Ladder 4 wins the inaugural Resy One To Watch Award for North America

Ladder 4, the wine bar built inside a restored Detroit firehouse, has won the inaugural Resy One To Watch Award for North America. The World's 50 Best organization announced the honor on September 9, 2025, ahead of revealing its first North America's 50 Best Restaurants list on September 25 in Las Vegas. It is the first time a Detroit restaurant has been recognized by 50 Best.

The award goes to a rising restaurant whose vision and cooking mark it as a leader on the North American stage. Because 2025 was the program's first North American edition, the recognition put a Detroit room on a national list for the first time.

Ladder 4 sits on Vinewood Street, southwest of downtown where Corktown gives way to the neighborhoods beyond it. The building is a 1910 firehouse. Brothers James and Patrick Cadariu bought it and began restoring it in 2019, then opened the restaurant in February 2022.

The kitchen and wine program are run by executive chef and wine director John Yelinek, with general manager Preston Smith. The cooking leans on old technique-driven bistro classics carried by Michigan ingredients, with produce from a garden tied to the restaurant. The wine list favors small, family-run growers and lesser-known grapes, including Eastern European and Old World bottles, and leans toward curiosity and affordability over prestige.

In its citation, the 50 Best organization tied the award to the restaurant's sense of place. "Ladder 4 exemplifies the very spirit of the Resy One To Watch Award, with its unique sense of place and unwavering commitment to authenticity," William Drew, director of content for North America's 50 Best Restaurants, said in the announcement. "Through locally inspired flavors, innovative techniques and a deeply personal approach, it has established itself as one of North America's most exciting restaurants."

Yelinek framed the win as a moment for the city rather than for one room. "It is rare for us and our peers in Detroit to be recognized on a stage like this, but what makes this award so meaningful is that the entire city of Detroit feels like 'One To Watch'," he said in the announcement. "Our dining scene is full of dedicated chefs, bartenders, restaurateurs and farmers; and when one of us wins, we all win."

The restaurant has drawn national attention since it opened, including recognition from Bon Appétit and The New York Times. The Resy One To Watch Award adds the first 50 Best citation to that record.