Babo

For Kris Lelcaj, Babo has been 10 years in the making and come June, it should become a reality. “I’m planning on working around the clock to get this thing going in June,” said Lelcaj, who worked at SavCo Hospitality, based in Ann Arbor. Lelcaj plans to have Babo – which means “dad” in Albanian, paying homage to his father, who passed away in 2011 – fill the brunch void in Midtown Detroit, with dishes like avocado toast with a truffle salt and lemon zest, and Eggs Benedict, which has applewood smoked bacon instead of ham and a hollandaise made in-house. If brunch isn’t your cup of tea, they will also be serving lunch and dinner, with tacos and burgers being their focal points. There will be vegetarian options for their burgers and tacos. There’s also a plan for dinner specials on Fridays and Saturdays, including a three-meat family bolognese recipe that Lelcaj described as “a liquid gold type of sauce.” Located at the Park Shelton building – right by the Detroit Institute of Arts – art will cover the walls and add to the interesting design elements, giving it a rustic, chic look.

Metro Intelligencer is a monthly column devoted to news stories, tidbits and gossip items about what's happening on the restaurant scene in the metro Detroit area. Metro Intelligencer is reported/created each month by Dana Casadei who can be reached at DanaCasadei@DowntownPublications.com with news items or tips, on or off the record.