Michigan’s hidden retail gems sometimes come in the most unassuming packages, and tucked away in Pleasant Ridge sits a secondhand paradise that defies all expectations.

There’s a diner in Ann Arbor where the fish and chips are so good, British expats have been known to weep actual tears of joy, and Northside Grill isn’t even trying to be fancy about it.

It's like stepping back in time to the 1800s inside this local opera house which will soon put on its first production in 100 ...