Growing up in Macomb County, Downriver always seemed like the other side of the world to me. Hearing the names of places like Ecorse, Southgate or Riverview conjured images of faraway lands populated by unknown people.

Suffice it to say, my family never ventured Downriver.

Until recently, my only experience with the perennially ignored and unfairly maligned cluster of cities and townships south of Detroit was the few days I spent at the age of 19 painting murals at a Greek Orthodox church in Ecorse while apprenticing for a Greek iconographer. It would take me more than 20 years to find out that one of the best Greek restaurants in southeast Michigan was just down the street from that church.

Culturally, Downriver gets a bad rap, often acting as a punchline for jokes about eating muskrat, caricatured as Detroit's backwater.

But that stigma is both unfair and unfounded. Depending on how you define it — and there is always hearty debate about what constitutes as "Downriver" — more than 300,000 people call this mish-mash of communities home, each with their own rich cultural history and (mostly) blue-collar pride founded in the steel plants and factories that have long dotted the waterfront.

"Downriver embodies the Midwest in a lot of ways," says Les Molnar, who was born in Delray but raised in Allen Park. "Plop this anywhere in Wisconsin. Plop it in Macomb County. Working class. Blue collar. Don’t mind getting their hands dirty. Second or third generation immigrants."

Molnar is the executive chef for the restaurant group that runs Detroit's Johnny Noodle King and Green Dot Stables. And though he now lives in Detroit, he remains a proud Downriver booster.

Over the last few years, Molnar and I would run into each other at The Schvitz, the historic bathhouse in Detroit's North End neighborhood, where I also met Riverview native Scott Warrens. The pair would regale me with stories about Wyandotte's house bars and Hungarian family dining in Southgate.

Intrigued and embarrassed by my complete lack of knowledge of this large and important territory of metro Detroit, I agreed to let the two give me a whirlwind tour of their old stomping grounds.

As is often the case when ignorance is confronted head-on, I was floored by my new knowledge after our first visit back in June. It all felt so... familiar. Almost as if you folded metro Detroit using Woodward as a crease, Macomb County and Downriver would fit into each other hand-in-glove -- like mirror images. Many times as we cruised Eureka or Northline, I felt transported back to the thoroughfares of my own youth.

I also quickly realized that one visit wouldn't be enough. So as we hopped from bar to restaurant to bar again, I made notes on places to re-visit. We made three separate sojourns over the summer. And then I made a fourth trip with fellow Freep food writer Susan Selasky, an Allen Park native and longtime Grosse Ile resident.

Of the dozens of food-service establishments we visited across those trips, these are the nine that stood out, as places worth the drive for us non-locals and as local institutions for their neighbors — places I'd go back to over and over.

Like Downriver itself, there's nothing trendy about these spots. In fact, their steady success over the years may be due to their aversion to trends in the first place. All of them have been around for decades.

Without further ado, here are nine definitive Downriver dining destinations.

And no, none of them serve muskrat.

Sibley Gardens

Originally founded in 1935, Sibley Gardens moved to this squat brick building across from the hulking McLouth Steel plant after World War II. The plant has been abandoned since the '80s, but Sibley's is still full of life. Stepping in today is like stepping back in time. A curved central bar is flanked by brown leather rounded booths that all face the crimson, windowless room, seemingly designed for mobsters and the mad men of yore without entering kitschy territory. Italian and steakhouse classics are served, refreshingly, without a hint of irony or cheffy posturing. The steak tips are still hand-cut and tender and the bar pours a killer martini. It doesn't get more classic than this.

Sibley Gardens: 916 W Jefferson, Trenton; 734-285-1707 and sibleygardens.com.

TV's Deli & Diner

Delis and diners are enjoying a bit of a resurgence as of late, but TV's in Trenton has been doing the "upscale" version of both since the mid-90's. TV's is an all-day affair serving breakfast, lunch and dinner in a classic diner environment with checkerboard-topped tables surrounded by booths. The place is known for its super-rich, buttery lobster bisque, which can be had for $5.29 for what is considered a cup but is more like a small bowl. (Larger bowls are only $6.49.) The steaks are also a steal and cooked perfectly to temp. Plus there's a full bar and huge dessert selection to ply you with. No wonder it's always crowded.

TV's Deli & Diner: 2441 Fort, Trenton; 734-671-9005 and tvsdelidiner.com.

Moro's Dining

Moro's has been a mainstay of Allen Park's retro downtown since 1980, when Thomas Moro, who had trained at the legendary Mario's Restaurant in Detroit during its mid-century heyday, opened this ode to classic tableside service and Italian fare. Give your eyes a few minutes to adjust to the dimly lit dining room and you'll see tuxedoed waiters doting on far more casually dressed guests. The Swiss onion soup — a beefier, cheese-less version of the ubiquitous French onion — is recommended, as are the cannelloni and manicotti from the long list of daily specials. Split the difference with a plate of both, topped with meaty bolognese and a sluice of béchamel. Although you shouldn't, if you end up skipping the flaming desserts prepared tableside, you'll still be treated to a complimentary bowl of fruit and nuts, "to aid digestion," as the good-natured waiters will tell you.

