AAA gives its prestigious Four-Diamond rating to some of metro Detroit’s finest restaurants
By Jennifer DeMay Photography by Bill Bowen

In 2007, seven Detroit restaurants made the cut, and all of them consistently garner high praise from local and national restaurant critics as well as diners, so it’s really no surprise that AAA chose to honor them too. “The Detroit area is privileged to have several Four-Diamond restaurants, which is a great benefit to visitors who enjoy fine dining,” says AAA Michigan spokesman Jim Rink.

The Lark
The Lark in West Bloomfield was Michigan’s first Four-Diamond restaurant, a designation it has retained for 18 of its 26 years in business. Jim and Mary Lark modeled their restaurant after the country inns they admired on their trips to Europe. These proprietor-run establishments had an elegant yet warm ambience combined with fine food and wine. The couple succeeded mightily in creating a restaurant that is as well known for its solicitous service as its fantastic cuisine.

The Lark is a family act, with Jim posing as maitre d’ and sommelier, Mary overseeing the restaurant’s décor and gorgeous restaurant-side gardens, and daughter Adrian serving as general manager. And with just 12 tables and this personal service, you’ll certainly feel as if you’re dining in a friend’s home — if your friend just happened to be a world-class chef.

The fixed-price five-course menu changes with the seasons and focuses on traditional European preparations of high-end fare like lobster, veal and prime beef rib. Become a part of The Lark’s history by ordering the house specialty: Rack of Lamb Genghis Khan. Each order is numbered according to how many have been served, with a certificate presented to the diner. More than 70,000 have been enjoyed to date.

Rugby Grille
Most of us will never see the inside of an exclusive members-only country club, but we’ve all got access to the next best thing — Rugby Grille. Set in the posh Townsend Hotel — a popular spot for visiting celebrities, as evidenced by the limos and mega-star tour buses often seen out front — Rugby Grille feels like the kind of place where royalty would sip brandy after a spirited round of polo. Happily, this sophistication comes without a sniff of pretense and the service is warm and down-to-earth.

Traditional fine-dining elements are given a twist in dishes like an appetizer pairing duck confit with panzanella, a classic Tuscan bread salad. An unbelievably rich lobster risotto with a generous shaving of black truffle, smoky Wagyu short ribs and a classic Dover sole meunière are other high points. And the accompaniments offered with the restaurant’s excellent aged steaks give new meaning to the phrase “gild the lily” — a butter-poached lobster tail, a slab of foie gras or wild mushroom ragout elevate the deeply flavored meat to new heights.

The fabulous weekend brunch features decadent dishes such as a tiramisu-inspired French toast stuffed with Kahlúa-doused mascarpone cheese and finished with whipped cream and chocolate shards. Light eaters can opt for the vegetarian egg white frittata, but with all this delicious extravagance at the offering, why would you?

The Grill
Lavishness knows no bounds at The Grill restaurant inside The Ritz Carlton - Dearborn. From the moment the valet whisks your car away and you’re led into the opulent dining room off the hotel lobby, you know you’re in for a five-star — or Four-Diamond — experience.

The room is awash in swathes of fine fabrics, rich mahogany wood, sumptuous upholstery and crystal chandeliers. Luxury extends, of course, to ingredients such as foie gras, Dover sole, Kobe beef and morel mushrooms, which are prominent on a menu that is surprisingly modern given the traditional setting. Presentations, too, are artful and fresh.

As with the previously mentioned Rugby Grille previously mentioned, The Grill caters to its hotel crowd, meaning that breakfast, lunch and lighter dining options are available in addition to the full formal dinner offerings. So even those with a tight budget can get a taste of the high life without breaking the bank.

Iridescence
Atop the Motor City Casino Hotel in downtown Detroit lies Iridescence, arguably one of the best among Detroit’s handful of swanky casino restaurants. As part of the casino’s recent renovation and expansion project, Iridescence moved to the top floor of the 17-story hotel and underwent a complete change of culinary staff and a reinvention of its menu and wine program.

Despite being in the middle of the gaming action, Iridescence maintains a serene setting awash with opulent details and incredible views of the city afforded by its 40-foot glass walls. From a gleaming open kitchen, a battalion of chefs put out a menu focused on regional American cuisine highlighting the best ingredients of the season.

