Top 10 Takeover dining series: Tickets for Employee Meal go on sale Friday

Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press
·3 min read
Two Mexican tacos sit on the bar table inside the EM - Employee Meal restaurant in Birmingham on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023. Mexican tacos are part of the food menu at EM and their choice of meat changes daily from pork, steak and chicken.
Two Mexican tacos sit on the bar table inside the EM - Employee Meal restaurant in Birmingham on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023. Mexican tacos are part of the food menu at EM and their choice of meat changes daily from pork, steak and chicken.

The Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Top 10 Takeover dinner series kicks off with its first event at Employee Meal in Birmingham.

Tickets for the April 11 Employee Meal dinner go on sale for Free Press subscribers at noon Thursday. Subscribers should check their email for a link to ticket sales. General ticket sales for the public follow at noon Friday.

More:No. 3: Employee Meal brings regional Mexican dishes to Birmingham

For each event, the Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers are offering a chance to win two tickets. You can go to chevydetroit.com/top10 to enter the contest.

More:Employee Meal recreates family recipes that evoke emotion and a pride in workers' Mexican heritage

The Whole Fish of the Day dish at EM - Employee Meal sits on a table with a handful of specialized drinks inside the restaurant in Birmingham on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023. The Whole Fish of the Day comprises of a fried crispy Florida red snapper, pickled onions, cilantro and a nopales salad.
The Whole Fish of the Day dish at EM - Employee Meal sits on a table with a handful of specialized drinks inside the restaurant in Birmingham on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023. The Whole Fish of the Day comprises of a fried crispy Florida red snapper, pickled onions, cilantro and a nopales salad.

Employee Meal, or EM for short, placed No. 3. on the 2023 Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers 10 Best New Restaurants and More list.

More:Bombshell Treat Bar, with over-the-top ice cream bars, to open 1st storefront in Berkley

At Employee Meal, the restaurant's menu spotlights regional Mexican dishes and cocktails. Served in a familial setting, the dishes are influenced by the Employee Meal team's cultures, regions of origin, or traditions. For example, "chef Hector Manuel Perez’s ceviche, in its bright broth that prickles your lips with a hint of heat, honors his Guadalajara heritage," wrote Lyndsay C. Green.

The annual Top 10 Takeover dining series highlights the Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Restaurant of the Year and the 10 Best New Restaurants that were revealed in February. Each event offers the opportunity to experience the restaurant and a chef-curated, multicourse meal at the restaurant.

More:Best in dining: Metro Detroit's top 10 restaurants, pop-ups, cocktail bars

At all the Top 10 Takeover events, guests will hear from Lyndsay C. Green, the Free Press' dining and restaurant critic, along with fellow Free Press colleagues.

There are two seatings for the April 11 dinner at Employee Meal, 470 N. Old Woodward Ave: 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. The cost is $71 per person including tax and gratuity and a donation to Forgotten Harvest. The $3 donation per ticket to Forgotten Harvest helps fight food insecurity in metro Detroit. A drink pairing for each course will be offered for an additional $50 charge or you can order individual beverages.

For more information and tickets go to: freep.com/top10

Menu for the Employee Meal Top 10 Takeover

StarterHomemade guacamole chips and salsa for each table

First courseCeviche: Fish marinated in citrus with chili peppers, onions, tomatoes and cilantro

Second courseCamarones Rojos and Alambre: Florida royal red shrimp spicy grilled and marinated and char-grilled tenderloin tips with avocado salsa and spicy remouladeVegetarian option: Mushroom taquitos featuring a sauteed mixed mushrooms, onion, tomatoes, and spicy potatoes in a corn tortilla

Third courseChamorro con Mole: Slow-roasted pork shank with sweet and spicy mole sauce over poblano riceVegetarian option: Colifor Capeada features pan-fried cauliflower with julienned onions and peppers in a rich red sauce over poblano rice

Fourth courseDessert: Twice-baked flan with sweet cream and lemon crunch

Contact Detroit Free Press food writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter. Subscribe to the Free Press.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Top 10 Takeover dining series: Tickets for Employee Meal go on sale Friday