Detroit Style Pizza In Its Namesake City @ Michigan & Trumball

A decade ago, I flew to Detroit for eight hours to try some Detroit style pizza for lunch and dinner. I returned this past summer, for a slightly longer trip (48 hours) and my first stop was, of course, to try some pizza. Many of Detroit’s most famous pizzerias have been around for decades, but a relatively new player on the scene is Michigan & Trumbull (1331 Holden St). Although the shop was originally opened in Pittsburgh by two native Detroiters in 2017, it was relocated back to the Motor City just months before the pandemic, where it’s been serving up innovative Detroit-style pies ever since.

What’s Unique: Detroit style pizza can be found in pretty much every major city in the US these days, so the style itself isn’t something you need to travel to Detroit to taste (20 years ago, that wasn’t the case). Michigan & Trumball has a dining room, a bar area, and outdoor seating too — on a warm Friday evening, however, most customers seemed to be doing takeout. There isn’t much in the vicinity around the restaurant, so you really need fours wheel to get there (although two wheels would suffice too).

What To Order: Many of the pies have fun names like the “Cowabunga Supreme,” “McLovin” and “Bagely Chorizo.” And the price is right. Pies start at $13 and top out at $17. My friend and I ordered the “Long Drive Home” (vodka sauce, mozz, parmesan, sausage, banana pepper) and the “Farnsworth Funghi” (mozz, whipped goat cheese, roasted mushrooms, arugula, garlic oil). Our entire bill for 2 pies including tax and tip was $36.

Of the two pies, we much preferred the “Long Drive Home” — it was simple and the banana peppers gave it some nice pop. On our second pie, the mushrooms and goat cheese got lost in a forrest of raw arugula. I don’t like my pizzas to feel like a eating a salad. By my third slice I just scrapped off the arugula.

What To Know Before You Go: Michigan & Trumball is currently closed on Monday and Tuesday. They open at noon each day and list their closing time as 9PM on Wednesday and Thursday, and until “sold out” the rest of the week. So presumably you could be out of luck if you show up for a late dinner on the weekends. They don’t have a liquor license, but have plenty of N/A options ranging from $3-$7 (from iced tea to amaro spritzes). Ultimately, I don’t think Michigan & Trumball is any more unique than the many Detroit style pizza places that are now ubiquitous around the country. While I prefer spots like Via 313 in Austin (and yearn for shuttered pizzeria like Hudson & Packard)… as they say… when in Rome Detroit…

Detroit Style Pizza In Its Namesake City @ Michigan & Trumball

A decade ago, I flew to Detroit for eight hours to try some Detroit style pizza for lunch and dinner. I returned this past summer, for a slightly longer trip (48 hours) and my first stop was, of course, to try some pizza. Many of Detroit’s most famous pizzerias have been around for decades, but …