Raterman Bistro & Bread Haus recently received national attention when it was filmed for America’s Best Restaurants, a traveling food series dedicated to highlighting independently owned dining spots across the country.
The episode showcases the bistro’s dedication to sourdough-based fare, its use of local farms, and its role as a community gathering space. For owner Nick Raterman, the recognition was less about promotion and more about sharing the collaborative spirit that fuels his corner of Dexter.
About America’s Best Restaurants
America’s Best Restaurants is a video series launched in 2019 that tours the country, visiting locally owned restaurants. Unlike traditional television, the show lives primarily online, with episodes premiering first on the featured restaurants’ social media channels before being shared across the show’s own platforms on YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter.
Amanda Valentine, one of the show’s hosts, explained that the goal is to spotlight independent restaurants rather than chains. “We want to highlight the independent restaurants that we visit,” she said. “Not only on a national level, but sometimes to remind people in their own community that there are hidden gems right in their backyard.”
Restaurants are often nominated by their communities through the show’s website. Owners may also reach out. Or, America’s Best may contact restaurants that fit its criteria. However they are contacted, each candidate goes through a vetting process to ensure they meet the show’s criteria, most importantly, being independently owned. It provides small independent restaurateurs with small marketing budgets to get their word out on a larger stage
How America’s Best Restaurants Works
- Focus: The show only features independently owned restaurants — no chains.
- Nominations: Restaurants can be nominated by anyone in the community through the show’s website, or they can reach out directly.
- Vetting: Restaurants are interviewed and must meet criteria before being approved for filming.
- Episodes: Each feature is filmed on location and first shared through the restaurant’s own social media, then on the show’s platforms (YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, etc.).
- Roadshow Costs: Some productions include a shared cost component, but participation isn’t automatic — restaurants still need to be nominated and vetted to be selected.
Bottom line: America’s Best Restaurants is not a pay-to-play advertising service. It is a curated series designed to spotlight local food stories and connect communities with hidden gems in their own backyard.
How Raterman Was Chosen
In the case of Raterman Bistro & Bread Haus, Nick Raterman explained that the opportunity came as a surprise. “After someone nominated us, I interviewed several times to ensure that our small spot fit into their feature specifications. After a year of waiting, we were extremely excited to have this opportunity to bring more attention to new, fun happenings in town and our little corner of Dexter,” he said.
Raterman addressed a social media comment that said in part, “The restaurants featured pay to participate. They are not selected for their merit, just the ability or willingness to pay.”
Raterman clarified that while there was a cost component to the “Roadshow” version of the production, the restaurant did not simply pay for a spotlight. The popular bistro was nominated, vetted, and selected as part of a show that highlights exactly what Raterman Bistro & Bread Haus embodies, a local, independent restaurant dedicated to quality food, local economy, and community connection.
“It was not our intention at all to mislead anyone,” he said. “Our mission for the filming was to share how local (food) producers work together to further grow our community through collaboration.”
A Community-Rooted Bistro
That mission aligns closely with how Raterman runs his business. The bistro is built on a 100% sourdough model, baking bread fresh daily and creating dishes from that foundation. Ingredients are sourced locally whenever possible, including organic greens from a farm just two miles away. Specialty items, such as wagyu-grade pastrami for their Reuben, round out the menu with top-quality flavors.
Inside the kitchen, staff operate more like a family than a hierarchy. “Half of our staff is either friends or family,” Raterman said, noting that even a local high school student, a friend’s grandson, worked there over the summer. The team also shares tips evenly, creating an environment where, as Raterman puts it, “everybody works together, because there is no ‘that’s not my job.’”
More Than Food
For Valentine, these are exactly the kinds of stories America’s Best Restaurants seeks to elevate. “Most people that are owning restaurants aren’t in it to get rich,” she said. “They’re doing it because of love and passion, and these are your neighbors. To highlight restaurants that are owned by your own community, who are supporting other local businesses, is really important.”
Raterman echoed that sentiment, reminding viewers that small business owners live and work alongside their patrons. “We might be business owners, but the big secret is that we look like normal people,” he said with a laugh. “We’re at the school drop-off line, at the library, at the grocery store. We’re your neighbors.”
8123 Main St Suite 200 Dexter, MI 48130
