Dearborn suggestions - eating? shopping? evening with baby?

My mom, my aunt, and I are going on a girls getaway. We%26#39;ll be spending most of the weekend in Dearborn. We plan to visit Greenfield Village and Henry Ford Museum. Any tips?

What else should we do?

Any good places to eat (we%26#39;re sort of picky - nothing too exotic)?

Are there any fun malls nearby?

Any other ideas for evening entertainment with a one year old and two 60 year olds?

Thanks!!!

Dearborn suggestions - eating? shopping? evening with baby?

Museum and Village: depending upon the intensity of your interests, can take as long as one day each. If you plan to do both in the same day, bear in mind that they open at 9:30 a.m. and close at 5:00 p.m. Free parking. Only for occasional special events are they open after 5:00 p.m. There is an IMAX theatre in the Museum. It is open at night.

Restaurants: Many of the usual national chains are in and around Dearborn. There also are a number of local restaurants and local chains that are worth checking out: Olga%26#39;s, Andiamo, Ciao, steak houses, Middle Eastern, Mexican, etc. Some are a 5 to 10 minute drive from downtown Dearborn. In the city itself, Michigan Avenue is the main street and most, but not all, restaurants are on Michigan Avenue (or within a block of it).

There are restaurants in the Fairlane Mall (including a food court) and also on the perimeter of the mall property. There also is a concentration of chains in adjacent Allen Park, east of Southfield Freeway between Outer Drive and Oakwood and on Ford Road, west of Telegraph in Dearborn Heights. Post again with budget and preferred cuisines and we can make specific suggestions.

Other: you might want to check out Henry Ford%26#39;s estate (Fairlane). Tours are offered and the restaurant (closed Saturdays and Sundays) is a good spot for lunch before the tour. www.henryfordestate.org

Shopping. Fairlane is a major mall, but fun may be a stretch as the mall has been struggling for a few years and both Saks and Lord %26amp; Taylor have closed, leaving large vacancies. Two restaurants (Bravo and P.F. Chang%26#39;s) presently are under construction near what was formerly the Sak%26#39;s entrance.

If you don%26#39;t mind driving 30-45 minutes north, the best shopping in the Detroit area is at the Somerset Collection (www.thesomersetcollection.com). About the same driving time northwest of Dearborn on I-96 there also is Novi, MI with the 12 Oaks Mall, Fountain Walk and the Novi Town Center.

Dearborn suggestions - eating? shopping? evening with baby?

Thanks for all the tips!

We%26#39;ll only be in the area Saturday and part of Sunday, so anything closed on the weekend won%26#39;t be an option.

We like to eat at casual places. Our budget is probably $20 per person. Two of us really like Italian or Mexican. The other one is going to be happiest with standard American fare or pizza.

The shopping ideas you gave me sound great. I%26#39;ll be sure to take them along and check them out!

OK, with the budget and cuisine preferences you mentioned, here are a few recommendations to get you started. All are in or near Dearborn. They have websites so you can check out their menus, prices and photos.

ITALIAN. (1) Andiamo (more upscale local chain: www.andiamoitalia.com/dearborn); (2) Ciao (www.ciaodearborn.com), also more upscale; (3) Carino%26#39;s (more moderately-price national chain: www.carinosgrill.com); (4) Giovanni%26#39;s (www.giovannisristorante.com); and (5) Vince%26#39;s (www.vincesitalian.com).

Giovanni%26#39;s and Vince%26#39;s are unique, local and non-chain restaurants doing business in their only locations. Both are close to Dearborn, but a bit off the beaten track and both are very popular.

PIZZA. (1) Buddy%26#39;s (www.buddyspizza.com); and (2) PizzaPapalis (www.pizzapapalis.com). Both are very good and both are local chains with branches on Michigan Avenue in Dearborn. These are Chicago deep-dish style pizzas.

MEXICAN. My sole pick in this category is also a little out of the way but not hard to find. It is Taqueria MI Pueblo. It is reasonably-priced, friendly, clean and definitely more authentic Mexican than most others. Taqueria Mi Pueblo is very popular with people who know ';real'; Mexican food (local Mexican community, Ford engineers and executives who have lived and worked in Mexico, etc.) Don%26#39;t worry, the name implies they serve only tacos (but in fact they have a broader menu than most Mexican restaurants) and ';authentic'; implies to some people that it is super hot or spicy; it definitely is neither. Check out their menu at www.mipueblorestaurant.com. Great place for lunch.

BURGERS. Best burgers, fries and onion rings in Dearborn (and many locals would say anywhere) can be found at Miller%26#39;s Bar on Michigan Avenue east of Telegraph. This small, neighborhood bar no frills place is a Dearborn institution and is very popular. It hasn%26#39;t changed in years and features a unique honor system for paying. www.millersbar.com

CHANGE OF PACE. Olga%26#39;s. Freshly-made--in the restaurant--thick, soft and warm pita bread (totally unlike store-bought pita) and a variety of sandwich fillings for the pita make this Michigan-based chain a great place for a moderately-priced lunch or dinner. www.olgaskitchen.com

CHINESE. China Town, in the Fairlane Mall near the J. C. Penny lower entrance offers inexpensivem buffet style Chinese food in a good variety. It is a good place for lunch.

There are lots of other restaurants in the area or within 10-15 minutes, but you aren%26#39;t going to be here long enough to venture too far from Dearborn.

Hope that this helps.

WOW! Thanks for all the great restaurant ideas!!

You are most welcome. Have a great visit!