Insider Guide: Doug Hewitt

Doug Hewitt, Executive Chef at Terry B’s Restaurant and Bar in Dexter, attended the culinary program at Schoolcraft College in Livonia and worked in top restaurants all over metro Detroit including Five Lakes Grill and the Water Lily. He has been at Terry B’s for seven years now since the very beginning, and absolutely loves the area.
 
The Jolly Pumpkin Brewery, widely regarded to be one of the best breweries in Michigan and considered by many in the industry to be one of the best in the country, is located in Dexter (and will soon be expanding with their own tasting room). For dining, Terry B’s is hands-down the finest of them all – they make all of their own charcuterie in-house and are very passionate about food sourcing. For more casual fare, Aubree’s Pizzeria & Grill is known for their selection of Michigan craft beer and pizza. The Red Brick Kitchen & Bar is a casual bistro pub/sandwich shop that serves basic pub fare. Dexter’s Pub is the oldest of all and is also popular with the locals.
 
The city is “crazy into festivals,” and the biggest of all is Dexter Daze in August that draws in tens of thousands of people. Apple Daze is another popular festival (the area has many apple orchards nearby and the historic Dexter Cider Mill, the oldest continuously operating cider mill in Michigan, is located right downtown). They also host a summer concert series on Friday nights with concerts in the park in their iconic gazebo. “It’s a pretty cool community,” Doug says quite simply. “They’re always doing stuff here.”
 
The parks and outdoor recreation are also a big draw to the area. The Dexter community is very athletic, and there are numerous bike races and runs held in town. One Helluva Ride brings in 5,000 riders every year, and the annual Dexter-Ann Arbor Run brings in even more than that. The area is very scenic and has become a haven for cyclists, which are now so great in number and common to see drivers have to be very aware of riders sharing the road – it’s a genuine cycling town!
 
The Hudson Mills and Dexter Huron Metro Parks are hugely popular and massive, offering plenty of different opportunities for outdoor recreation with hiking and biking trails, regular and disc golf courses and more. The Huron River, behind the Dexter Cider Mill, is also a popular spot for outdoor activities like fly fishing and kayaking. “People are always lounging up and down the river.”