As spring approaches, Dearborn showcases a wide variety of dining options, ranging from elegant pastries at Haraz Coffee House to authentic Mediterranean cuisine at Al Ameer. Recently, the city highlighted 43 local businesses, and foodies can continue to patronize businesses even after the week of celebration has passed.

Dave’s Hot Chicken, a chain now expanded to four locations in Michigan, took part in the celebration of food culture. Operating partner Jason Jackson said he’s enjoyed the opportunity to train and work with staff in the restaurant since the location opened in October of 2021.

“My favorite part of the restaurant is the people,” Jackson said. “We have a great staff in Dearborn that are all very dedicated and work very hard. The chicken is our superpower. We serve one thing, and we do it well.”

The vibrant setting of Dave’s Hot Chicken makes the restaurant stand out. The Dearborn location has a casual atmosphere with decorative walks and colorful lighting. The menu contains chicken tenders and sandwiches with a wide range of spice options, and chicken dishes come with seasoned fries and a signature sauce. The restaurant falls in a medium price range, but portion sizes are large. This restaurant is a great place to get a quick bite to eat, but only suitable if customers are looking to enjoy a chicken dish.

Gateaux Patisserie, a trendy cafe specializing in pastries and coffee, has special offerings for Dearborn Restaurant Week. The cafe offers a special of 12 mini pastries and another with pastries, tea and mini sandwiches. Opened on May 15, 2018, the restaurant is known for their specialized flavors of coffee and tea, ranging from a classic oat milk latte to their rose earl grey tea latte.

The elegant atmosphere of Gateaux Patisserie characterizes the cafe. It keeps a strong floral theme throughout the interior and exterior, starting with blossom trees on the patio of the shop. The colorful seating and variety of seating areas, from booths to window high-tops, continues the theme. The cafe sells a variety of French pastries and lattes. Some items on the menu fall into an expensive price range for pastries, but the coffee is high quality with decaf and regular options. Gateaux Patisserie would be the perfect place for a snack or study session, but there are not many food options other than pastries.

La Gelati West Dearborn was another one of the restaurants that was involved in the week-long event. Having opened on May 26, La Gelati is one of seven locations, according to owner Sussein Saad. Saad said all the food at La Gelati is homemade, and the company has remained a family business despite expansion to several locations. Saad believes restaurant week is an important opportunity for the company to expand its recognition in the area.

“We use (Dearborn Restaurant Week) to get a new customer base,” Saad said. “People that started going to our business are from different cultures, specifically because we (sell) Arabic ice cream and European desserts. With restaurant week, more people get to know about our unique desserts.”

This ice cream shop has several food and drink options on its menu, making it the perfect spot for any sort of sweet treat. The shop has Arabic ice cream, shakes, boba, crepes and even some other more hearty foods like açaí bowls. The inside of the restaurant is decorated with a pink theme and a large flower wall for taking photos. Ordering is walk-up style with the many flavors of gelato on display on one counter and a register on another. The portion sizes and presentation were standard, and the ice cream was a bit on the expensive side.