley breadcrumbs and mushroom bouillon, and creative combinations like the smoked whitefish financiers.

Here in metro Detroit , there's a burger for every appetite and budget — some would even argue there are too many From the old-school sliders at Telway Hamburgers to the gourmet variety at Green Dot Stables to new American cheeseburgers served at Grey Ghost or Mexican renditions of the Hawaiian burger at Wicho's Burgers food truck, it can be tough to sort out which is best.

Named for the green liqueur that bears the same name, this quaint restaurant near the Detroit Institute of Art pays homage to all things green with the seven-foot garden installations and the abundance of fresh, local ingredients that grace the menu, from a bright, springy pea-ricotta toast to winter's warming squash soup.

Sato, who ran and operated sustainable sushi restaurant Mashiko in Seattle for 25 years before moving to Michigan a couple of years ago, is trying to raise awareness of the omakase concept, which isn't as common in Michigan as it is in New York or Los Angeles.