The reopened restaurant on Merrill Street has sleek decor and colorful lighting. (Facebook photo)
These days the buzz about new restaurants often involves Midtown, downtown or Corktown.
But make no mistake, the burbs are still contenders.
The latest: The recent re-opening of 220 Merrill in Birmingham, which is owned by Denise Ilitch, daughter of Mike and Marian Ilitch.
Sylvia Rector of the Detroit Free Press writes that you'd expect good crowds after the major renovation, but "even by Birmingham standards, the crush of customers at the new 220 Merrill has been impressive."
She goes on to write:
Maybe it’s because fans of the former 220 — known for its bar scene and dark, clubby feel — are so curious about how the makeover turned out. Maybe it’s in part because one of the new owners is Denise Ilitch— Ambassador magazine publisher and daughter of Detroit Tigers and Red Wings owners Mike and Marian Ilitch.
Or maybe it’s that this restaurant could be the most significant new spot to open in Birmingham for the rest of the year, as downtown Detroit takes over as the metro area’s mecca for new dining spots.
Rector describes the new joint as Birmingham-Bloomfield-meets-Miami, and she doesn't mean the Miami that goes to early bird dinners at 4:30 p.m.
-- Allan Lengel
