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Category: Steakhouses [Edit]
Neighborhood: Downtown DetroitMon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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This is one of those restaurants that really, really, really makes me wish that Yelp allowed half stars.
Since first impressions are lasting impressions, I guess I'll start there. This restaurant, in a word, looks rich. Cloaked in dark wood and leather, it would remind me of a boys club if it wasn't for the flickering flames from candles and luxurious tapestries scattered throughout the restaurant.
We were greeted by the hostess who told us happy hour was at the bar only, and that we could grab a drink in the standing room if we wanted to wait for seats to open up. I don't know why, but I expected more from a ritzy restaurant. Somehow, 3 groups that entered the restaurant after us got seats before us. I suppose the blame could be place on my group. We are not loud enough, nor brazen enough to hover around a group that looks as it is about to part, slamming into the seats like children during a game of musical chairs the second they got up. Couldn't there be some sort of system?
It took a while for the bartender to come over and ask us if we wanted a menu. The bar was full, though I wouldn't categorize it as busy. We ordered the mac and cheese, double cooked wings, stuffed peppers, tacos, french fries and the Roast burger. A pretty big spread, but when apps are only $3 a piece, it's okay to go a bit overboard, right?
The Roast Burger- in my opinion, it was way too much. Egg, cheese, bacon, beef... even thinking about it makes me feel full. A nice slice of tomato would have been a nice bright note to cut through all that fat.
The tacos- not a fan. The goat tasted very gamy, and had stringy, chewy pieces of fat.
Stuffed peppers- great. They had a real kick to it. The sauce that covered the peppers was my favorite part of this dish. The big chunks of garlic and onion packed a powerful flavor punch that paired well with the intense flavors of the sausage.
The wings- not a fan. These were not on the happy hour menu, but they sounded so good I ordered them anyway. The lime flavor was so overpowering, I couldn't taste the cilantro or chilies.
The mac and cheese- my second favorite dish of the night. It was rich and creamy. I loved the way the rosemary fused with the goat cheese. The breadcrumbs were a crispy contrast to the creaminess. I just wish the pasta was a bit more al dente.
The rosemary fries- FAN-FREAKIN'-TASTIC. The hands down winner of everybody in my group. I love the combination of potatoes and rosemary, so this side was pretty much the winner from the start.
Overall- I am happy I gave Roast a try. The flavors here are not subtle. They kick you in the taste buds and stomp around a bit for good measure. However, 6 hours after eating I was still FULL. The food here is heavy and indulgent, and my palate prefers something a bit lighter.
A Truly Top 5 Detroit Restaurant
After multiple visits to Roast, I have quickly and completely come to the conclusion that if I had a Top 5 Detroit Restaurant list, Roast would be on that list without question.
First of all...I'm not much of a decor kind-of-guy, but damn that is one nice looking restaurant. They have leather pillars for God's sake.
Leather. F-ing. Pillars. How cool is that?
If I win Powerball, I will have leather pillars in my mansion...until then, I'm just going to ogle about theirs...but they are sweet. And in general, it's an attractive place. Not too pretentious, not too modern, not too much anything, just well built, simple and clean, which adds to the feel, but doesn't take away from what I'm there for....the wine and the food.
Speaking of which, the wine/beer/bar is outstanding. Yes, it's 10-20% more expensive than it should be...but the selection is great, the professionalism of the bartenders is excellent and the glassware, the quality and the delivery of the wine to the table is rock solid.
The food. Well the food is outstanding. I've had the beef cheek pirogies, the lardon frieze salad, the mac and cheese, the marrow, the rack of boar, the goat, the baby pig, the rosemary fries, the hanger steak and I've never tasted anything that doesn't belong on the menu and isn't rock solid.
The lardon frieze salad with the soft poached egg is my favorite app...the acid of the dressing cuts the creaminess of the egg yoke and the peppery greens and the lardon gel nicely...just a tremendous start to the meal. I can't recommend it enough.
The goat and the hanger steak are my favorite entries. I consider myself a "hanger steak aficionado" and the Roast version is easily one of my favorites and the goat is hearty and goes well with a nice strong Cab or Argentinan Malbec. A++++++++
In terms of sides...I have to say...whoever's idea it was to take the mac-and-cheese and make it an entrée vs. a side should be beat upside the head repeatedly. Our waiter said that large groups are ordering it as an additional entree and then sharing amongst the party, but that's just ridiculous. Why not do both. a side and an entree? And for parties of 2, that's just not feasible. But that aside...the polenta is an A+ (especially with heartier dishes like the boar and the goat) and the rosemary fries are good...but not great. The rosemary essence is perfect, but they tend to overcook them slightly, but that's likely a personal preference...so not a big deal...and the marrow is an experience and of course good...if you like marrow. Mashed potatoes are wicked good...and in general...the sides are awesome...aside from the WTF decision with the mac and cheese.
Dessert. Well, I'm also not a big desert guy...but in general the Roast desserts are good, but not great. The marshmellow paprika thingy sounds odd and it is. The cream brulee is solid and in general, the desserts are good, but they are going too far down the "weird flavor combinations" path and for that they are just good, not great.
In summary, go here. Go here a lot. As much as your wallet and wasteline will allow it. You will not regret it.
