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Where to Eat, Play, and Stay

Long associated with the worst of America's urban ills, Detroit has worked hard in recent years to remake its image. Racial riots in the 1960s and a subsequent downturn in the auto industry, which flattened the local economy, are now distant memories. And word is spreading that Detroit and its satellite communities rival other big cities when it comes to museums, restaurants, and performing arts venues. Many gays and lesbians in the region live in towns just outside Detroit, such as Ferndale and Royal Oak, but you'll find pulsing gay nightclubs and trendy eateries throughout the metro region.

One area that remained popular even during Detroit's toughest years was Greektown, a strip of Hellenic eateries, shops, and most recently a casino that buzzes with activity. A dining highlight is Cyprus Taverna, which serves first-rate grilled and marinated octopus, Greek salads, and lamb chops. In the theater district, Duet is a hip spot with dramatic decor and an ambitious menu offering such sophisticated American fare as charbroiled pork porterhouse and duck foie-gras sausage. If you're on the company expense account, go all out with a meal at Opus One, a dignified white-glove restaurant that serves superb Continental food. Another winner in the theater district is Cuisine; this beautifully decorated restaurant presents stellar French-influenced fare like sea scallops with creamed leeks, pomegranate molasses, and lobster-whipped cream.

A funky eatery near Wayne State University, the Majestic Cafe scores high marks for its art exhibits and artfully presented food. Try the grilled chicken with sweet-potato pancakes - brunch here is also a big to-do. Nearby Twingo's Cafe is a cool and queer hangout that's big with students and is near the city's Cultural Center museum district. Nosh on tasty crepes, salads, and other light fare, or order a caramel latte or a glass of chardonnay.

Gays and lesbians often congregate at La Dolce Vita, which is acclaimed for big, big portions of pastas, salads, and grills, and for its conservatory-style dining room and landscaped patio. A 40-year-old family-run institution with a big retro neon sign, casual Como's is a another Ferndale fave. Kitchen offerings range from deep-dish pizza to hearty pastas. Upscale Assaggi Mediterranean Bistro has given Ferndale a dressy dining option - at this snazzy eatery you can savor such creative contemporary fare as Jonah crab cakes with olive-caper remoulade; there's a great wine list, too. Fans of macrobiotic cooking might want to drop by Om Cafe to sample the delicious soybean Boca burger or heavenly vegetarian sushi rolls.

A handsome but affordable cafe in Royal Oak, Pronto is attached to the gay video bar of the same name and offers a varied menu of classic American and Continental dishes, including huge build-your-own sandwiches. Down the street is the "family"-popular chophouse and martini bar, Justin & Jordyn, turns out big cuts of big beef. Lily's Seafood serves up a vast range of grilled, broiled, and fried fish and shellfish, as well as four types of house-brewed beer. The neighborhood's Thai on Main can be counted on for delicious pad thai, noodle bowls, and green and red curries. And the same fabulous Astoria Pastry Shop that's famous in Greektown also has a locale in Royal Oak; the baklava melts in your mouth. Caffeine fiends should check out Cafe Brazil, which draws bookish gen-Xers with its plush sofas, reading lamps, mellow music, and fabulous desserts.

The aforementioned Pronto doubles as Royal Oak's only queer bar - this compact, postmodern space pulls in a trendy types to stare intermittently at video screens and each other. Elegant Q, set in a lavish old bank building, is the hottest gay dance club in metro Detroit - this swank hangout has quickly become a fixture in sceney Ferndale. A top pick with lesbians is Stilettos, which throws the largest women's dance party in Michigan on Saturday nights and books drag kings and female go-go dancers - the cavernous nightclub is 15 miles west of Detroit. With a glittery '80s ambience, Menjo's is a landmark dance, video, and piano bar that hasn't changed much since the days when a young Madonna (who hails from nearby Rochester Hills) used to come and party with one of her gay dance instructors.

A bustling club drawing a predominantly African-American crowd, Regine's has a large dance floor and ample room for mingling and cruising. The drag shows are among the best in town. Zippers is another popular African-American-oriented club, open Friday and Saturday nights. In western Detroit, 18-and-over Backstreet is open Wednesday and Saturday nights, and this industrial-style warehouse club really rocks all evening. The after-hours club Numbers caters to a youthful set and opens at 1 a.m. - this is a private club, meaning that visitors must "join" by paying a cover. The dancing carries on until 5 or 6 most mornings. Another big hangout after-hours (although it opens in the afternoon) is the Works, near the old Tiger Stadium - it's mellower and draws more of a 30s-and-older crowd. Not far from here, the Detroit Eagle has dancing (often country western), a dark bar popular with leather-and-Levi's types, and a cheerful patio with potted flowers.

Metro Detroit has quite a few quieter neighborhood hangouts - here's a sampling of a few popular ones. Having served the community for a half century, the Woodward Lounge retains the warmth of an old-fashioned city bar, and the jukebox is one of the best in town. Detroit's best gay sports bar, Male Box is also popular for its strippers and its easy pick-up scene. Expect to find cute, beefy guys with little attitude - it has an 18-and-over door policy. A mostly working-class guy's and gal's bar east of the Woodward Corridor, the Rainbow Room puts on outstanding drag shows (who can resist the talent of Trixie Deluxxe?) and spins cool dance tunes. Queers from the posh Grosse Pointe area swoop down to the mellow Deck cocktail lounge in East Detroit for conversation and cheap cocktails. And the Back Pocket video bar is good for after-hours on Saturdays (when folks from nearby Backstreet often head over); a decent late-night pub menu that will cure any case of the munchies.

The sexually explosive TNT Health Club is one of Detroit's all-night playhouses for sex, while the newer Body Zone also rakes in plenty of guys for cruising and "working out." Fans of go-go dancers often travel over the Canadian border to "attend the Windsor Ballet" - the nickname for Club Happy Tap, an all-nude gay strip club (Windsor, Ontario is just across a narrow river from Detroit). The hottest lesbian/gay club on the Canada side is the Complex.

No matter where you stay in Detroit you'll probably end up using your car fairly often, but downtown at least puts you within walking distance of some theaters and restaurants. A converted warehouse by Greektown holds Detroit's most distinctive lodging option, the Atheneum Suite Hotel. Rooms open around a soaring atrium and are outfitted with large sitting areas, two TVs, and marble bathrooms with big soaking tubs. A charming boutique-style hotel in Rivertown, the Omni Detroit River Place is within walking distance of excellent restaurants. Many of the warmly furnished rooms in this five-story structure overlook the Detroit River.

The Inn of Ferry Street, which comprise four neighboring historic mansions, is a labor of love - these buildings were in a terrible state of decay but have been magnificently restored and now contain 42 richly appointed guest rooms. Wayne State and the Cultural Center are just around the corner. Fairly new, Woodbridge Star B&B is a six-bedroom gay-owned B&B in the historic Woodbridge neighborhood - an area that has seen better days but is gradually making a comeback. This magnificent redbrick Queen Anne mansion with elaborate stone trim has been beautifully restored. Its rooms contain a mix of antiques and newer pieces - some units have sitting areas, and one has a deep copper soaking tub; a full breakfast is included. If you're looking to save a little money, the Guesthouse International Hotel & Suites is a basic but comfortable chain property near Ferndale and Royal Oak - it sometimes hosts gay parties and events.