Detroit's Apparatus Room reopens with retooled menu

Downtown Detroit fine dining spot Apparatus Room recently reopened its doors for dine-on service with a retooled menu.

The menu is by Chef Thomas Lent, a Michelin-rated chef and Michigan native who joined Apparatus Room in 2017 after leaving the restaurant Sixteen at Trump Tower Chicago. According to a press release, Lents used the downtime during the pandemic "to create a menu that celebrates the fabric of New American cooking alongside Midwest classics and pays homage to dishes and chefs that have changed the way Americans eat at restaurants."

That includes a Golden Carnaroli Risotto, a "tribute to acclaimed French-American Chef Jean Joho’s risotto dish at the Everest Restaurant in Chicago" the Golden Carnaroli Risotto, a nod "to acclaimed French-American Chef Jean Joho’s risotto dish at the Everest Restaurant in Chicago" and Farm Chicken "Judy Rodgers" Style, "a take on the legendary dish from Zuni Cafe served on a mustard green bread salad with currants, pine nuts with a garlic confit."

Other dishes include the Foundation Herb Maurice Chopped Salad, "a modern spin on a Midwestern favorite, this salad is inspired by a Detroit classic made famous by Hudson’s Department Store with ham, turkey, swiss cheese, olives, pickles, egg, and creamy herb dressing."

There's also the Luminous 75, an ode to French 75 with Tito’s vodka, St. Germain, Aperol, Lilet Blanc, sparkling wine, lemon, and orange bitters. According to the release, the Luminous 75 also pays tribute to Thomas Edison, "who grew up in Michigan and whose Edison light bulbs hang over the bar."

The Apparatus Room is now open from 5-10 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays and 5-9 p.m. on Sundays. The restaurant is located at the Detroit Foundation Hotel, 250 W. Larned St., Detroit; 313-800-5600; detroitfoundationhotel.com.

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