Every May, I go to a convention in Novi, Mich., a suburb about 20 minutes west of Detroit. Every year, we face the same nice dilemma of sticking with our favorite spots or trying new places.

First though was the pleasant surprise of meeting comedian Jimmie Walker at the convention. Walker, who was promoting his book, looked and sounded great. It was a cool bit of nostalgia.

This year, we stayed at the Sheraton Detroit Novi Hotel. It is conveniently located within a short drive from the Suburban Collection Showplace. The hotel was attractive and clean. The beds were very comfortable, and the shower was awesome. It had a decent fitness room with some machines and free weights. Hotels are relatively easy, though.

The real challenge is dining. We have places we absolutely love. Do we stick with those or dare to try something new? This is always the question. This year, we stuck with the old favorites. Bagger Dave’s is a great hamburger joint. This year I tried a new combo (proving I’m not totally in a rut) of the turkey burger with smoked gouda, pineapple and mushrooms. Bagger Dave’s also serves in-house cola, which is excellent (and I say this as a devout Coca-Cola drinker). They really need to open a Bagger Dave’s in the Chicago area! At the Border Cantina, I had delicious shrimp tacos. Border Cantina has a lively but not crazy atmosphere. The food always tastes so fresh. They also have fantastic Coca-Cola.

The Library Sports Pub is always our choice for post-convention relaxation and sports-watching. The pizza is fantastic, and we also enjoyed appetizers of edamame, spinach artichoke dip and boneless garlic wings. We were very hungry. There are also plenty of big-screen televisions for the NHL playoffs, and Detroit is a great place to watch hockey.

This time, the old favorites won out, although we tried some new things (proving we are not totally in a rut). We always vow to try new places the next year, but these old reliables are just too good. Maybe we just need to visit Novi more often.

— John Wroblewski, online contributor