Restaurant Experienced - Iridescence

The crab cake.  Such a simple dish.  Some crab meat, some veggies, some starches, a little egg and some bread crumbs.  Mix it all together and fry it up.  Yet, somehow, it does not always come out looking like this when I try to make one:

Juicy, hearty and stunning!

At Iridescence, located on the top floor of the Motor City Casino And Hotel, the presentation of each dish is immaculate.  It feels like a crime to dig into each one.  The colors so vibrant, the garnish, decorative pieces, the dining room and the plates are all elements that make eating at Iridescence more than simply a meal.  Just as each waiter or waitress explains prior to taking orders, he or she is truly there to "guide you through the dining experience" that is refection at Iridescence...

Myself and three other gentlemen took Wednesday evening as the perfect opportunity to treat ourselves to one of Detroit's most well-known and highly touted restaurants, Iridescence.  Champions of the Hour Magazine award for the 2011 Restaurant Of The Year, Iridescence provides hungry guests of the Motor City Casino and the city of Detroit with peerless Contemporary American cuisine.  Perched atop the hotel, the restaurant is a little difficult to find once you are inside the building.  You have to ask permission from the suited security guards to enter the elevator and ascend to the 16th floor, which adds to the aura of exclusivity.  Once you reach the peak, the host is the only thing that stands between you and the dining experience that awaits.  Pass through the oversized glass doors and into the dining room and the journey is under way.

My companions and I chose to embark on the three-course prix fixe dinner; participation by all guests at the table required.  The first tasting was a smoky scallop, just to charge the imagination.  Next came the crab cake.  As pictured above, the crab cake was elegant, hearty and rich with a perfect combination of corn, asparagus and dressing.  Unbelievable flavor and moisture, not too salty and prepared with the perfect ratio of delicious crab meat, the first course left all of us craving more.

An intermezzo course of impossibly light sorbet to clean the palate and then onto the feature course: a tender, delicately charred nine-ounce filet mignon paired with a fried risotto ball, three spears of grilled asparagus, served over a mindful portion of mashed potatoes and smothered in a zip sauce that helped augment all of the flavors:

Beautiful presentation and big flavor!

I want to preface the next comment I have with this statement: I ate every single morsel on my plate and enjoyed each bite.  That being said, the chefs at Iridescence have a different interpretation of the temperature scale than I am used to.  I say the chefs specifically because, upon ordering my meat "medium," my waitress verified that I prefer the dish "pink throughout."  I approved and anxiously anticipated my entree.  What I received was, in my mind, a well-done filet, albeit delicious and uncharacteristically juicy, but well-done nonetheless.  A word of advice to prospective diners: whatever temperature you normally prefer your meat cooked, order it one step closer to rare, that way you cannot be disappointed in any way.  Criticism aside, the filet was tender and tasty.  I would recommend it cooked to any order!

What followed the filet was the third and final course.  The dessert that was presented to our table was astonishing.  A beautifully sculpted presentation of chocolate, peanut butter, vanilla ice cream and assorted textures that created a perfect finale to a fully satisfying meal.

Rich, crunchy and creamy

The display was the perfect finale.  This dish really summed up the whole experience: beautiful presentation, rich plates and well-planned portions which left our group content and looking forward to our next trip to Iridescence.  Patricia Nash, pastry chef at Iridescence and 2007 Pastry Chef of the Year award winner, does a wonderful job of creating dishes equally pleasing to all the senses.

OFFICIAL iEATdetroit CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN POWER RANKINGS

Rank	Restaurant
1	Iridescence

Every element of the meal at Iridescence was given thoughtful consideration and designed to be pleasing to all visitors.  The restaurant is owned by the Illitch family, some of the most well-known and active agents for the betterment of the city of Detroit.  It makes perfect sense that Iridescence is located where it is, overlooking the Ambassador Bridge, providing visitors from all over the world with a unique and memorable dining experience!