Meatatarians rejoice for Roast hath cometh. Iron Chef Michael Symon has created a cathedral to all things meat and it is good.
OK, OK... enough with the hyperbole.
Roast, in comparison to the restaurant I first reviewed, is really what, in my opinion, a restaurant should be. Yes, it's all about roast beasties of all types and yes, you can find the requisite steaks and chops so one could initially see it as the run-of-the mill steakhouse. What sets Roast apart, however, is the flawless technique and unique twists that go into the dishes.
Take, for example, the creamed corn. By just adding some bacon to it, Chef Symon and his team have given a simple dish added depth of flavor. Another ubiquitous steak house side, mac and cheese, likewise takes on a whole new character by the use of goat cheese. The roast suckling pig (by itself, one of the greatest things to ever be created) is served with a sauce verde giving it a Latin flair while still retaining the taste of the pork.
The look of the restaurant is modern without being severe and the service excellent... water glass filled at all times, food served at the appropriate interval and at the same time, and a friendly staff. The first time I had eaten there, Chef Symon himself took time to speak with my friend and me regarding the amazing roast bone marrow.
Roast and the Westin Book Cadillac are the first round of businesses designed to help revitalize the downtown area. I say, good first round!
As a recent transplant to the area I was initially disappointed w/ the restaurant scene in Detroit until I heard about Roast. I have come here a number of times for lunch & dinner (casually alongside for business.) I have been happy with all of my visits. Great value, awesome space, impeccable service paired with a thoughtful (but not too busy) menu. I really want to try Mr Symon's other two restaurants in Ohio...
To start, I think it should be said that I went to Roast for Detroit Restaurant Week and I think that Roast didn't step up like they could have.
The interior is AWESOME! We sat in a giant booth in the bar which was perfect for people watching as guests were seated. Yet somehow after being seated the service fell short and was just kinda like that throughout the course of the meal. We were prompted for drink orders nearly the minute we sat down and then we didn't see our server for quite some time. We ordered a bottle of Enrique Foster Malbec which proved to be a decently priced red that paired well with everything we had.
Once we did order our food it was great. We started with the Stuffed Peppers of the day with the house made pork sausage. Deliciously spicy with just the right amount of burn but, low pork to pepper ratio. We also had the Roasted Marrow which is intended to be eaten on what looked like the perfect crostinis but being gluten-free I had to pass on that component. The marrow was a bit strange in texture for me but I can only imagine the indulgence with bread. I thought it was best with the twist of lemon and the delicious pickled chilies. The people with me that could eat it with the crostinis thought it was absolutely delicious.
Part of Restaurant Week was a simple Mixed Green salad. Disappointingly even after confirming when I made my reservation that they could do gluten-free (and being informed by the host that our server would be told) and reminding my server while ordering my salad (which took forever to get in the first place) brought it out with croutons - not a huge deal, just disappointing. The salad was alright, I've had better at weddings.
The main course was Suckling Pig with a Tomatillo Sauce and it was awesome! The cracklings on top really provided a nice texture and flavor contrast. I thought the sauce was overly thin and lacked some flavor but the dish overall was very nice.
Dessert was the creme brulee and it was nice. Not too sweet, not too much brulee. True to the trend throughout the entire meal we sat for very long periods of time with finished plates in front of us - like our dinner plates were still in front of us when our dessert came out. They were busy but not THAT busy. We saw servers and the bus boys diddling around some.
Overall, I enjoyed my night. I wish they stepped it up to Restaurant Week a little bit more but, oh well. I would recommend for big meat eaters and I hear their cocktail hour is rockin. I will go back but not after making some rounds at other places.
In the desolate Gotham-like downtown of Detroit, this place was a jewel of hope. Our server was friendly and professional, and recommended a great belgian beer, De Dolle (?), good if you like dark beers. I would concur the beef cheek pirogies were a good take on an old standby. The Rib Eye was tender, juicy and excellent, perfectly cooked tip to tip (I'm a medium rare guy), with just the right amount of blackened crust.. topped with garlicky goodness.. mmm.. Reasonably priced too. Deep fried brussel sprouts were tasty, as were the mushrooms, although I felt the sides were somewhat on the pricey side, considering everything else. Given it's an Iron Chef's restaurant, I guess I'm not complaining too much. For dessert I chose "Beer and Pretzels" which I'd call a laid back dessert - basically an ice cream sundae made with Guinness ice cream (yes!) and stuffed with big, crunchy, chocolate covered pretzels - yum. I will definitely visit again, if I ever get stuck in the motor city (no offense, Detroit-ians).
I like to watch iron Chef America on Food Network when I get a chance. When I heard Iron Chef Mike was opening up a place in Detroit, I was excited... it took me a while to get a chance to try it, but it was worth it.
It was my friends 30th birthday, so we settled on Roast. We started out with pepper stuffed with homemade sausage with sauce. The pepper has some kick, but this was an excellent dish. There's only two stuffed peppers, so if you have lot of people, order more :)
I ordered the Lemon Roasted Chicken - which is a quarter piece of chicken pan roasted and finished in the oven. For side item, I ordered the mac & cheese w/ goat cheese. My friend ordered Salmon and his wife ordered Hamburger with roasted asparagus.
