Reporter Food: Public House in Downtown Ferndale

(Crystal A. Proxmire, Jan. 10, 2022)

Ferndale, MI- For those who haven’t heard yet, Public House was sold and recently reopened after some remodeling of the space and the creation of a new menu with a strong focus on vegan menu offerings. Hometown Restaurant Group, with Brian Kramer at the helm, owns several Downtown Ferndale establishments including Pop’s for Italian, One-Eyed-Betty’s, and the forthcoming A&P.  They’re also one of our sponsors here on Oakland County Times.

A friend and I had dinner in the garden room of the restaurant, which features greenery on the walls and draped overhead, and a section full of roses that’s perfect for selfies. There’s also a bar with lighting changes giving it an artistic effect.

We started sharing appetizers of BBQ carrots smoked baba onion dip.

The carrots were served topped with toasted pistachio and a sauce of oat milk dill. The smoked baba onion dip was made with eggplant and caramelized onion and served with a generous amount of naan wedges.  Both were great choices.

For the main course I had the crispy cauliflower tacos, made with watermelon radish, pickled red onion, romaine, lime aioli, and cilantro. There were three tacos in the order, meaning enough for leftovers. I also ordered one of their mock tails called the Loni, made with strawberry, lavender, banana, pineapple and demerara (which is cane sugar).

My friend opted for a pair of sliders – smoked brisket and seared salmon. (There’s also a chicken apple option available.) The  selections of toppings made for picturesque and delicious little burgers.  For desert we split “a thousand layers,” which is a stack of house-made flaky pastries with french cream in between and a little metal pitcher of melty chocolate to pour over top. This gigantic desert was a fun one to share, with plenty for two people.

Other items to consider include poutine, candied bacon, Argentinian red shrimp, Nashville hot chicken sandwiches and vegan options like smoked mushroom dip, and plant-based vegan burgers.

Public House is located at 241 W. 9 Mile in Downtown Ferndale.  Learn more at www.publichouseferndale.com.

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White Castle is the Reporter Food sponsor of Oakland County Times, supporting our quest to explore restaurants throughout Oakland County. Find White Castle locations, and more information about all their menu options, at www.whitecastle.com.

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