#22087 Brunching at a Hidden Urban Oasis in Detroit, Michigan

In a city often mocked and misunderstood, in one of the more unsavory neighborhoods, on one of the ugliest streets, you’ll find something unexpected. Far from the bustle of Detroit’s downtown, but not quite in the suburbs, on a stretch of road that can—without hyperbole—be called “no man’s land," La Dolce Vita hides behind a nondescript purple exterior and a small, easily-missed sign. But enter through the ivy-covered gates and suddenly the city seems worlds away. During Sunday brunch, jazz music plays softly, "bottomless" mimosas flow freely and the summer sun shines over the secret garden patio. The smokey smell of bacon mingles with scents of coffee and fresh flowers, and the traumas and troubles of life fade into the background. It’s enough to make even the most jaded Detroiters proud of their city and content, despite the occasional ugliness of the world around them, to be nowhere else but here.