I shared my chicken with others and they all agree it was excellent. I sampled the salmon and it was one of the best salmon dishes I had in a long time. I would highly recommend both dishes to anyone.
Service was great, the wait staff took care of us. You do get small plate of bread and butter while you wait for your food. if you park, valet park the car, the restaurant will validate it, all you pay is the tip. if you park next to the hotel at the parking structure, be warned... for two hours, I ended up spending $10.
If you get a chance to go to Detroit, swing by here. Best of all, its very close to MGM and Motorcity Casino :)
The best birthday dinner I've ever had! We started out with the bone marrow (why not?) and it was amazing! The best way to describe the taste is to say it tasted like buttery olive oil with the consistency of jello. It was buttery and melted in your mouth on top of crispy thin crackers with the delicious pickled assortment that's standard at a Michael Symon restaurant. .
I had the suckling pig (the beast of the day) and the meat fell apart in my mouth. There was a richness there I've never experienced before and it was wonderful. We also had a side of fried brussel sprouts that were fantastic!
I ordered the Roast daiquiri (dark rum and lime juice) and it went perfectly with my dinner.
On top of everything else, our service was great and (especially the busboy - a really tall gentleman with blonde hair - he was great!)
I had dinner at Roast on Sunday, October 18. The restaurant was not particularly crowded. I opted to sit at the bar. Service was quite poor. For long stretches of time the bartender could not be found.
The appetizer of beef cheek pierogi was quite tasty. The beef cheeks were well seasoned and cooked perfectly. The pierogi itself could have been cooked longer. It was doughier than it should have been.
The bartender suggested the veal chop, the most expensive item on the menu. The first few bites were transcendent. But then I sliced into the center. It was not medium rare but raw. Stone cold. I sent it back and the bartender comped me a glass of wine.
Given the price and the self-annointing as a place for meat lovers, it was a great disappointment to be served improperly cooked meat. If technique is key, then Roast is sorely lacking. I am unlikely to return.
I finally went to Roast last night. A former coworker of mine works there and I have been meaning to stop in. I was very impressed. I even got to meet Michael Symon (who I don't know anything about, but there is definitely something sexy about him).
The peirogi beef cheeks were outstanding, as was the bone marrow. The cured meat platter was FABULOUS, especially this pork fat butter- like spread. I'm sure I gained a few on only the appetizers but it was definitly worth it. After that, I had one of the best salads of my life which included pork belly and a perfectly poached egg. I wasn't really hungry when the main course came but somehow I managed. The table shared rack of wild boar, short ribs, the lamb shank and the smoked pork chop. My favorite was the pork chop, 2nd the wild boar and I also liked the veal shank. The short ribs were good, just not anything special. Sides included the fried brussel sprout (GET) , mac and cheese (good not outstanding) and rosemary fries (pass). No room for dessert.
My friend told us a couple of tips....I'm leaving out her name, I don't want to get her in trouble. 1) the trout is disgusting. 2) If the beast of the day is lamb, get the shanks. The shanks are better and 3) Get a side of pickled chilies to go with the wild boar.
I really liked this place and the drinks were also marvelous. Yeah Detroit!
See my previous review here: http://robjurado.wordp...
Michael Symon's Roast seems better than I remember. My friend and I enjoyed the Roasted Bone Marrow a lot. It was much better than I remember it. The Veal Sweetbreads were also great. Also, our entrees were great. I really liked my lamb shank, and my friend really enjoyed her pork chops. She thought they were the best pork chops she had ever had.
I enjoyed the restaurant before. I like it a heck of a lot more now. My friend liked it so much that she asked me to bring her back there later that week. My friend, an out-of-towner, thought Roast was the best restaurant she has been to in Metro Detroit. A few weeks later, I was there with a large group of colleagues. All agreed that the food was excellent. Unfortunately, that night the service was a bit slow, but I attribute that to the one server being out of his depth. He clearly was not one of their best personnel.
Okay, here's a little update. I'm giving the place another star. The more I try of the menu, the more I like it. I was just there last night. Loved the Brussel sprouts, the whipped potatoes, the heirloom tomato salad, the pork lardon salad, the veal sweetbreads. Excellent. Just excellent.
I didn't even realize this was a Michael Symon restaurant, makes me like it even more! We had a hanger steak with a blue cheese onion topper that was very good, cooked exactly as we asked and rosemary fries which were really delicious. We also had an ice cream dessert that was called something like Black and Tan.
Probably not the best steak I've ever had, but very good.
Many have commented about the food, so I will add my two cents about the cocktails. They have a fun list of about a dozen cocktails that gave updated twists to classic recipes, like the tequila fizz.
However, the Roast 101 is divine. Its ingredients include Makers Mark, ginger syrup, apple cider, muddled orange, and bitters.
I had dinner here on Valentine's Day, and while I will return for dinner, I will also come here just for cocktails and side dishes.
My boyfriend and I had our last dinner in Detroit at Roast. Maybe my expectations were set too high, because our dinner was just OK.
Our server was friendly enough, but once she took our order she just disappeared. The guys that filled our water glasses, brought our food out and cleared our dishes were friendlier and cared more about our experience than she did.
We started with the Beef Cheek Pierogies. The filling reminded me of barbacoa. These were very good, and I could have made a meal out of these alone.
