Detroit: Michael Symon's "Roast" opening Oct 15th

[JanPrimus]

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/...

Nice to see another good meat market opening up in Detroit! Also nice to see the Westin Book Cadillac coming back to life.

"Next Iron Chef" winner Michael Symon received a standing ovation from the crowd as he unveiled plans for his restaurant, Roast, slated to open Oct. 25. Symon said the menu will be dedicated to "everything about meat" including lamb, goat, bison and wild boar. The 200-seat restaurant will rely on local farmers as much as possible, he said.

I want to see Dinner Impossible: Monica Conyers edition!

[xman887]

i still have to get here and try it and i better do it soon. word is that the book cadillac (the development and not necessarily the restaurant) is already in default of its financing and is in deep trouble. hotel occupancy is supposedly around 20%. not a good sign.

[RedTop]

This is NOT good news.

[JanPrimus]

Detroit Restaurant Week & Eastern Market present Iron Chef Michael Symon
Taste of Eastern Market cooking demonstration
Location:Eastern Market's Shed 2
Time:10:00AM Saturday, September 5th

Might be a good time to ask....

Also would like to know if one of the Iron Chef's are going to retire since they have the Next Iron Chef show back. I doubt they are just gonna keep adding chefs.

[motorcityhound]

I think its a great addition to Detroit's culinary scene. Great food and the service isn't bad either. Try the roasted bone marrow. Its dynamite.

[hooverdoover]

can't wait to go back and try the beef cheek pierogi and the marrow. The lamb was fabulous and the steak out of this world. We had a German kid with us and he almost cried it was so good. Never see a steak like that in Germany.

[Jim M]

I went for lunch today and was impressed (more so with the food than with the service, but the food's what it's all about). We had the beef cheek pierogi (terrific sauce with incredible wild mushrooms), fried chicken livers, and rosemary fries--a generous portion on those. Got out for about $50 including drinks, if you want to try this place without dropping hundreds of dollars. I'll be back next time I can afford it! The pig was once again rotating peacefully (?) on its spit. Did make me want to come back and try a pork dish.

[toro]

Had dinner there after all the Buzz. Friend in town from Clevland who is a regualr at MS's Lola. I had eaten at Lola Bistro a couple of years ago. Fine service, a sommolier who look like he was eighteen. We pick a well priced Shafer with about a 35% markup. Yellowtail crudo and Pierogies excellent, Marrow and beed Tartar oversalted. Small portion but flavorful short ribs, (buy anyone can make good short ribs), Rosemary fries good but not Bourbon Steak Duck Fat fries good, Famous brussel sprouts way oversalted. Suckling pig dissapointed, skin tasted like chicharones vs a real spanish or chinese style, and made soggy drom the salsa verde. Lobster Uni roll was nice, Dessert uninspiring. Did not have steak because I was cooking prime ribeyes the next night. It was a nice night, but would probable go to Bourbon Steak/Saltwater next time

[JanPrimus]

"Roast" gets honor of "Restaurant of the Year 2009" from the Detroit Free Press.

Pictorial link for your viewing pleasure.

http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/galler...

[RedTop]

Gonna be a bit of a nay-sayer here...
I don't see how a restaurant--any restaurant, open for less than four months can qualify as a Restaurant of the Year.

[xman887]

i don't think that you are a nay-sayer. i saw the teaser on the front page of the news and wondered what place she picked. then i got to the section and my reaction was, 'oh, of course, its a new place with a celeb chef, in a renovated historical hotel." i have not been there and know only a few people who have (they said it was good), but i agree with you - four months seems a bit premature.

[Fritter]

The Free Press just picks the latest greatest. They did the same for Saltwater in 2008 and they had barely opened the doors.
If Hour magazine gives it the restaurant of the year designation then that has some credability (IMO).

[downriver1]

Hour will announce Forest Grill as Restaurant of the Year later this week. Well deserved.

[JanPrimus]

Either of these restaurants would make me happy. Brian Polcyn is a hell of a chef.

