Franklin Fine Wine & Café to Open, Restaurant Group To Help Hurricane Sandy Victims and More

If you're hungry for the latest restaurant news from around Oakland County, we've got you covered! Read on to find out what's new, what's closed, what's coming and more.

Baconfest in Royal Oak: Tickets to the annual celebration of all things bacon went on sale this week. The June 1, 2013, event will be held at the Royal Oak Farmers Market and feature bacon-themed goodies from more than 35 Michigan-based restaurants, celebrity chefs, vendors and more. All-inclusive general admission tickets are $50, V.I.P. tickets are $75.

Burger King in Metro Detroit: The fast-food chain is offering an Original Whopper for just 55 cents when you purchase any Whopper from Dec. 6-9 in honor of its 55th anniversary. It also is offering a limited-time specialty Whopper menu at participating locations.

Franklin Fine Wine & Café in Royal Oak: The cafe will feature a full wine cellar stocked with "eclectic wines," three sommeliers on the floor, a cigar humidor, gourmet pizzas, a full deli, a full salad bar and a carry-out food case. “(We'll also have) lots of Michigan and craft beers from all over the world,” manager Mike Larranaga said. “We are actually bringing in a cheesemonger and we’ll be cutting our own cheeses, packaging our own cheeses – we’ll have a wine club, a beer club and a cheese club.” The cafe will have a soft opening Monday with a grand opening to follow.

Honey Tree Restaurant Group in Metro Detroit: The eateries will donate twenty percent of all bills on Dec. 12 to the American Red Cross for Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. Participating restaurants include: George’s Restaurant, 33080 Northwestern Hwy., West Bloomfield; Grand Tavern, 35450 Grand River Ave., Farmington; Village Palace, 4170 Orchard Lake Rd., Orchard Lake; and Grand Tavern, 3512 Marketplace Cir., Rochester. Television news anchor and health reporter Lila Lazarus, formerly of WJBK-TV and WDIV-TV in Detroit, will attend George's Restaurant in West Bloomfield from 11.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. and from 6-7.30 p.m. to support the event.

Tim Hortons in Troy: A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Thursday morning with help from Mayor Dane Slater for the grand opening of a new Tim Hortons location just to the west of Bahama Breeze on Big Beaver Road between Livernois and Rochester roads. Tim Hortons in Troy is a popular location for local fundraisers, including the Boys and Girls Club Camp Day fundraiser.