In the national spotlight

The hits keep coming for Detroit’s Ladder 4 Wine Bar. The establishment was recently recognized by The New York Times as one of the “50 places in America we are most excited about right now.” In addition, Bon Appétit has listed Ladder 4 Wine Bar as one of its “24 Best New Restaurants.” No other Michigan restaurants were recognized on either list. “When it opened, Ladder 4 was so focused on serving natural wine that John Yelinek, one of Detroit’s gifted young chefs, took a job pouring drinks, never expecting to cook,” writes Brett Anderson, NYT Food desk as a contributor. “His move to the kitchen, later last year, is when the erudite bar, built in a converted firehouse by the brothers James and Patrick Cadariu, became an alluring restaurant as well. You’ll leave raving about charred leeks crowned with gribiche and trout roe, or pork schnitzel escorted by a salad of fresh peas and mint, in the same breath as Sipon, the Slovene skin-contact wine recommended for its “funky-kampucha-dried-apricot vibes.”.  And, Kate Kassin, editorial operations manager at Bon Appétit, said in her article that “Ladder 4, which is housed in a century-old firehouse, feels like so much more than a wine bar. The food isn’t just delicious; it’s exciting and even a little cheeky. While all the plates are wonderful – the sweet potatoes cloaked in soft cheese and pumpkin seed dukkah, for instance, or the juicy, lavish pork chop schnitzel – more technical dishes like that sausage, along with the stellar setting, add up to a truly memorable meal.” 3396 Vinewood Street, Detroit ladder4winebar.com