We ordered the Porterhouse for Two with the Goat's Cheese Mac & Cheese and Green Beans for sides. The steak was perfectly cooked, and after watching the small individual steaks that were carried past our table I think going with the Porterhouse was the right choice.
The sides were definitely an afterthought. The macaroni & cheese was not impressive; I have made better myself. The green beans were ok, but they were just green beans. We ordered the horseradish cream sauce for our steak. $2 for a tiny ramekin is kind of ridiculous. A 48-oz steak should come with a larger serving of sauce than a 16-oz steak would be served with.
We shared the Beer and Pretzels (Guinness ice cream with chocolate covered pretzels and caramel cream) for dessert. This was some of the best Guinness ice cream I've ever had. It comes in a pint glass and is on the large side, so I would definitely recommend sharing it with someone.
Our bill ended up being $100 even (before tip) for an appetizer, the porterhouse for two, 2 sides and a dessert. Not bad.
I'm glad we gave Roast a try, but I was expecting more from a restaurant owned by an Iron Chef.
My girlfriend and I came here for an intimate birthday dinner for me and what a wonderful meal it was! We are saving the group version of the dinner for next weekend at a cheaper restaurant - but this place was a little more fit for just the two of us! They only seat people until 11PM and close the kitchen soon after - and given that we arrived for a 10:30 reservation - we already had our options scanned and picked (thanks to looking at the menu on my iPhone).
The hostess was very kind and professional - she was gorgeous, too - which was a plus (more so to me than my girlfriend). My waiter gave me solid input on the items that I may like to order and coincidentally - him and I had similar taste. Given that my girlfriend and I wanted to eat a lighter fare as we were going out later that night - we ordered 3 appetizers and a side dish.
3 appetizers:
Crispy Chicken Livers over Soft Polenta and Mushrooms,
Beef Cheek Pierogies over Horseradish and Mushrooms,
and Roasted Marrow w/Sea Salt, Oregano, Capers and Chilies
Side Dish:
Mac & Cheese w/ Goat Cheese
The crispy chicken livers gave me a newfound respect for livers - as the way it's prepared really offsets the irony, livery taste that livers can have. So it was very good - though not my favorite - I am doubtful to ordering it again. But it was definitely worth that one try. I give it 3-stars out of the 5.
The Beef Cheek Pierogies were simply AWESOME. I don't know what it is about the cow's cheek but the tender beef slices in this perfectly cooked pierogies just hit the spot dead on. My only complaint is the fancy schmancy portions - because I could have ate 3-4 of these pierogies - but the appetizers comes with 2 of them! They were DELICIOUS!!!! I highly recommend them! I give it 4 out of 5 stars, and actually if there were 3-4 pierogies on the plate - I'd give it 5 stars!!!!
The Roasted Marrow was the SIGNATURE appetizer. 2 femur bones from the cow - cut open with a buttery, oily, gelatin-like cooked marrow within. Seasoned to perfection and able to be spread onto hard crackers for as a yummy finger food. This was the highlight of the night. The marrow was a taste like you've never had before! What a genius idea - to take what is usually thrown out, roast it and make it into one of the most delicious starters known to carnivorous mankind! Yum! 5 out of 5 stars!
The Mac & Cheese had some yummy goat cheese to it. Though I've had better Mac & Cheese (at nearby Cliff Bell's & Slow's BBQ) - I still can not complain because this was still good. The main note is that the goat cheese was a bit watery and sank to the bottom - leaving the elbow noodles a little dry at the top. Simply mixing it up a little and scooping some cheese sauce from the bottom of the dish resolved this - but something tells me that a modified cooking style could remedy this. I give the Mac & Cheese 3 stars out of 5.
The norm of dress (not dress code) at the restaurant was classy, trendy, yet laid-back and unpretentious. If you come here in jeans, make sure that you are wearing dark or fashionable jeans with a trendy shirt. Otherwise, I would recommend dressing up a bit as most are dressed semi-formal (men in slacks and collared shirts with shiny shoes and women in their sexy evening dresses). The ambiance is dark, trendy and kind of chic. However, like many places in Detroit, this place just has their way of still having friendly, unpretentious clientele - so I didn't mind. It's like those well-to-do and 40, but still 24 at heart type crowd that commonly comes here.
Overall - judging from the attention to detail, taste and quality that Roast pays to their appetizers - I would expect nothing less from their entrees. The next time I come here I will definitely be ordering the Beef Cheek Pierogies, the Roasted Marrow....and entrees I am eyeballing are (in order of excitement).....*drumroll*.....
1. Roasted Beast of the Day (ooh the mystery)
2. Wild Boar Rack 12 oz.
3. Braised Lamb Shank w/Gremolata, Fennel & Tomato
4. Veal Chop 14oz.
5. Braised Beef Short Ribs w/Pickled Chilies, Salsa Verde
Ate there with 3 buddies in August '08. Bill, including tip, was just shy of $300. Was worth every penny. Went in last night, 9/30/2009 for my anniversary and things had changed. The service was basic, and the hostess "forgot" us at the bar. They were not that busy. I understand "fine" dining is done at a slower pace but the crawl we experienced last night was beyond belief. Even the creme brulee took over 20 minutes. My ribeye was ordered medium rare and after being sent back to be cooked more, was still shy of rare but I gave up, ate what I could just to go home. My wife had the hanger steak which comes out cut, so they should have noticed how underdone it was for medium. I will never be back. The brussel sprouts were good!
What a wonderful birthday dinner. I've been wanting to try Roast ever since it opened last year. Finally went last night and it did not disappoint.
The decor is elegant yet casual. There is no pretension here - the waitstaff wears jeans, the menu is simple but refined. We had the pleasure of sitting in an private room, which only added to the experience, especially coupled with our waitress, who was knowledgeable and attentive.
The wine list is impressive, but my thing is beer and Roast has a solid beer selection. I started with a Jolly Pumpkin Bam Biere and followed that with a Founders Breakfast Stout - both on tap and both really nice. There were 3 other beers on tap and a series of bottled selections as well.
Ok, the food. Oh. My. The. Food.
We started with 3 appetizers: Crispy chicken livers with polenta & mushrooms. Crispy bacon with haloumi, almonds, and pickled tomatoes. Beef cheek pierogies with horseradish and mushrooms. The livers are rich and irony, slightly crisp. Mushrooms add a different type of meatiness while the polenta is creamy & welcome counter to livers' crispness. Rather than strips, the bacon is in cubes with the fat more pronounced than the meat. To cut the fat, pickled tomatoes are on the plate. The tomatoes are wonderfully sour and slightly spicy - a perfect foil for the bacon and haloumi cheese. I never tried beef cheek & was looking forward to this appetizer more than any other. It didn't disappoint. Beef cheek has a very intense beef flavor which paired well with the crisp pierogi shell and the creamy horseradish sauce.
For dinner I ordered duck cassoulet with confit of duck breast. A delightfully comforting dish with beans, pulled duck, carrots, celery, and breadcrumbs was was served in a cast iron skillet so the dish stayed warm throughout duration of eating. The breast was well seasoned and had a nice crisp skin that any good confit should have, Side dishes included a luscious goat cheese mac & cheese, fried brussel sprouts with walnuts, and excellent green beans that had a nice snap to them. Of the sides, the mac & cheese is the standout with a decadent creaminess coupled with the tangy goat cheese making an ideal pair.
"Beer & Pretzels" was the dessert that caught my eye. Chocolate pretzels layered with Guinness ice cream and caramel. This did not seem too odd to me since I've had ice cream in my stouts in the past (beer purists, don't start screaming). The mix of saltiness from the pretzels, with the slight bitterness of the ice cream, and the sweet caramel all melded nicely. In fact, it felt as those the ice cream had a similar mouthfeel to Guinness, which added to the experience.
I was incredibly happy with this meal. From the service to the beer list to the appetizers to the main course to the dessert, everything was spot on. I would go back in a second and highly recommend the place to anyone who asks,
Wow. Aged steak and bone marrow? I'm there.
I went here before going to the DSO. The service was fantastic. And the food was really good. But the drinks, my god, they were so freaking expensive! $12 for a martini? You were lucky, that was one of the best espresso martinis I've ever had, but still... The wine list is extensive, the beer list focuses on local Midwest favorites, and the house cocktails are innovative but very pricey.
To the meat of the matter...
The bone marrow is worth trying if you've never had it before. It's salty, fatty, rich, cut with some lemon and julienned hot peppers. The porter house for 2 is 48 ounces of pure unadulterated hunk of delicious meat. It's a monster. And priced at $60 you better hope it is. They cooked it perfectly, medium rare, and even portioned it for us with the bone still on the plate. They really know their meat! The crust on the steak was amazing, the balsamic sauce just wasn't worth it to me for $2. You gotta be kidding, this dinky thing of reduced balsamic vinegar for $2? ARE YOU CRAZY? The sauces should come with the steaks if you so choose. The whipped potatoes at $5 were more reasonable, delicious, buttery, rich, amazing and perfect with the steak.
I felt like everything in this joint was anywhere from $2-5 over priced. What am I paying for? A name? You gotta be kidding me.
I was expecting this place to be more campy and kitschy being a "celebrity" chef and all. But it wasn't, it was really nicely done. I really loved the lay out of the restaurant and appreciated that it was completely NON SMOKING!!
Amazing. Somehow this opened up right underneath this FoodNetwork addict's nose and as soon as I found out about it, I made my fiance take me there! Michael Symon did not disappoint. The food was amazing, the beef cheek pierogis were a great way to start off and our entrees were even better. Everything was cooked and seasoned to perfection. We both had dessert (fiance - Guiness Ice Cream and I had a Pineapple upside down cake) and those were both great ways to finish off our meal.
For the quality of food, the prices are really reasonable. The atmosphere is nice, but not too stuffy. There is a casual, but classy element to the place. We have definately found our go-to "special occasion" dinner place!
Even this vegetarian found delicious food at this meat-lover's haven. (Just ask the server, cuz the veggie items aren't listed next to the beef cheek pierogis and pig ear salads.) It's pricey, no bout-a-doubt-it, but it's the ideal place to take a date or for a nice night on the town. Housed in the historic and recently renovated Book-Cadillac Hotel, this one is a real success story in a city that can use a five-star restaurant.
Wow! Simple names on the menu ("Roasted chicken", "Roasted salmon", Roast this, Roast that...), but cooked amazingly well!!
Crispy chicken livers appetizer: I normally can't handle more than one piece of chicken liver, but this time I had three. It was that good!
Soup of the day (French onion soup): Thick and crunchy (toast and cheese). Very well done!
Roasted trout: Simply salt roasted, with crispy fish skin. Normally I don't like fish skin, but this time I could not resist!
Simple dishes done right, without relying on grease or strong flavor.
The only improvement I'm personally hoping in the near future, is the view outside. Although Washington Boulevard is nice and bright, the dark and abandoned Book Tower is a bit depressing to see up close.
Book Cadillac had a wonderful makeover, so why can't Book Tower?
Not much to say that hasn't already been said. The food here is fantastic, and I am kind of a weird meataphobe, but I gladly ate bone marrow and wild boar here, and thought they were delicious! Any place that can serve up food that would usually make me cringe in a delicious way gets 5 stars from me! One thing I would note that stands out here is their service. According to my boyfriend I am highly critical of servers, and I can only rave about Scott, our server at Roast. He was highly knowledgeable about the entire menu as well as the wines. He also made some fantastic suggestions when he first came over, and as a result we completely changed our minds on what to order...if it wasn't for him I might never know how delicious wild boar is!
One other thing I hesitate to mention because I don't want the secret to get out is their Tuesday night wine dinners. They are doing Tuesday night 5-course dinners with wine pairings for $65dollars, which includes tax AND gratuity! We went to the first one a couple weeks ago and it was incredible. I can't believe we got so much amazing food and wine for a mere $65. The menu featured wines from Spain and Portugal, and food such as oysters, cured salmon, lamb, and venison. The sommelier did a fantastic job with the pairings, and was there pouring every wine personally. My mouth waters every time I think of it; I wish I could go every week!
I dunno...maybe I caught on a down night, but Roast was just okay. It wasn't bad. It wasn't great. Just okay. Nothing to complain about, really. But not mindblowing.
Strong service. Great atmosphere. Nice wine list. Good food. I guess maybe it was a bang for the buck thing. Though I was encouraged to see it packed on cold Saturday night.
I encourage you to try it, but also temper your expectations. It might be better enjoyed that way.
When my wife asked me where I would like to go for my birthday dinner I had a tough decision to make. Bourboun Steak at the MGM grand, Big Rock in Birmingham, Gabbianos in Windsor??? Well obviously I chose neither. I had been hearing great things about Roast downtown so I had to give it a shot. After dinner last night Roast just made my new top ten list of favorite Detroit restaurants. We didn't have any apps so the wait for dinner was tough considering how hungry I was. I had the 16 oz Ribeye and was just blown away. Probably the best steak ive ever had (or at least tied with the ribeye at MGM). For sides we had the Goat cheese mac and cheese and the whipped potatoes, both great choices. My wife the burger and she loves it. It had cheddar cheese, bacon, and a fried egg on it! Overall great food in a really beautiful place. We will be back for sure.
Meh. Expected much more. Overall indifferent service - "drop it and go" service. Great salads, average steak - mine sitting in a pool of butter.
Grilled veg good. Dessert? Can't tell you because of the lackluster service - while waiting for the server to come back for the desert order, I finally asked someone for the bill. Not a good experience and it was a slowww night.
i went back in november...........had a great experience.
my server was very experienced and had a lot of suggestions to offer.
got tons of food
roasted asparagus
mac & cheese
rosemary fries
ribeye
roasted chicken
Ambience- very nice, understated elegance. Most chairs at tables are not comfortable- low backs , narrow, and swivel. Sunset is particularly challenging if you face the windows- you are truly blinded by the light- no shades or other solutions. Chop house with southern comfort food influences.
Food- tasty but "heavy" in the sense of some heavily dressed salads and meats grilled or prepared in ample fat. Vegetable sides tend to be creamy or very buttery. Large selection of grilled meats.
Martinis and wine list- excellent
Waitstaff - generally very good; a bit slow to refill coffee and clear table before dessert
Prices- typical of higher-end chop house; entrees $21-40 a la carte. Burger and sandwich selections less.
Roast was really good. The mushroom soup was perfection. I got the burger with a fried egg and fries, SO GOOD. The menu is creative, the setting is nice. It was really good. Check it out.
As a downtown Detroit dweller I have of-late found a couple places that would easily destroy the competition in the suburbs; Roast being one of them. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. The food was done to perfection and thoroughly enjoyable; and the atmosphere was open and cozy. If your in the mood for a great wild game menu, great service and a solid dining experience, then this is definitely the place to go in downtown Detroit.
I was so excited about trying Michael Symon's Roast for my birthday dinner based on a friends recommendation. The food, service, and the atmosphere was fantastic. Our waitress Laura was attentive and informative to our party. She explained the house specials of the day in great detail-we greatly appreciated that since we didn't really know what to start with. I started with the cold roasted red pepper soup, braised lamb shank( it could have fed a few ppl), a side of fried brussel sprouts, and bacon creamed corn. The lamb shank was so tender you could pull it apart with your fork. The fried brussel sprouts were out of this World!!! I know the sound of brussel sprouts might make some ppl cringe inside, but everyone must try it. It's basically fried brussel sprouts tossed with all sorts of yummies. And the bacon creamed corn OMG- was sinful. I love corn and bacon so this is a dead give away. Definitely over indulged this wkend at Roast and this will not be the last of it.
