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

Detroit: Mosaic

This place, interestingly enough, was recommended by another restaurant that was booked for a private party on the night we wanted to go. The competition said Mosaic was great . . . maybe they were trying to look good in comparison, but this was disappointing to the point of yuck. The esthetic of the place was reminiscent of a disco, lots of bright metal and colored glass, with just a touch of sleaze . . . this is upscale dining?



Now on to the food, which turned out to be similar to the decor. How convenient. We started with the salmon carpaccio which was tasty but did not match the menu description. I hate that! When did "traditional accompaniments" become chunky avocado semi-salsa? I liked the dish, but like to have what shows up on my plate to be what I ordered from the menu . . . unless the dish is called "Smoked Salmon Surprise" or something. Then came lamb chops served on a potato gallette with an artichoke ragu-something. The lamb was OK, just lamb chops, no real detectable seasonings, but OK. The potato thing that was served under the lamb was tepid at best, and kind of pastey. The best part of the preparation was the artichoke ragu, well seasoned and HOT. For dessert we ordered the chocolate fondue . . . what can be better than your own personal bucket of chocolate? The fondue was good, and hot, served with fruit, cake and brownies for dippinng. The fruit was fine, the pound cake dry and sandy and the brownies stale. But there's nothing wrong with eating chocolate fondue with a spoon . . . a nice dessert all by itself.



This is one of those dining experiences that when we talked about it after leaving the restaurant said "was that weird or what?" and "did you like the food?". And the answers would be "yes" and "not really". So, I'm sure there must be better places to eat in Detroit and I look forward to checking them out on my next trip. I guess the take home lesson here is . . . don't eat in a disco.



EatHereOrNot: NOT