// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did Mabel Gray say when sad? I'm feeling gray.
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| Mabel Gray | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Interactive map of Mabel Gray | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | September 2015 |
| Owners | James Rigato and Ed Mamou |
| Head chef | James Rigato |
| Food type | New American |
| Location | 23825 John R Road, Hazel Park, Michigan, U.S. |
Seating capacity | 43 |
| Reservations | Recommended |
| Website | mabelgraykitchen |
Mabel Gray is a New American restaurant in Hazel Park, Michigan. Chef James Rigato and business partner Ed Mamou opened the restaurant in September 2015 in a former diner on John R Road.[1][2] It is known for a seasonal menu that changes frequently and combines Michigan ingredients with a range of international influences.[3][4]
The James Beard Foundation named Mabel Gray a semifinalist for Best New Restaurant in 2016.[5] The Detroit Free Press named it Restaurant of the Year in 2017, and Hour Detroit gave it the same designation in 2025.[1][6]
History
[edit]Rigato and Mamou announced plans for Mabel Gray in 2015, after working together at the Root in White Lake Township.[7][1] The restaurant was built in a 1,600-square-foot building that had previously housed Liza's Place and Ham Heaven. The designers retained features of the former diner, including its floor tiles, and added an open kitchen, a bar and banquette seating.[1] It opened in September 2015 with 43 seats.[3][2]
The restaurant's name refers to Alice Mabel Gray, a writer and recluse associated with the dunes of southern Lake Michigan, and to a song about her by the band Brown Bird.[4][1] Early coverage centered in part on the decision to open a restaurant in Hazel Park, rather than in one of metropolitan Detroit's better-known dining districts.[7][4] In a 2022 article about redevelopment in the city, Metro Times described Mabel Gray as a destination restaurant that drew customers from across southeast Michigan and helped bring activity to the John R Road corridor.[2]
Food and service
[edit]Mabel Gray opened with a small, handwritten menu that varied according to the season and the availability of ingredients. The restaurant did not have a walk-in cooler, and daily deliveries influenced what appeared on the menu.[4][1] Along with an à la carte menu, it offered a chef's tasting menu whose courses were not disclosed to diners in advance.[4][1]
Reviewers have generally classified the restaurant as New American, while noting influences from several cuisines. In a 2016 review, Hour Detroit discussed dishes including fried banana with mole, duck confit with farro risotto, and mussels and clams in coconut milk.[4] Rebecca Flint Marx of The New York Times wrote that the restaurant's use of Michigan ingredients was paired with references to the region's Korean, Middle Eastern and Latin American communities.[3] In 2017, Free Press critic Mark Kurlyandchik described Rigato's cooking as "improvisational New Americana with World influences" and noted that dishes could change substantially over the course of a week.[1]
The restaurant later expanded its beverage program. A wine room opened in June 2024, with a particular emphasis on Champagne.[6] Hour Detroit reported in 2025 that the changing menu, guest-chef events and staff travel remained part of the restaurant's approach.[6]
Reception
[edit]Jane Slaughter reviewed Mabel Gray for Metro Times in December 2015, writing that the restaurant paired an informal room with close attention to food preparation.[8] The following month, Hour Detroit chief restaurant critic Cook praised the kitchen's combinations of flavors and the execution of its short menu.[4]
In April 2016, The New York Times published a feature on Mabel Gray, describing it as rooted in Michigan despite a menu that drew on several of the area's immigrant communities.[3] The restaurant was selected as a semifinalist for the 2016 James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant, but did not advance to the list of nominees.[5][9]
The Detroit Free Press named Mabel Gray its 2017 Restaurant of the Year. Kurlyandchik cited its changing menu, sourcing, service and use of its limited space, and argued that it had also brought attention and foot traffic to Hazel Park.[1] Hour Detroit selected the restaurant as its 2025 Restaurant of the Year, nearly ten years after it opened. The magazine's feature focused on the restaurant's continued menu changes, beverage program and staff development.[6]
Rigato has separately been named a semifinalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Great Lakes while working at Mabel Gray.[10]
With the Michelin Guide's expansion into the Great Lakes region, Mabel Gray has been identified by food publications as a potential Michelin-starred restaurant. The Gander included Mabel Gray among Michigan restaurants it considered deserving of a Michelin star in 2025, while Midwest Living discussed the restaurant among Detroit-area establishments in anticipation of the guide's arrival.[11][12] Michelin announced in 2026 that the Michelin Guide: American Great Lakes would include Detroit and that its inaugural restaurant selection would be revealed in 2027.[13]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Kurlyandchik, Mark (February 10, 2017). "2017 Restaurant of the Year: Mabel Gray". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved September 24, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Neavling, Steve (August 24, 2022). "A hipper Hazel Park? Why the longtime blue-collar suburb is experiencing a renaissance". Metro Times. Retrieved September 24, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Flint Marx, Rebecca (April 15, 2016). "A Detroit Restaurant That Shows Michigan Pride". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 17, 2025. Retrieved September 24, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Cook (January 3, 2016). "Hip in Hazel Park". Hour Detroit. Retrieved September 24, 2026.
- 1 2 "The 2016 JBF Restaurant and Chef Award Semifinalists". James Beard Foundation. February 17, 2016. Retrieved September 24, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Palumbo, Danny; Lyons, Mickey (February 3, 2025). "2025 Restaurant of the Year: Mabel Gray". Hour Detroit. Retrieved September 24, 2026.
- 1 2 Rupersburg, Nicole (August 26, 2015). "Forthcoming Mabel Gray signals new cool for Hazel Park". Metromode. Retrieved September 24, 2026.
- ↑ Slaughter, Jane (December 23, 2015). "James Rigato dazzles and delights with Mabel Gray". Metro Times. Retrieved September 24, 2026.
- ↑ "The 2016 James Beard Award Nominees". James Beard Foundation. March 15, 2016. Retrieved September 24, 2026.
- ↑ "The 2020 James Beard Award Semifinalists". James Beard Foundation. February 26, 2020. Retrieved September 24, 2026.
- ↑ Usher, Charles (July 6, 2026). "The Michelin Guide is Coming to the Great Lakes—We Asked Top Chefs Which Restaurants Could Land Stars". Midwest Living. Retrieved September 24, 2026.
- ↑ Brusie, Chaunie (June 13, 2025). "Why Michigan doesn't have Michelin Stars (+ restaurants that deserve one)". The Gander. Retrieved September 24, 2026.
- ↑ "American Great Lakes to Join the Global Culinary Map with New MICHELIN Guide Edition". MICHELIN Guide. April 7, 2026. Retrieved September 24, 2026.