Five new places to eat Downtown: Vine, Zef’s, Wah-Hoo, Chez Zara, and Gourmet Hot Dogs

Hot on the heels of the announcement of two new restaurants on Monroe St. comes another round of announcements. We now report a whopping five new eating and drinking establishments for Downtown.

1. Enoteca in the First National Building has been replaced by Vine, a similar concept with different owners. Serving lunch and dinner and drinks, it’s open from 11 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. Friday; and 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday. It is located at 660 Woodward at Campus Martius; call 313-285-9460. REIA Detroit is hosting networking Mondays there with $5 martinis.

2. In the same building, Zef’s is coming in to fill the void left by the ill-fated Small Plates to Go. We’ll let you know when the classic coney diner is open for biz.

3. Gourmet Hot Dogs has replaced the first window incarnation of Good Girls Go To Paris Creperie, peeking out from 2 John R just east of Woodward; call 313-646-8055. (Good Girls took over a bigger, sit-down location in Midtown last year.)

4. Fishbone’s restaurant empire has expanded with the opening of Wah-Hoo, an Asian restaurant that serves Chinese cuisine and sushi — and cocktails. Happy hour is 2 to 6 p.m. every day. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. until late on Friday and Saturday. It’s located at 536 Shelby; call 313-324-8700.

5. Finally, Chez Zara has opened inside the Shops in the Kresge Building. Serving Italian Lavazza Coffee on imported china and open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, we have a good feeling about this one. Proprietor Aaron Michael says he’ll stay open later on weekends for special events, and he’s evaluating Sunday and evening hours.

Source: Aaron Michael, Chez Zara
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh