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SaltWater
Rating Details »
Neighborhood: Downtown Detroit
inside the MGM Grand Detroit
1777 3rd St
Detroit, MI 48226
(877) 888-2121
inside the MGM Grand Detroit
1777 3rd St
Detroit, MI 48226
(877) 888-2121
- Price Range:
-
$$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Valet
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
8 reviews for SaltWater
Wow, was I surprised! Who would've thought you could get decent cioppino in Detroit? A little spicier than most, but I thought it was better than what I've had in San Francisco & San Diego. Oh, they also had great martinis with bleu cheese olives... Yum!
Food: very good
Service: excellent
Price : Pricey
For the price of the food, I would expect to be flawless... there are other very nice restaurants within a 30mile perimeter for this price range.
The decor was great, the people, well, it is inside a casino, so you see some occasional people in casino clothes, spending their gains here... so, you get the idea. Don't overdress, if you do, do for your companion because this is not a place to be "seen".
Now the food. We had tuna tartare, and nothing spectacular here. Not even the presentation. Then my husband had chillean seabass. It was OK, but we've had a better one at the Fish Market in Birminghan. I've got scallops, and once again, it was good but not memorable.
We spent $220 here (2 drinks, 1 bottle of wine, appertizers and entree), we left thinking we should've gone somewhere else... so you get the idea. As one of the reviewers said in below, nothing really inspiring... if you're a traveled gourmet person, that's absolutely how would feel: not inspired not even a bit. Otherwise, probably this would be OK. Certianly did not impressed me. I would tell people to go to WP right next door. Same prices, better menu.
Michael Mina seafood was spectacular. Went late when crowd was lite, and service was acceptable. We were even given complementary appetizers by the chef to try out. A little pricey, but expected.
I was here with my family for graduation dinner. From previous reviews and the fact that it's a Michael Mina restaurant had me looking forward to the experience.
We arrived and were seated promptly. I felt the decor, while it was splurging, didn't feel particularly warm and inviting, a little cold perhaps?
Our waiter (I decided to remove his physical description as courtesy) and came off as little arrogant almost. He seemed to have frowned upon the fact that we had each ordered an entree and hadn't opted for an appetizer of sorts, as he mentioned something along the lines of "our entrees are meant to be paired with an appetizer."
I remembered that another yelper had been allowed to order something off of the Bourbon Steak menu, but when I inquired our waiter about it, he said in a chastising manner, "we don't allow the menu to be shown on the dining room." which i felt was rather rude.
Our waiter was seldom seen after taking our order, joking with another female waitress when we were trying to grab his attention, but the sous/assistant waiters were much more helpful and attentive to our needs, which was entirely unfortunate. I felt that his sudden change in attitude by the time he presented the check was rather transparent.
On a good note, the food was excellent. We ordered Miso glazed Chilean Sea Bass, the Halibut, the Walleye, and the trio of chicken. All of them were presented beautifully and cooked perfectly.
Lastly, what was real deal breaker for us was the constant infusion of the cigarette smoke from the casino flower into the restaurant. While I understand I'm, afterall, in a casino, getting a taste of tobacco smoke in your mouth, while you're trying to savor the flavor served to be a constant distraction. Now I'm a smoker too and I would tolerate this in other circumstances, i.e. at a bar or a diner for example, I wouldn't expect this at a such high caliber restaurant. Even high-end Las Vegas casino restaurants serve their food at least in a smoke free environment.
All in all, and this holds true for the rest of the MGM, I felt that Saltwater tried to be classy but fell somewhat short: from the decor to the service from the waitstaff and the atmosphere. The food was the only saving grace, but if I was asked again to come enjoy great food from a rude staff in a suffocating atmosphere, I would politely decline.
The interior design of Saltwater had a certain wow to it. Excellent lighting, cool floor to ceiling wine racks, a great private dining room, and perfect sound level. So yes lovely looks, but would the overall dining experience end up as a Paris Hilton or a Natalie Portman?
