GREEKTOWN. A treat for pastry lovers! Once you step inside this Greektown gem, you'll likely lose all sense of self-control ­ display cases beckon with tempting desserts and assorted fresh-baked goodies. Producing pies, cakes, brownies, truffles, and more, friendly bakers satisfy the craving of any sweet tooth. Of course, the specialty is baklava and other traditional Greek pastries, so don't pass on an opportunity to sample them. Gourmet coffees make ideal accompaniments, and a few croissant sandwiches are available as well.

SOUTHFIELD. Soul food dishes, both sophisticated and down-home, highlight the menu here. Try meatloaf and gravy, or Baby Sister's Backyard-Style Baby Backs with a side of collard greens or black-eyed peas. Alternatively, sample salmon croquettes drizzled with roasted red pepper sauce or a Harlem burrito ­ collard greens, tomatoes, black-eyed peas, and rice rolled in a flour tortilla and served with Spanish Harlem salsa. Top it all off with a slice of sweet potato cheesecake.

DEARBORN. A Chuck Muer restaurant, Big Fish offers a trendy setting and one of the area's most attractive steamer and cocktail bars. The fun restaurant, whose modest prices and casual atmosphere help make it a local favorite, features "patio jazz" during warmer months and live entertainment throughout the year (in the lounge). Menu favorites include basil-tinged Salmon of the Angels; Oriental Steamer Basket with salmon, rock shrimp, and mussels; a hearty seafood cassoulet with shrimp, scallops, and crabmeat; and a daily fish special that they'll prepare any way you'd like ­ baked, blackened, broiled, cedar-planked, or sautéed.

BIRMINGHAM. Located in Birmingham's historic train station, this rustic restaurant looks and feels more like Wyoming than Michigan, thanks to dark wood flooring, Native American artwork, and more than a few stuffed animals. Big Rock's menu includes flavorful game dishes, from elk and moose to bear and venison. Also known for its terrific home-brewed beer, Big Rock is a favorite after-work spot with local business types, who adore the cozy, cigar-friendly cocktail lounge located on the second level. During warmer months, the terrace is a prime place to enjoy a meal.

DOWNTOWN DETROIT. If you're Belgian, in the Motor City, and feeling a little homesick, the eastside's Cadieux Cafe is just the fix you need. Home to the big pots of steaming mussels and one of the area's best repertoires of imported ales, this homey cafe is a local favorite. The interior of the restaurant, like the menu, is distinctly Belgian as well, from the replica of "Manneken Pis" (the name explains the pose!) in the foyer to the long, group-friendly wooden tables that tend to get a little loud as the evening wears on. If you feel like you need to work off that last order of Creole mussels, strike up a little feather bowling in the adjacent alley.