Detroit: Coach Insignia

Well, the only time I've ever eaten at a higher altitude was in a airplane . . . this steakhouse soars 70+ floors above Detroit with stunning views of the city [which I think looks better after dark] and across the river to Canada. Prices for restaurants of this type usually mirror the height of the building or the expanse of the view, and Coach Insignia is no exception . . . stratospheric. As with all restaurants with spectacular views there is usually a conundrum regarding which is better . . . the food or the view. The food shouldn't distract from the view, but neither should the view be an excuse for mediocre food and service. The view won out here, with poorly prepared food and sporadic service marking our dining experience.

After a vertigo-inducing rocket of an elevator ride, we began the evening at the bar for drinks and a first look at the amazing view. We settled in for a cocktail and decided to have their signature appetizer as well, "lobster corn dogs". Yes, deep fried lobster on a stick! It arrived hot and crisp and very tasty, proving again that you can [and maybe should] try frying anything at least once. It was also at the bar that we encountered the first service misstep of the evening in the form of a very pleasant, but overly chatty, bartender who kept inserting herself into our conversation. Some chat is good, but we had had a long day and needed to do some reflection and were regularly interrupted by our friendly bearer of libations.

Then it was on to the dining room for the main event, at a beautiful table with that perfect view across the river. We started with salads, the Chop-Chop [pretty boring, mostly lettuce with sparse dressing] and the Autumn Salad [poached pear, bleu cheese, baby spinach and caramelized shallot] which was beautifully presented and offered a sophisticated blend of flavors that turned out to be the star of the evening. Then there were the steaks . . . which I'm sorry to report reminded me of a Sizzler. These were not the steaks that one would expect from a restaurant of this pretense, and to compound things there were not cooked as ordered. The worst example was a steak that was ordered medium-well that arrived from the kitchen barely warm inside and much less cooked than the other steaks at the table which were ordered medium-rare. When the undercooked steak was sent back for more fire it returned barely changed, as if the kitchen wasn't paying attention or was trying to make a statement about how they thought steak should be ordered. Bad form for sure. The side dishes of sautéed mushrooms and scalloped potatoes were serviceable, but not memorable. This is basic food folks, nothing fancy or difficult to prepare, and with attention to detail should be wonderful in the best sense of comfort food. Somewhere along the way that lesson was missed by the Coach Insigna.

The service, unfortunately, matched the food. Our waiter was pleasant but not always around when needed. Water glasses weren't filled or plates cleared with any care. Then an overly solicitous wine steward made the proceedings almost like a SNL skit. Maybe it’s me, but I have not had much luck eating at steakhouses recently and my karma continued here. The view is wonderful, the restaurant beautiful [but why doesn't it rotate?] but nothing else about the place comes up to that level. If I am in Detroit again I'll go up for a drink, sitting at a table and not the bar, have an appetizer and enjoy the sunset view. Then I'll take the elevator back to earth and find a good restaurant for dinner.

EatHereOrNot: MAYBE