Decidedly a Portman. Style and substance, both present.
The seared fois gras while not the most delicate, was very nice (though I wasn't a fan of their toast) and it's presentation was mouthwatering. My strip loin was perfect, albeit simple, and medium rare and delicious. I asked for a glass of sweet wine to go with the fois, the recommendation proved excellent, however her recommendation on a glass of pinot noir was not as strong.
Now if this restaurant was in NYC or SF I'd rate it more critically. But to have such a pleasant dining experience in an area lacking in culinary delights was a treat, so allow for a little star inflation.
Enjoyed the entire experience! I had:
Appetizer: Maple sherry glazed vermont quail
Entree: Phyllo-dusted dover sole
Dessert: Almond Pear Tart (with brown butter ice cream)
The ambience was relaxed, welcoming and cozy. I especially loved what looked like water drops on the walls. On top of great food, the service was excellent!
3 stars only I'm afraid. Nothing wrong with either the food or wine (although there shouldn't be at these (astronomical for Detroit) prices). Nothing was particularly inspired though, and overall we came away with the feeling they're just going through the motions here - actually quite similar to many expensive Vegas restaurant experiences.
Michael Mina (I assume it was he) graced us with his presence half way through the evening although his idea of customer interaction seemed limited to walking through the restaurant with hands clasped behind his back nodding sagely in a principal-like manner. He stopped by our table for about 15 seconds and didn't actually speak!
(Continued from... http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
While I was beyond pleased with my selection, my friend noted that his steak was merely okay and wished that he had splurged for the Kobe (which I'd originally suggested anyhow.) He did note that the King Crab was amazing and was gracious enough to allow me to taste the Mac n' Cheese which was absolutely sublime with its mixture of cheeses, al dente pasta, and crispy truffled topping. Portion sizes for all items were larger than expected for fine dining and even before dessert both of us were quite full.
Noting the quality of the meal and the specialness of the day, dessert was not to be missed, no matter how full. Once again, our wonderful server gave us the menus for both Saltwater and Bourbon Steak and my buddy chose Saltwater's Chocolate Molten Cake with Cream Cheese Mousse and Cinnamon Ice cream (devoured quickly and noted as "just enough,") while I chose the Beignets from Bourbon Steak. As the beignets normally come with one of 3 dipping sauces, I inquired which was best and after hearing an explanation still could not decide. It was then that our waitress suggested she could simply bring out all 3 and let me decide. While this invariably led to me eating far too much, I once again have no regrets. While the beignets were soft on the inside and perfectly crisp and sugary on the outside, the show was definitely stolen by the accompaniments - Madagascar Vanilla Creme Brulle, Chocolate Pot De Creme, and Macallan 12yr butterscotch pudding.
The Brulle was good enough to be served on its own and easily the best vanilla version I've ever tasted. The Pot De Crme was incredibly rich with a thick top layer that had cooled slightly and an underlying dark chocolate cream that exploded on the tongue with hints of cinnamon and spice the texture of brownie batter. While those two were stellar, the butterscotch was mindblowing with a thin skin on top of a rich, full, and creamy vanilla butterscotch with tones of bourbon and perhaps honey. Dessert was taken with a stellar Italian coffee service with a thick body, minimal acidity, and rich flowery undertone.
All told, the meal took approximately 2:15 and a hefty hit on the credit card, but every aspect of it was worth the time and expense. The check was delivered with two hand crafted bourbon caramels that melted in the mouth and provided one last exclamation point on a flawless meal. In my opinion, time with friends or family and time with great food and great service is always time worth spending and I am grateful that Bourbon Steak provided such a wonderful experience. Michael Mina is a very established restaurateur and his menu speaks for itself, yet clearly this fame has not led to complacency as the meticulous staff still continues to bend over backwards to make your experience wonderful. I would strongly recommend this restaurant to anyone as the very best restaurant experience I've had in the Midwest, and possibly ever.
