February 19, 2009 12:00 ET

Hour Detroit Magazine Announces Forest Grill as the 2009 Restaurant of the Year

ROYAL OAK, MI--(Marketwire - February 19, 2009) - Hour Detroit is proud to announce Forest Grill as its 2009 Restaurant of the Year.

Located in Birmingham, Forest Grill is a self-proclaimed "neighborhood bistro" that serves seasonal fare with an emphasis on fresh, high-quality, local ingredients.

Forest Grill seamlessly integrates Old World dedication and authentic preparation with a contemporary and environmentally conscious setting. Hour Detroit's story includes five pages of appetizing photographs that capture the cuisine, atmosphere, and spirit of this metro Detroit newcomer.

Owner and Executive Chef Brian Polcyn, a veteran restaurateur with 34 years of extensive experience in the business, opened Forest Grill in August 2008. Guided by a spirit of collaboration, Polcyn and Executive Chef David Gilbert lead a crew of talented staffers, teaching "care, passion, and the sound principles of good cooking," Polcyn says. "Good cooking comes from the soul; you have to feel it."

The menu offers dishes with dynamic interpretations of "nature's provisions." An eclectic wine list pairs beautifully with the cuisine. Forest Grill's signature is the charcuterie platter, which combines a trifecta of cured meats including soppressata, salami, and prosciutto di Parma with a choice of three accompaniments that range from marinated olives to heirloom beets to carrot-and-garbanzo salad. Featured items such as lobster bisque topped with golden puff pastry and house-smoked salmon with crème fraîche are rich and unexpected.

This combination of traditional and contemporary elements distinguishes Forest Grill as a unique dining experience, one that fuses elements of charm, innovation, and surprise. Hour Detroit's Restaurant of the Year is located at 735 Forest Ave., Birmingham; 248-258-9400, www.theforestgrill.com.

With this announcement, Forest Grill joins a class of distinguished winners. The coveted Restaurant of the Year title has been awarded to Mon Jin Lau in 2008, The Lark in 2007, Il Posto in 2006, Bacco Ristorante in 2005, BooCoo in 2004, Café Cortina in 2003, Hong Hua in 2002, The Hill Seafood & Chop House in 2001, and The Rugby Grill in 2000. The Lark and Tribute were co-honorees in 1999.

To read Hour Detroit's 2009 complete Restaurant of the Year story, be sure to pick up the March issue on newsstands March 3.

Also featured in the March issue of Hour Detroit:

Joni and Chuck Mitchell, Sixties Folklore: Chuck Mitchell reflects on Joni, their Detroit days, the city's former folk scene, and their beloved Midtown apartment.

Hoopla -- 10 Ways to Join March Madness: As Detroit prepares to welcome the NCAA Final Four basketball championship to Ford Field, sportswriter Lynn Henning outlines 10 reasons to embrace the tournament.

The Black Legion: Writer Richard Bak examines a dark chapter in Detroit history in his detailed look at a brutal vigilante group with ties to the Ku Klux Klan.

To subscribe to Hour Detroit magazine, please call 866-660-MAGS or visit the new www.hourdetroit.com.

Hour Detroit is brought to you by Hour Media, publishers of Detroit Home, DBusiness and Metro Detroit Bride magazines. Hour Media also publishes the Metropolitan Detroit Guest and Resource Guide, the Metropolitan Detroit Menu Guide, and numerous custom publications.