Jeff R.'s Profile

When I was invited to join a large party for a night out at ROAST, I was very excited.  I love a great steak and was looking forward to checking out the newly renovated Book Cadillac building in Detroit.

My initial reaction to the restaurant was - this place is pretty cool.  The entire restaurant is non-smoking which was really nice.  The bar area was a nice size with bar-seating for 20-30 people.  The dining area looks into the kitchen which features a large 'spit' that roasts the 'beast of the day'.  It happened to be a goat the night we were there - pretty cool.

For a Friday night at 7pm and only having been open for 3 weeks it wasn't very busy.  Most tables were full, but the bar was fairly empty and there weren't a lot of people hanging out in the lounge area.

On to the meal.  Our server was fantastic.  She took a lot of time with each member of the party going through the menu and making recommendations.  We started with the Bone Marrow appetizer which was amazing - I highly recommend you try it.  It's not too expensive, and it tastes so good, you'll wish you had more.  I ordered a ribeye ($32) with horseradish cream ($2) and blue cheese onions ($7).  You'll notice that EVERYTHING is ala carte, which ends up making each entree fairly expensive.  I paired the steak with mashed potatoes and spinach (also extra).  The potatoes were good (nothing remarkable) but the spinach was delicious.  The ribeye was an excellent cut of meat and was cooked perfectly - but my biggest disappointment - NO FLAVOR.  Even with the horseradish cream and bluecheese onions, I was in desperate need of some salt.  We had to ask 4 different people for salt before they finally brought it to the table.  Nearly everyone else in our party complained that the steaks could have been better seasoned.  By the time the salt arrived many people already finished their steak.  I held out and it was worth it.

We did speak with someone about the preparation - under seasoned steak and very greasy/oily sides.  A few people ordered the brussel sprounts and they were swimming in olive oil.  They did end up giving our entire party dessert (which we didn't expect).  I tried the 'Creme Brulee of the day' which happened to be chocolate.  The top was nice and crispy, but the brulee was ice cold which was a bit of a turn off.

Overall we had a fun dining experience.  The atmosphere is great and the food was good.  Highlights include: bone marrow appetizer, great wine list, attentive service (expect for the salt).  Negatives include: under seasoned steak, a bit pricey, and a "less than nice" unisex bathroom (other bathrooms were outside the restaurant).

I hope they work hard to get things right - Detroit needs it.  In metro Detroit, I've had a better steak at 220, Cameron's, and Big Rock (all in Birmingham).  Overall Roast is good, not great.

Vicente's is one of my current fave restaurants in Detroit.  The atmosphere is fun and lively (especially once the salsa dancing starts around 10pm) and the food is great.

Two recommendations from the menu:

Ropa Vieja (Old Clothes) - thinly shredded beef seasoned with red wine, tomato sauce, bell peppers and green olives.  Delicious!

Zarzuela de Mariscos - assorted seafood, shrimp, scallops, calamari, mussels and clams sauteed with fresh tomatoes, peppers and mushrooms flambeed with Spanish brandy.  MY FAVORITE!

The mojitos are great, but at $10 each, a little expensive.  Order a cafe cubana after dinner.

I'm also a big fan of the lobster bisque soup, and the ensalada de Pera (pear salad).

My only criticisms:
We've had a few bad tables (bad location, folding table, wobbly table).  Spend a few $$$ and get some nice tables and chairs already!

Male Bathroom Attendant.  Do I really need to say more?

Avoid the valet if you can - street parking in the area is safe and usually free (no meters on weekends).  The Opera House parking garage is a 2 minute walk away.

Overall this place is great, and we frequent it often - I recommend it to anyone looking for a fun night with great food.