Moro's Dining: 6535 Allen, Allen Park; 313-382-7152 and morosdining.com.

Frank's Cafe

One of the last surviving house bars in Wyandotte, Frank's has been painstakingly preparing its fried perch the exact same way for at least 80 years, but probably closer to 100. (The record gets a little murky prior to Prohibition.) Each butterfly of yellow Canadian perch is re-scaled by hand and double breaded before hitting the fryer for approximately two minutes. It used to be a Friday-only staple, but is now available daily, along with a full menu of bar-food staples. Located smack dab in the middle of a residential neighborhood and nearly unchanged since its founding, Frank's feels more like an Up North bar than a Downriver one. Either way, they don't make 'em like this anymore.

Frank's Cafe: 3852 6th, Wyandotte; 734-283-4660.

R.P. McMurphy's

I have to admit I was a bit skeptical when my guides wanted to take me to what sounded like a generic Irish pub in downtown Wyandotte for dinner, but that skepticism waned the second we were greeted by the friendly bartender as if we were old friends. R.P.'s has been around since 1979 though its setting is a turn-of-the-century German pub. Despite the Irish name, the eclectic menu offers better-than-usual tavern fare, including plump shrimp cocktail served in a special pewter dish and a solid take on the ubiqutious fried perch. R.P.'s gets brownie points for posting the day's Detroit Free Press above the urinals in the men's room.

R.P. McMurphy's: 2922 Biddle, Wyandotte; 734-285-4885 and rpmcmurphys.com.

Oak Cafe

The craft beer phenomenon is a fairly new trend compared to the long history of the Oak Cafe, which has anchored this corner of Oak & 12th since 1941. Come for the long list of draft and bottled beer from nearby (Bells, Founders, et al) and far away (Hoegaarden, Delirium Tremens), but stay for the warm, genuine hospitality from the folks behind the bar. If you get hungry, there's a long menu of bar snacks and an even longer selection of sandwiches, all for less than $9. NOTE: Oak Cafe is one of the last few cash-only holdouts, but there is an ATM on-site if you forgot to bring any bills along.

Oak Cafe: 1167 Oak, Wyandotte; 734-283-8380 and oakcafe.com.

Portofino

Wyandotte is blessed with a quaint, historic downtown located right on the water. Portofino, which began its life as the Portside Inn in 1980 before being renamed a decade later, is one of the few waterfront gems that's taken full advantage of its location. The stylish interior features wraparound windows offering gorgeous views of the schooners disappearing behind Hennepin Point. The views inside are only bested by the large outdoor patio in warmer weather. If it's a slow day on the water, you can take in the colorful boating murals along the walls inside. The wine list, despite its hapharzard arrangement on the menu, is one of the most extensive in the area and the setting is upscale but still casual. Portofino also offers themed dinner river cruises on one of its two yachts.

Portofino: 3455 Biddle, Wyandotte; 734-281-6700 and portofinoontheriver.com.

Hungarian Rhapsody

After the construction of I-75 during the 1960s split Detroit's Delray neighborhood in two, many residents of what was then known as "Little Hungary" resettled Downriver. You can still find paprikash and goulash on menus all across town, but the Rhapsody -- as it's lovingly known -- is the last full-on Hungarian restaurant around. The fare features solid takes on the expected classics, including a goulash that's served in a steaming cauldron hanging over a Sterno flame and the best stuffed cabbage I've ever had in a restaurant. (Almost as good as my mother's Polish variety. Almost.) There's also an affordable wine list with both dry and sweet Hungarian bottles and a can't-miss selection of desserts presented on a platter.

Hungarian Rhapsody: 14315 Northline, Southgate; 734-283-9622 and therhapsodyrestaurant.com.

Auburn Cafe

It turns out that the best Greek restaurant in the area is 10 miles south of Greektown. The Auburn Cafe in Ecorse has been serving taverna-style Greek food for nearly 40 years, but its takes on staples like flaming saganaki, garlic-laden skordalia and shish kabab -- prepared out of a tiny bar kitchen that long predates the "open kitchen" trend —- remain fresh to this day. Don't sleep on the expertly grilled lamb chops or the flavor-packed lemon potatoes. Add an ice-cold bottle of Mythos beer and authentic Greek hospitality and you've got yourself a proven recipe for longevity. No wonder this place remains packed after all these years.

Auburn Cafe: 3520 W Jefferson, Ecorse: 313-381-8133 and theauburncafe.com.

Send your dining tips to Free Press Restaurant Critic Mark Kurlyandchik at 313-222-5026 ormkurlyandc@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @MKurlyandchik and Instagram @curlyhandshake. Read more restaurant news and reviews and sign up for our Food and Dining newsletter.