What’s the Dill is a new sandwich shop in Detroit’s University District | Eater Detroit

"In Detroit’s University District, a new takeout lunch spot specializes in corned beef, turkey, chicken, and veggie sandwiches piled with classic deli fixings — but instead of sliced bread the newly opened shop at 4088 West McNichols uses a hefty kosher dill pickle split hoagie-style as the handheld’s vessel. The pandemic-era restaurant is the work of Leona Milton, who conceived the idea in 2021 while prepping a party tray and opened with a ribbon-cutting on April 13 attended by Mayor Mike Duggan after receiving a $25,000 Motor City Match grant. Milton plans to sell a limited line of her sandwiches and jars of Kool-Aid pickles at Detroit Meijer locations; the shop also offers jars of ranch- and hot-flavored pickles, giant individually-wrapped spicy pickles, pickle brine–dusted chicharrones, cucumber wraps, and Smickles (slider-style items using pickle chips instead of buns). The small interior is bright green, deli clerks greet customers with the catchphrase “What’s the Dill?,” and an enclosed deli case displays pickle-themed delicacies — many inspired by fan suggestions (the Kool-Aid pickles, for example, came from a customer familiar with that Southern tradition). Non-pickle coverings like halved boiled eggs, tomato slices, and bell peppers are available, Milton even tested a dill pickle soup during a cold snap, and she says the crisp, never-gets-soggy pickle plus the nostalgia-inducing aroma of brine has resonated with the community despite early skepticism." - Serena Maria Daniels