TasteTwenty Chef Sarah Welch’s Detroit Dining Guide
The James Beard Award–nominated chef shares her must-try spots to eat, drink, and shop ahead of Taste America Detroit
Fri, September 12, 2025
Editor’s Note: The James Beard Foundation’s Taste America® culinary series presented by Capital One brings together chefs, special guests, and diners from across the country to celebrate the local independent restaurants at the heart of our communities. The Taste America TasteTwenty cohort, comprised of 20 exceptional chefs and changemakers, will showcase their talents and represent their city’s independent restaurant community at walkaround tastings and dinners nationwide.
These chefs are not only creative dynamos in the kitchen, they're also avid diners, so we’re introducing a special city guide series where each TasteTwenty chef will share what they love about their city’s food scene.
Next up in our series is Sarah Welch, the James Beard Award–nominated chef/partner of Marrow, a James Beard Award semifinalist® restaurant and butcher shop dedicated to locally and ethically sourcing animal products, and Mink, a 12-seat raw bar, both in Detroit, as well as Umbo, her forthcoming oyster bar and restaurant in Traverse City. Read on to discover chef Welch’s go-to spots to take visitors, the sought-after dessert that stood in for her wedding cake, and the specialty shop she frequents for a taste of her childhood.
Marrow offers both a butcher shop and tasting menu dining experience (photo: Taylor Higgins).
What does it mean to be part of the JBF Taste America TasteTwenty cohort?
I have always felt honored for any and all JBF recognition, but this year, a year after I was nominated (spoiler, I lost), it means the world to still be a part of this incredibly enriching community. I am looking forward to connecting with all the other chefs and the potential for sharing what we know to benefit the industry into the future.
What do you love about the food scene in your city?
I love that Detroit has food for everyone. Most often, when media comes, they pay attention to the downtown heavy-hitters or the New American standbys, but I love that you can find food from all over the world in Detroit. I also love that in pursuit of that, you find yourself in some of the more enriching areas of our huge city.
Go-to spot to take visitors:
If I have someone in town for one day I will always take them for lunch at Amar Pizza (get the Spice Pizza with four sides of tandoori sauce) before taking them to Takoi where everything on the menu is the best thing on the menu—just start with a Promises in Vortex [a variation on a Margarita crafted with Thai chili syrup]. If I needed to have a break between the two, I’d go to Collect for a beer or Anthology for a coffee. If we’re doing the burbs, I’m at Noble Fish for affordable sushi.
Must-try dish in your city:
It may be a bit nepotistic, but my husband's lobster roll at Mink in Corktown is my favorite bite in the city. Pair it with one of their sparkling wines (or their housemade non-alcoholic shrubs!) by the glass and I’m fully satisfied.
Pumpkin triangoli (photo: Taylor Higgins)
Best special occasion restaurant:
For a special occasion I love to go to Vecino. The vibe is elevated, the food is delicious, and it’s close enough to the downtown/midtown area to make it in time for a show when you decide to have one more round of their phenomenal cocktails.
What does an ideal night out in your city look like?
For a perfect night in my city, I’d probably hop on my bike and head to Mink for oysters and a batch martini. After that I’d head to Takoi for a Naem Khao Tod. Then I’d make the trek to SheWolf for a sweet bite and an Amaro. I’d end up at Comerica Ballpark eating candied nuts and a ballpark dog.
What restaurant are you most looking forward to checking out?
This might be insane, but Kim Nyung just opened a food court, and I cannot wait to try it. We recently went to grocery shop, and it was completely wiped out. I am sure it’s going to be amazing. I also really want to try Bar Chenin which just opened, and Vesper, both of which I haven’t made it to yet.
Restaurant dish you’d cry over if they took it off the menu:
The Naem Khao Tod at Takoi—I’m pretty sure they just took it off, and this is my attempt to muscle it back onto the menu. Help me, help you, JBF readers! If not that, then the oatmeal cream pie at Red Hook Coffee—300 of them stood in place of my wedding cake (and I only got one that day).
Favorite food/drink specialty shop:
I’m addicted to K&F International Market. I go there for Jamaican pantry supplies, hot patties, a Ting [a sparkling grapefruit drink], and anything else that I am craving from my childhood. [Chef Welch was raised in Jamaica and Michigan.]
Who is another chef you admire in your city (and why)?
I really admire my best friend, Alison Heeres, at Coriander Kitchen. They have a farm, run by Gwen Meyers, and supply the produce for their restaurant. They say they’re the farm and the table—and in my experience, they are and they do a great job. Before they opened, I used to go cook with Alison for their paddle-to-table dinners (which they’re bringing back this year!). Guests kayak through the Detroit canals (my neighborhood) and then dine family-style at the waterfront restaurant. It was one of the first memories I have of being like,‘Whoa, I love Detroit’ when I moved here, and she—to this day—still strives to create a special, farm-to-table, dining experience in one of the more beautiful and eclectic spaces in Detroit. Her spot at Coriander is one-of-a-kind and completely reflective of her bizarre-savant-food-wizard brain. I can’t wait to collaborate with her for our Taste America dinner in Detroit!