Must Do in the D...#2

Mexicantown

Mexicantown is in Southwest Detroit, a corner of the city marked by great cultural diversity, cohesive community unparalleled in the rest of the city, and the best Mexican food in the metro area.

It also happens to be the neighborhood in which we live. For the first time since moving to Detroit, we got to experience Cinco de Mayo, though my Latino friends had mixed feelings about how Mexicantown does it up for the "holiday." Apart from the parade and the streets flooded with suburbanites, the weekend wasn't much different than any other Sunday. The night of Cinco de Mayo, however, was marked by gridlocked traffic on Vernor, endlessly honking horns, gunfire, fights and sexual assault. If you are thinking of visiting the area, don't do it on May 5th. Any other day of the year will be a pleasant, safe and educational experience.

For food, we like the following places:

Taqueria Lupita's 3443 Bagley (on the West side of I-75)
Lupita's is a little taco shop across from the suburban favorite, Xochimilco's. There is no cheese on anything and only one of the waitresses speaks English. We like the carnitas tacos dinner on corn tortillas with onion, cilantro and a bit of their runny guacamole sauce drizzled over it. Dinner's come with rice and the best beans ever. Order a horchata and you'll be on your way to coma-town.

Nuestra Familia 7620 W. Vernor Hwy (at Central after Vernor and Dix split)
Nuestra Familia is owned by a friend of a friend and they serve similar food to Lupita's (the owner used to be a cook at Lupita's) but the atmosphere is better, you don't feel nearly as cramped, and they have these vibrant painted tables and chairs that you'll wish you could take home with you. They have a taco bar at lunch time which is super cheap and super good.

Mi Puebla 7278 Dix (just after the split from Vernor)
Mi Puebla has something that the other two restaurants I listed don't, they have botanas to die for. Seriously. I die every time I eat there. Something else they have that a lot of restaurants in Mexicantown don't have, evening entertainment. At some point, after the sun goes down, singers come from somewhere and start making their way around the restaurant. Not stereotypical singers a la mariachi who serenade you at your table, but young, hip Latinos with a wireless microphone and a bevy of contemporary pop tunes chosen just for you. Yes, you.

Other places you should visit while you're in Mexicantown:

Mexicantown Mercado 2626 Bagley (East of I-75)
Recently opened and undoubtedly struggling thanks to the closure of I-75 for the next two years, the Mercado acts as an international welcome center and a cultural center for the neighborhood. They feature local vendors such as jewelry makers and souvenir stalls and, I believe, now have a little eatery/coffee shop open.
Mexicantown Mercado

The Matrix 2730 Bagley (East of I-75)
The Matrix is the neighborhood's little community black box theater. Ever wanted to have a giant puppet of Cesar Chavez at your child's barmitzvah? Well, as luck would have it, in addition to seeing a number of different plays and performances each season, you can rent a selection of giant puppets for any occasion.
Matrix Theater

La Gloria Bakery 3345 Bagley (West of I-75)
After you've digested your lunch and wandered around the neighborhood a bit, stop at La Gloria to get some caramel empanadas (and other yummy treats). Everything looks delicious and usually is, particularly the enormous tres leches cakes with fresh fruit on top. Last time we were in there, we noticed they're now selling them by the slice, no doubt because people like me begged them to do so. If you've never had tres leches, you don't know what you're missing. Be prepared, though, it's a WET cake.

Duly's Place 5458 Vernor
If you happen to stop by Mexicantown early in the morning or, even better, you spend the entire day into the wee hours there, you have to eat at Duly's. Remy and I frequently eat there right before mass lets out at Holy Redeemer right across the street. Duly's reminds me of the little eateries in New York, tucked into a tiny space with a long counter and stools and just enough room for someone behind the counter to get by. What makes Duly's the best in all of Detroit and the pride of Mexicantown is its gritty atmosphere, its no-nonsense wait staff and its $3 feast of a breakfast. That's right, I said $3 for eggs, toast, ham, sausage/bacon, hash browns and two pieces of toast. And staring at the yellowed photos of Donald Sutherland taking a break there from filming The Rosary Murders is just the cherry on top.

And, last but not least:
Murals, Murals, Murals
They're everywhere! Between non-commissioned graffiti murals to unassuming Virgens to full-on colorful walls, South West Detroit has some of the best art in Detroit. Spend some time driving around with your head out the window and a camera at the ready.

Most of all, while you're in Mexicantown, be respectful. Those of us who live here do so with great pride and, while parts of it may look humble, that doesn't mean that it's okay when outsiders litter, speak rudely to locals or make assumptions about someone's background.