While traveling to Detroit on business, we had a nice business dinner. The restaurant of choice was Roast, in which I hand-picked after some serious research… I have a reputation to uphold!
We had a reservation, and a nice, friendly hostess greeted us and took us to our table. They had a large bar near the entrance, with even bigger lounge-type seating across from it. The dining area was all the way to the back, passed the bar and lounge. It was spacious, bright with loads of windows covering the walls, very inviting.
Speaking of large, our table was really nice and big! Yes, the size of our table. Come on, I keep a clean blog here! LOL. It is nice to have a group dinner without worrying about how much space you are going to have without bumping your elbow into your colleague. Once we were settled, we each order a drink. They use one of those mobile touch screen (like an iPad) for drink menu. It is a creative way to get the ever-changing, large menu under control. However, it makes it difficult to share among large group… Takes much longer for everyone to decide on what drink to order. I went with Forbidden Fruit ($13), oh yeah, cheeky! It is made with Rum, Apricot Brandy, Cynar, Apple Juice, and Maple with a Sparkling Wine Float. It was elegant, not very sweet but just a hint of sweetness. Really nice, not as fruity as I expected, but certainly great flavor. I enjoyed it.
The complimentary bread consisted of three different kinds, I always appreciate variety! They were moist and dense, yet airy and tasty!
We ordered Tuna Crudo for the table to share as appetizer. I have no photo of it, but it was quite delicious! Why no photo? Well, when you are surrounded by lots of hungry hands, it sometimes is not possible to get a moment for a photo… Sorry!
For the main, I ordered Branzino ($32), cooked with Trumpet Mushroom, Celery, and Charred Lemon. The server warned me that it comes with its head and tail, which I was already aware of, but appreciated the kind warning. Look at this beauty! It looks small in the photo (in my opinion) but it was quite large!
Branzino was not only beautiful, and it tasted as great as it looked. It was packed with flavor, completely de-boned (thank you!). Moist, flakey, just perfect! The herbs and lemon did their magic, making this already tasty fish even more amazing. Loved the crispy skin too. So filling!
We had a few side dishes to share among the table as well. We chose Rosemary Fries ($6), Brussels Sprouts & Walnuts ($10), and Grilled Asparagus ($10). I did my best to take photos among the hungry hands coming at them like jet planes. The fries didn’t look like much, but they were sooooo good, I didn’t want to share! The fries came with regular ketchup and their House Ketchup, “smoky and spicy.” It was…well, interesting… I was not a fan of the house ketchup… Besides, the fries were so flavorful on their own, it didn’t need any ketchup or any other condiment.
Brussels sprouts were nice, had some acidic flavor to it. The walnuts had its natural sweetness, to it. Great balance of acidic and sweet flavor. Asparagus was cooked just right, firm enough but not too firm. Wonderful cheesy-ness on top was especially nice!
I was pretty full, but one of my colleague talked me into getting a dessert… Yes, I am so easy when it comes to dessert! Ugh! I asked our server, Brandon, which one was his favorite. He said “The Bar, hands down.” Well, alright then, sold! The Bar ($11) is made with chocolate, marshmallow, whiskey caramel, salted caramel ice cream. And as you can see, it really was a bar. Well, two bars. It was interesting with some kind of rice crispy-type thing on the bottom. The top chocolate part was very firm but not too hard, solid yet becomes velvety in your mouth. I could taste the high quality chocolate.
Marshmallow was fun, it was a nice size and roasted just right. It made this dessert to be kind of a deconstructed S’mores. Caramel ice cream was great too, loved the flavor! It had real caramel flavor without being too sweet and too caramel-y, if you know what I mean.
Our server, Brandon was a top notch server. He provided great service, we didn’t need to ask for anything! And, always “ladies first” kind of service, from handing out the menu, serving drink and food. Love being treated like a real “lady” among all the gentlemen.
Needless to say, the business dinner was a big success. Everyone enjoyed their food and drinks, and we were able to converse in a spacious table without being crowded. I would definitely recommend this spot!
Roast – 1128 Washington Blvd, Detroit, MI 48226