Parks & Rec Diner

A simple bowl of fried rice for breakfast? That was the dish that kicked off my departure day in Detroit. I left my hotel and walked over to Parks & Rec Diner.

Downtown Detroit

The diner is located in The Grand Army of the Republic Building downtown. The cool castle building served as the City of Detroit Parks and Recreation Department.

Parks & Rec Diner

The diner focuses on breakfast classics and old-school favorites with a twist. They also have sandwiches and housemade sides.

Diner

I took a seat at the bar and looked over the menu. I wanted a glass of their fresh squeezed orange juice, but they were still squeezing the oranges.

Bar

I ordered the Bacon Fat Fried Rice. The name alone was enough to catch my attention.

Bacon Fat Fried Rice

The rice had Summer corn, pork lardons, and green onions topped with a sunny side egg.

Sunny Side Egg

Pork Lardons

After my fried rice breakfast, I wanted to check out the Detroit Institute of Arts.

Detroit Institute of Arts

Located in Midtown, it has one of the largest and most significant art collections in the country.

Warhol

Van Gogh

From Detroit: The White Stripes

Breakfast was good, the museum was great, and I enjoyed a cocktail at the hotel before going to the airport.

Hotel Restaurant Bar

Before my flight, I had one last beer at Hokeytown Cafe, a Red Wings-themed bar.

North Terminal

Hockeytown Cafe

One Last Beer

Red Wings-Themed

Detroit really surprised me and I had such a great time. The love of their sports teams, the up-and-coming restaurant scene, the incredible bars, the friendly locals – it was wonderful. Thanks so much!

Oh and I had to bring home a couple local treats.