Chefs pour it on for Detroit Restaurant Week
Melody Baetens, Detroit News staff writer
Ignite your appetite, because for the fourth time in two years, the Motor City will shine as a major dining destination with Detroit Restaurant Week.
The 10-day promotion will start April 1 and will run through April 10. Eighteen Detroit restaurants will offer fixed-price menus showcasing each establishment's signature dishes and spring-influenced fare. The three-course menus include an appetizer, entrée and dessert for $28, not including tax, tip or beverages.
Upscale businesses like 24Grille, Coach Insignia, Opus One, The Whitney and MGM Grand's Saltwater are mainstays of this biannual promotion.
Angelina Italian Bistro is a new addition to Detroit Restaurant Week. Located on Broadway near Woodward Avenue, this 100-seat restaurant will offer plenty of variety with eight first courses to choose from, six entrees and three desserts.
Partner and general manager Tom Agosta recommends one of Angelina's most popular dishes, the roasted butternut squash ravioli.
"We take fresh butternut squash, roast them in the oven, and we make all our own pasta," says Agosta, who is proud that Angelina's makes most of its food from scratch. He says he and his business partners were inspired by their Sicilian grandmothers who cooked everything themselves.
"I didn't have a canned vegetable until I went to college," Agosta jokes. "When we had a chance to have our own place, we really wanted to feature housemade food from scratch with the love that our grandmothers put into it."
The ravioli is an easy pick, but deciding on one of Angelina's first-course offerings will be a dilemma. Choose between calamari strips, a trio of bruschetta or fried artichoke hearts.
The made-from-scratch minestrone with garlic croutons sounds like a good start, too.
For dessert it's your choice of cannoli, mascarpone cheesecake or orange flan.
At 24Grille at the Westin Book Cadillac in Detroit, executive chef Christian Borden will offer dishes like pan braised Amish chicken and day boat Scallops.
Detroit Restaurant Week is a great opportunity to visit a place that you may have wanted to try, but thought was too expensive.
The Rattlesnake Club normally offers three-course meals for $47 — a menu structure inspired by past Detroit Restaurant Weeks. However, with restaurant week's pricing, patrons can enjoy a warm apple and goat cheese salad, followed by spice-crusted roasted prime rib and finish with a raspberry torte for just $28.
Detroit Restaurant Week is not just a good deal for diners, but it gives a boost to the local economy. More than 27,000 people participated in the first promotion in the fall of 2009, and the number of diners increased during the following restaurant weeks, which took place in the spring and fall of 2010.
"The first three Detroit Restaurant Week promotions have received tremendous support from Metro Detroiters," says Jason Huvaere, director of Detroit Restaurant Week.
"The restaurants have had great crowds, sales have been very strong, and we hope to continue that momentum with our fourth installment of the event," Huvaere says.
Participating restaurants
April 1-April 10
Three-course meal for $28 per person, not including tip, tax or beverages.
Visit www.detroitrestaurantweek.com to view menus and make reservations.
All restaurants are in Detroit.
24grille, Westin Book-Cadillac, 204 Michigan Ave. (313) 964-3821
Andiamo Detroit Riverfront, 400 Renaissance Center (313) 567-6700
Angelina Italian Bistro, 1565 Broadway St. (313) 962-1355
Atlas Global Bistro, 3111 Woodward Ave. (313) 831-2241
Caucus Club, 150 W. Congress St. (313) 965-4970
Coach Insignia, 200 Renaissance Center (313) 567-2622
Cuisine, 670 Lothrop (313) 872-5110
Da Edoardo Foxtown Grille, 2203 Woodward Ave. (313) 471-3500
Detroit Seafood Market, 1435 Randolph St. (313) 962-4180
Iridescence, MotorCity Casino Hotel, 2901 Grand River Ave. (313) 237-6732
Mosaic Restaurant, 501 Monroe St. (313) 962-9366
Opus One, 565 E. Larned St. (313) 961-7766
Rattlesnake Club, 300 River Place Drive (313) 567-4400
Roast, Westin Book-Cadillac, 1128 Washington Blvd. (313) 961-2500
Roma Café, 3401 Riopelle St. (313) 831-5940
Saltwater, MGM Grand Detroit, 1777 Third St. (313) 465-1777
The Whitney, 4421 Woodward Ave. (313) 832-5700
Wolfgang Puck Grille, MGM Grand Detroit, 1777 Third St. (313) 465-1648
Other Restaurant Week promotions
Royal Oak Restaurant Week, through April 2: Twenty restaurants in the downtown Royal Oak area offer three-course meals for either $15 or $25. Notable participants include Town Tavern, Vinotecca, Lockhart's BBQ, Bastone and Lily's Seafood. www.dineroyaloak.com.
Marvelous Macomb Restaurant Week, April 25-29: Around a dozen Macomb County bars and restaurants will offer a variety of discounts. Get half off at Green Street Tavern in New Baltimore and 2-for-1 entrees at Abuelo's, and 25 percent off at Loon River Café, Cheeseburger in Paradise and Andiamo, all in Sterling Heights. www.shrcci.com.
Photo caption: 24grille in downtown Detroit's Westin Book-Cadillac is one of the restaurants offering special menus and prices during Detroit Restaurant Week. (John T. Greilick/The Detroit News)
