I'm leading a Roadfood tour of Detroit later this spring. We did an exploratory trip last fall, visiting Loui's Pizza, and Michigan & Trumbull, which was clearly the better of the two.
We thought we'd hit the mother lode as soon as we walked into Loui's. The decor is a time capsule of classic post-war Italian American restaurant design with dark lighting, a huge central bar surrounded by large red leatherette booths, and empty straw wrapped wine bottles hanging from the ceiling. In fact, we watched a party adding their bottle to the collection as we were sitting there.
The Pizza was very good but, for my tastes, out of balance with too much cheese and not enough sauce.
Michigan and Trumbull, named for the intersection where the original Tigers Stadium used to stand, is a relative newcomer to Detroit's Pizza scene. It's run by a young couple (younger than me anyway, so by that standard, they could even be in there early 60's, but more likely in their 30's). The decor is more streamlined industrial hip, but still fairly inviting.
The Pizza was outstanding with an excellent balance of cheese, sauce and toppings of sausage, mushrooms and onion. The edges were crisp, chewy, and flavorful with the characteristic caramelized cheese. It was a pie Burt Katz would have been proud to serve, if not for the rectangular shape.
Interesting history, regarding M&T's location. The Detroit natives started out in a food hall in Pittsburgh, PA, then discovered an open store front available near their actual namesake location. They've been there since 2020, but are now planning another move next year due to landlord issues.
I'm hoping to do another research trip in April before making up my final itinerary. My goal is to visit the flagship locations of Cloverleaf and Buddy's Pizza, and then choosing the top two for the tour.
Buddy
Loui's Pizza
23141 Dequindre Rd.
Hazel Park, MI 48030
(248) 547-1711
https://www.facebook.com/louispizza/https://www.yelp.com/biz/louis-pizza-hazel-parkMichigan & Trumbull
1441 W Elizabeth St.
Detroit, MI 48216
(313) 637-4992
https://www.michigantrumbullpizza.com/https://www.yelp.com/biz/michigan-and-trumbull-detroit-6