Best steak I have ever had. I think I shed a wee tear it was so tasty. Which, considering the standards I use for steak (I'm a Michelin snob: Morton's is hamburger to me) is saying something. Go here. Now.
I'm with the Wow! crowd. Really enjoyed this. We sat at the bar (no reservations). Great looking bar and really great service. Good selection of wines by the glass, some great drinks (I don't think $12 for a cocktail in a place like this is out of line, btw...not saying it's cheap, but that's what's charged in upscale places.) Bartenders are very knowledgeable about the wines.
Food was incredible. You've read about the bone marrow--yum. The lemon nicely cuts through the fat. Only problem was I wanted more. But we also had the chicken livers w/ creamy polenta. Oh my. Papa's in heaven. This was an ample serving. And we loved every bit of it.
Had the hangar steak--perfectly rare and beefy. And a side of rosemary french fries--that came hot as they should (but so infrequently are). Also a side of brussel sprouts--enough for 2 to share. A bit too much oil put on at the end, but this only moved them from some of the best I've had to nearly the best...they were good and I'd get them again.
Prices are decent--not cheap, but expected, especially for the quality. Steak was $23 (other steaks are more), appetizers around $10. Think sides were about $5.
Planning my next trip. Guess I've got to make reservations this time, though sitting at the bar is a great way to go.
Really enjoyable experience. Only caution is the Detroit meter people. I parked at a meter at 4:40pm that read 1 hr 7-4pm. At 5:01 they gave me a ticket, so I had neither been there an hour nor did I need to pay the meter. Not sure why Detroit decides to annoy people spending money in the city, but be aware when you park.
I have never stood up and left a restaurant before I went to Roast. It took an hour and a half for us to realize that our order had been forgotten. The table next to us, which was much larger and had arrived later, had received their food earlier then we did. By the time 10 rolled around (about two hours after we arrived) we were hungry enough to get up and leave. We decided to go to Lafayette Coney instead where we were served immediately.
The managers told us that the kitchen had been backed up and that they had botched our orders. He graciously offered to pay for our drinks, which we accepted. I was disappointed with the service and the professionalism of the waiter, and hope that they will get their act together. It was inexcusable for us to wait so long and be ignored. This was my first time in Detroit and I was rather disappointed.
We couldn't get seated in the restaurant, so we snatched a couple stools at the bar and ate there. The room is nice, if uninspiring. Like a Pottery Barn, if they sold booze and cooked goats in the stock-room. The service was top-notch. Our bartenders were knowledgeable, quick, cool and friendly. The crowd was a loud mix of black, white, dressy, casual, gay, straight, cougars and their cologne-wearing male counterparts. In other words, perfect. We were pleasantly surprised at how reasonable the prices were. No entrees over 30 bucks and plenty around or under 20. Michael Symon feels our pain! We grabbed a handful of meaty appetizers and loved everything. So did everyone around us. Overall, a great night in the D.
Bad service, a few good appetizers (a great donut dessert) but ho-hum entrees. Steaks were not cooked to order, a bloody medium rare, pink medium - most of the other just standard fare. Would have given it a four since the food was not bad but service know knocks it back down.
It was fine, but not worth the dollars or the trip. It would be nothing more than another hotel steak house if not for the celebrity of Symon.
After all of the hype I had heard about Roast, my partner and I had decided to spend the night in the city and experience it for ourselves. The decor is modernly warm and comfortable. The menu was interesting. I had the fresh bacon- (who doesn't love pig!) followed by the roast of the day which was goat. The food was good, but not outstanding as one would expect from all of the puffery. This would have been a four but for the service. Our waitress was young and a little in-experienced. She was, however, pleasant. The server at the next table, however, was unbearable. We had to listen to her telling her table that she had forgotten more about service than our server had learned in her short life. O yah, let's not forget about her dislike of the jeans which she found undignified. As I have spent years in restaurants, I know that servers can be catty, but you do not bring that to the floor especially when you drop a c-note on dinner.
Food was only so-so (great: the stuffed pepper appetizer; boring: the beef cheek pierogis), but the ambience is quite nice (good separation of tables, noise level good, roasting spit engagingly visible to the diners). There were a couple bobbles (e.g., a dinner fork with crud on the underside -- the waiter told me "no worries" when he took it away (!?); the fact that they completely ignored that it was my wife's birthday, even though I'd made a point of it when making the reservation), but the biggest problem was that the service was erratic and overall quite slow (e.g., 15 minutes between dropping off the dessert menu, and returning to see if we had made a selection -- we had, but by the time he'd returned, we were ready to move on to another venue). All-in-all, decent food, but we're not going back.
I'm not a restaurant critic, so bare with me...
Overall Experience
I went to this place last night for a friends birthday and it was mediocre, at best. Granted, I am aquatarian (the only proteins I eat are scaly fish), so this might not have been an adequate choice for my needs, but it was my best friends birthday, and she wanted to go.
