44 MI Restaurants Among Wine Spectator's 2023 Award Winners

MICHIGAN — Michigan has some of the best fine wine and dining spots in the nation, according to Wine Spectator.

Wine Spectator recently unveiled the 2023 Restaurant Awards winners, which honor the world's best restaurants for wines. This year's awards program recognized 3,500 dining destinations from all 50 states and in more than 70 countries worldwide.

In Michigan, 44 restaurants earned recognition. Since 1981, the Restaurant Awards have had three distinct levels: The "Award of Excellence," the "Best of Award of Excellence" and the "Grand Award."

These restaurants won the Best Of Award Of Excellence this year:

• Butch's Dry Dock, Holland
• Nibi, Battle Creek
• Noto's Old World Italian Dining, Grand Rapids
• Prime + Proper, Detroit
• Salle à Manger, Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island
• The Blue Llama Jazz Club, Ann Arbor
• The Capital Grille, Troy
• The Earle, Ann Arbor
• The State Room, Michigan State University
• Vertical Detroit, Detroit

Restaurants that earned the Award of Excellence are:

• Aerie, Acme
• Artisan, Traverse City
• Bistro on the Boulevard, Saint Joseph
• Bridge Street Social, Dewitt
• Cafe Mamo, Grand Rapids
• Coast 236 Restaurant & Bar, Saugatuck
• Copper Rock Steakhouse, New Buffalo
• Cork Wine & Grille, Grand Rapids
• Dusty's Wine Bar, Okemos
• Eddie Merlot's, Bloomfield Hills
• Eddie V's Prime Seafood, Troy
• Emilio's Prime, Lexington
• Five Steakhouse, Plymouth
• Fogo de Chão, Troy
• Frame, Hazel Park
• Gaucho Brazilian SteakHouse, Northville
• Highlands, Detroit
• Joe Muer Seafood, Bloomfield Hills
• Kankakee Grille, New Buffalo
• Madam, Birmingham
• Morton's, The Steakhouse, Troy
• Paesano Restaurant And Wine Bar, Ann Arbor
• Sandy Point Beach House, West Olive
• Seasons 52, Troy
• Streetside Seafood, Birmingham
• Tallulah Wine Bar & Bistro, Birmingham
• The English Inn, Eaton Rapids
• The Main Dining Room at the Highlands, Harbor Springs
• The Station 100, Frankenmuth
• The Windjammer Bar and Grill, Lexington
• Two Tonys Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar, Spring Lake
• Vernales Restaurant, Harbor Springs
• Vintage Chophouse, Bay Harbor
• Weber's Restaurant, Ann Arbor

There were no Grand Award Michigan restaurants

Then there's the Award of Excellence, given to restaurants that carefully choose their wine lists to have 100 or more selections, containing both quality and diverse wines, according to the magazine. There were 2,001 Award of Excellence winners this year.

The Best of Award of Excellence is given to restaurants that "go the extra mile," with lists of 350 or more selections from top producers, with a wide variety of regions and vintage depths. These restaurants might also carefully design the presentations of the list, train their staff to assist diners with the list and have curated wine dinners, according to Wine Spectator. Worldwide, 1,411 restaurants received the Best of Award of Excellence award.

Find more info on all 2023 Restaurant Award Winners from Wine Spectator.