Latitude 41 N: Detroit Shoreway

Last night an impromptu trip to Lakewood to visit friends led to dinner at one of the many new places that's popped up in the Detroit Shoreway area recently.

Latitude 41 N is at the North East corner of Detroit and 58th St. - kitty corner from the Happy Dog and across the street from the old Snickers, which was recently Cheddar's but looks to have a new name - Mac and Jac?? (but I digress).

Anyway, it's was the best new restaurant experience I've had in a long time. The menu is great - pizzas, salads, sandwiches - interesting combos - comfort food that comforts, not smothers.

You order at the counter, pay there and take a seat - which was gloriously efficient.

I started with the spinach side salad - which I was expecting to be... just spinach - and maybe some cranberries.
Instead a received a glorious archaeological dig of tasty treats. Candied walnuts... and blue cheese! And... is that BACON?! Fresh sweet onion! And, oh yes, spinach. It's normally served with a fresh mango dressing, but they were out of mangos and seeing as I was overcome with joy for all the unexpected fixin's I could care less. The oil and vinegar was delightful.

In addition to a standard issue dinner menu, they have an all-day breakfast menu as well, so I split the Southwest Breakfast Quesadilla with a friend: again, spectacular - scrambled eggs with black beans, avocado, sausage, salsa and cilantro sandwiched between 2 tortillas and lightly topped with cheese (and more salsa).

Our third had the Shrimp Po' Boy with homemade fries (served with vinegar!) and a napa slaw which was a high-end take on a salad my grandmother brings to every family picnic - cabbage and ramen noodles with a sweet dressing.

I stayed away from the Po' Boy as, alas, my greed for all things seafood turned on me one night last year following a half container of Lobster Bisque and some shrimp cocktail - all those years of raw oysters caught up with me and I can clambake no more. *sniff*

That said - Latitude 41 N - wonderful!
I can't wait to go back for more!