When I looked this place up online, a Detroit newspaper (forgot which one) dubbed the atmosphere as "unpretentious" because the servers wore denim instead of fancy schmancy attire. However, when I arrived wearing denim, I felt severely underdressed. Everyone else ordered cocktails, but I opted out because I scanned the menu online and knew beforehand they were pricey. Our reservations were at 8:30, and we didn't even get seated until 9. Luckily, someone in our group asked if we could have the private dining room, and we were favorably accommodated. Once we were seated, there was substantial latency in the amount of time between transactions (drink orders, dinner orders, dinner arrival, and tab delivery). I wasn't too worried because I wasn't supposed to be anywhere until 11:30 and I figured 3 hours would be enough time to eat and bust. I was so wrong. The server only addressed the person who made reservations regarding decisions affecting the entire group, and when I was about to interject to request that my tab be returned promptly, she jetted off before I could say anything. While the rest of the group wanted her to bring their receipts to 24 grille, where they were having drinks, me and my other friend were eager to get out of there. It took the server a half hour to run our credit cards, and my beet salad and mac and cheese came to $20 and some change. And, to satisfy curious minds, the mac n cheese didn't hold a tealight to Slow's. The beet salad, additionally, left the same aftertaste as the mac and cheese, which I found to be odd. Although the food was seasoned, it wasn't seasoned correctly. I sampled pretty much every vegetarian appetizer, as we had a table of 8, and all of them pretty much followed suite with my mac n cheese and salad re: weird aftertaste. Overall, they could use a better variation of balanced entrees and seasonal discretion... it's spring and 60 degrees in the D, heavy food is so February!
Side note: the sommelier had serious delusions of grandeur emulating those of Stephen in the first season of top chef. Tres ennuyeux.
Reflective notes:
I understand the concept. Michael Symon wants to connect people with their food. I get it. I actually like the concept. However, having an entire suckling pig being roasted in plain view from the public dining room may be a little too much. Especially for a restaurant located in a 4 or 5 star hotel.
Also, the hideous red signage out front does not convey the internal ambience. I take bi-weekly bike rides downtown and every time I pass it, my mind instantly goes to Kenny Rogers Roost....
With minor improvements and training arrangements this restaurant has potential, but I doubt I'll return of my own volition anytime soon.
Wow, after reading the other reviews, I'm wondering if we just had an off night, but nonetheless, here's my take...First, the positives: Roast is a GORGEOUS restaurant. The menus, the topnotch leather chairs, the wood & granite and open spit in the dining room all combine to make a lovely space. The service was friendly, warm and super knowledgeable, and the wine superb. As a previous poster has pointed out, the bone marrow appetizer was very tasty, and at least for me, something I'd never tried before. I loved two of the sides, as well, the creamed spinach w/feta and the fried brussel sprouts. On to the negatives: I got a bone-in filet and pretty much the other 9 diners with me got some type of steak as well, and ALL of us felt the meat was under-seasoned. I'm not expecting much, but there was NO flavor whatsoever to the meat. The horseradish cream sauce I opted for was not flavorful enough to make up for the lack of salt. We asked at least 4 different people who came over to please bring salt to the table, and by the time it arrived, most of us had finished our meat. A little salt would have made all the difference, and if they aren't going to use it in the kitchen, then it should be on the table. When we complained , we were told, "well, we do drizzle olive oil on top of the steaks before serving" as if olive oil was somehow the problem. They did offer to bring us some desserts. The chocolate creme brulee has absolutely AMAZING flavor and a perfectly crunchy top, but unfortunately, was ice cold. It was more like a custard than a warm brulee. Hopefully these issues are not the norm, and I am sure they are still getting their stuff together 3 weeks into it. I do think Roast has the potential to be a great restaurant.
Well who would of thunk it? An absolutely incredible dining experience in Detroit, Michigan. NOT the suburbs, but downtown (Remember, they DO have one, just no one lives there) Celebrity chef Michael Symon's newest place is a shining beacon of hope in the brand new 200 million refurbished Book Cadillac hotel. I went there with two friends and it was stunning. First of all the place was slammed with hope: white collar exec's mingled with the locals who are so excited to have a destination restaurant in this troubled city. Starting with an excellent Zodiac Martini we moved to dinner and started with an incredible appetizer of "Bone Marrow" which would of brought tears to my dad's eyes. Amazinging tasty (KIids forget the fat grams here) and a sight to be seen as it's two massive bones on fine china. From there we went directly to the main course: I had venison chops that were just incredible. Grilled perfectly on the outside and so tender and juicy my mouth is watering just writing this review. Side dishes included polenta and feta spinach that I wish I would of taken to go because I want them right now. My guests had skirt skate that was an incredibly large slab of perfectly cooked prime beef and the other had salmon (I can't remember that so well because my face was looking straight down as I actually picked up my venison bones and was knawing on them like a german shepherd) but I did hear her moan a few times so I'm assuming it was good. For all you Detroiters, get out of your suburbs and go support this fine establsihment. It was just an incredible night. I'll be Back!
Neighborhood: Downtown Detroit
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Downtown Detroit
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Downtown Detroit
Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: Downtown Detroit
Category: Pubs
Neighborhood: New Center
Category: French
why you should get your scared suburban butt down…
