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Snooze,

Good call avoiding East Jefferson. Not a good walking area at all, nor is there much to offer close by. Detroit is not a walk around and discover type of city. There are great things to do, but you need to know where you are going because it's all the stuff in between that gives the city a bad rep.

I've stayed at the Athenian, and it's proximity to Greektown is what makes it worthwhile. Greektown is chocked full of good places to eat, greek and otherwise, and is walkable to Ford Field. And it is Detroit's best walk around area.

Nothing wrong with Dearborn though...Miller's Bar on Michigan Avenue serves up what some think is the world's best hamburger. It's about the only thing they have to eat there and they do indeed do it well enough that the claim has veracity.

If you are going to grab some eats in Detroit, Pegasus in Greektown is the standard for greek food (though less impressive to look at, my fav for the food is The Old Parthanon). If your into Italian, buzz north on the expressway next to FF, get off at Mack hang a right then another right on Russell, then a left on Erskine and you'll see Roma Cafe in the Eastern Market area. Roma's is Detroit's oldest operating restaraunt and was the location where the backroom teamster deals were made back in the Hoffa era. The place reeks of Godfather-esque atmosphere and the food is like you are visiting your Italian buddy's grandmothers house. If it's someone's birthday in your group, you'll be seranaded with the most operetic version of Happy Birthday you've ever heard, by a waiter that has been working there for about a hundred years.

Slows on Michigan avenue (just west of the vacant hole where Tiger Stadium was) has bar-b-que'd brisket and mac and cheese to die for and enough variation in beer choices that you could be trying them all until next years finals. And east of the old stadium site on Michigan is Nemo's. The definitive Detroit baseball bar, that serves a burger that is a close second to those at Miller's.

If your walking from FF for lunch, Detroit Beer Company is a good choice, a microbrewery with decent grub (try a pint of the Detroit Dwarf) and of course, the other side of Comerica you'll find Hockeytown. The food is typical bar fare, but the place is usually loud, touristy-crowded and fun. Further west from Hockytown (though not always open for lunch) is Centaur (down the side road Hockytown is on). Home of ESPN during the Detroit Super Bowl, Centaur is a rather ecclectic place that serves small plates type dishes...fun to try bunches of them. If Jason (you'll know him because he has really long hair) is behind bar, he will mix you Detroit's best Martini. His reputation is one that has earned him a following amoungst celebs that have been coming to the city to film movies. And I am green with envy that he has established himself as the bartender of choice and friend to one of my movie girl crushes, Drew Barrymore.

Oh yeah, if you are downtown early enough for breakfast, stop and get the stuffed french toast at Detroit Breakfast House on Woodward....but then you should probably jog to Ford Field so you can fit in a seat.

I don't know if you can tell, but I am a suburbanite that loves Detroit. I work downtown (in fact I am dining at Roma this evening) and I am always anxious to help out visitors who are wanting to discover the city. Feel free to drop me a line if I can help.