[Fritter]

Indeed!

http://www.theforestgrill.com/

[cheezkitteh]

Had dinner there last month and it was really great. Superb service. There was a delicious looking piggy on the spit, alas, that was for dinner the following day. BF and I had the beef cheek pierogies, roasted marrow bone, lamb shank with fresh fennel, ribeye with the roasted brussel sprouts and rosemary frites. Simply cooked. Nice wine by the glass and interesting beer selection. Can't wait to go back for that pig.

[donbui82]

Had dinner there on saturday. AWESOME. Simply awesome. Started with the bone marrow. A little too salty, but well seasoned and very tasty. We had the tomato soup which was divine. Velvety texture, light, but full of flavor without being obnoxious. Beast of the day: roast suckling pig. VERY VERy good. Second only to a fresh roast suckling I had in Vietnam a few years ago. My date had the braised lamb shank. She said it was the best braised lamb shank she's ever had, bar none. After one or two bites, I'd agree with her. AND the best part was how small our bill was. Excellent food, reasonably priced, beautiful decor. What more can one ask for?

[cheezkitteh]

I certainly agree that it's a very good value for the service, quality and ample portions. What did you drink?

[exchefputs]

i had dinner at roast 1/05/09 it was heaven like food prepard properly simply and
so so so so good. are party of 4 went all in ate everything they brought to the table
the oysters where the best we've had ever!!! i am an ex chef its hard to find a place
to eat that just gets it. good food starts with good ingredients, then dont kill it.
cook it properly and serve. the roast has this mastered. we had a blast it was my birthday and they realy made it special. thanks robert I

[mrnyc]

cool menu -- thx for this report. symon does it again!

[rtv]

ok....i guess no one wants to write a review..i'm going tonight. i'll report back!

[kellycolorado]

How was it? :-)

[rtv]

SOMBODY WRITE A REVIEW!!!!!! i'd love to get an idea before i go!

[mgebs]

All right, all of you. I'll spill the beans. Dixie Dave is a very creative chef with great ideas. He makes a delicious beaver (real beaver) barley stew which we serve at our museum event in northern MI. every year. He does alot of charity benefits too. Not open early in the week. Check first. Small place but real roadhouse.

[AMFM]

heard from someone who went this week that it was FABULOUS and beautiful! wish i lived closer. the menu looks great.
http://www.bookcadillacwestin.com/ass...

[kmcarr]

Did you notice the warning at the bottom of the menu, below the admonishment about "raw or undercooked meat"? Apparently they wanted to emphasize the DUH! factor.

[AMFM]

i see those all the time - i think they are a legal thing. might be a state issue if they aren't on all menus. i'm sure it's to get you off the hook if someone orders something raw and gets a bug. i don't really think it's to discourage ordering.

[soupkitten]

wow, a menu that looks as if it's actually written by a chef, not a marketer--- look at all the typos/grammar mistakes! ;-P

--i'm not dissing, much-- i'd eat there in a heartbeat. nice that there's a pig's ear in the salad menu! very cool, symon.

[Jim M]

I'm there. Those specialty meats are fairly hard to get around here, unless you go up to the mysterious Dixie Dave's.

[berkleybabe]

So Jim M, what's the deal on Dixie Dave's? I'm intrigued! Dish...

[Jim M]

Dixie Dave's, a.k.a. the Old Dixie Inn, is in Birch Run, but you go east from I-75 instead of toward the outlet mall, and it is just south of the first major cross road (which I think is Dixie Hwy.). It's a roadhouse bar/restaurant straight out of the 1950s like so much else in Saginaw County, but they serve wild game dishes. I was last there several years ago, and I had a lionburger--no kidding! With fries on the side. This blog has pics and gives you some idea. I guess some people rave about the place and others think it's just fair, but it certainly qualifies as a Michigan oddity.

http://www.blogsmonroe.com/food/?p=409

[berkleybabe]

Hey, thanks! What a great place....this is definitely on the roster of go-tos. Thanks for the info, I'll post when we get there.

[Wakeley Bridge]

If you're interested in Dixie Dave's, you might want to check out this link -
http://www.freep.com/article/20090109...