The cuisine is an interesting mix of hearty Midwest fare like a spice and herb-scented pheasant with Michigan morel risotto, and more exotic dishes like a luscious onion soup enriched with coconut and curry oil and garnished with spicy ginger chips. Light eaters will appreciate the range of “first tastes,” small plates with an emphasis on big flavors. A compact slice of Hudson Valley foie gras, for example, is pan-seared and served with sauteed vanilla apples and a cube of buttery toasted brioche.

Iridescence’s desserts are just as well thought-out and artfully presented. A favorite is the sampler, which gives diners tastes of several cocoa-centric sweets, including a white chocolate cheesecake “lollipop,” milk chocolate peanut butter ice cream sandwich and a Godiva chocolate milkshake.

The luxury experience is rounded out by the refined service which will make you feel like a high roller even if you only play the nickel slots.

Tribute Restaurant
Tribute is probably one of Detroit’s most famous restaurants, often making the short-list of foodies across the country. From an offbeat location — next to a gas station — in the Detroit suburb of Farmington Hills, Tribute has been a major player on the national culinary scene since opening in 1996.

A la carte is available, but most diners opt for the multi-course degustation, which is a great way to sample the restaurant’s best dishes. Tribute’s cuisine is solidly French with contemporary influences and interesting experimentation with texture and flavor combinations. What could be a conventional orange-glazed duck dish is made more interesting with an infusion of Asian flavors and a citrus salad that provides a burst of freshness and acidity to cut the richness of the duck and the seared foie gras served with it.

Tribute recently opened for lunch, with a wildly popular prix fixe menu offering two courses for just $20. Recent selections included a Caesar-inspired hearts of romaine salad with a crispy Parmigiano-Reggiano chip, a grilled Kobe beef burger and chocolate crème brûlée with macerated fruit.

Guests who peer for more than a moment into the gleaming, spotless kitchen — easy to do since it’s on a direct path to the restrooms — will likely be invited in to meet the cadre of chefs hard at work. Or for a true front-row seat, request the 10-person kitchen table where your party will be treated to a special menu of the chef’s choosing.

Ristorante Café Cortina
Just a couple miles from Tribute lies another Four-Diamond Award winner. Ristorante Café Cortina — or just “Café Cortina,” as most locals have come to know it — has long been considered one of Detroit’s most romantic restaurants, with a dimly lit dining room dominated by a blazing brick fireplace and a garden-lined outdoor patio that’s an excellent spot to relax on a warm spring or summer day, evening or night.

The best Italian restaurants are judged by their fresh pastas, and in this area the family-owned and -run Café Cortina more than holds its own. In fact, the restaurant’s homemade ravioli was featured on a 2006 Food Network show spotlighting the best pasta places in the U.S.A. And as a testament to the popularity of its homemade sauces, the restaurant bottles and sells them in local gourmet shops and on its Web site.

Il Posto Ristorante
So much of what Americans think of as Italian food is owed to experiences with the typical “red sauce” joints that seem to typify Italian-American cuisine. But there are restaurants operating on an elevated plane, ones that focus on authentic — often regional — Italian cuisine, where every aspect of the meal from service to presentation is well thought out and perfectly executed. Il Posto Ristorante in Southfield is just such a place (il posto translates to “the place” in Italian).

With one look at the elegant dining room set with white linens and fine cutlery, you know you’re not at Olive Garden. Bow-tied waiters guide you through the menu that includes outstanding homemade pastas with deep, earthy sauces, fresh-from-the-water seafood and soul-satisfying meat dishes. Veal is an Italian favorite, and Il Posto’s meltingly tender version bathed in sautéed porcini mushrooms is among the best you’ll encounter. A vast wine list favoring Italian vino is available to pair with whatever delicious dish you choose.

Now Go Eat
If you’d like a more comprehensive resource for AAA’s Four-Diamond restaurants, check out the AAA TourBooks, which are regional guides available in print and online that list all Four-Diamond award-winning establishments.

Expect more of them to appear on the metro Detroit map, with the establishment of the permanent casinos and other great eateries opening in the area. One more word of advice: These places are popular with locals and visitors alike, so calling ahead for a reservation is a good idea.

AAA Four-Diamond Lodging In addition to rating restaurants, AAA looks at lodgings, too, and there are nine Four-Diamond Award properties in The D, including: The Atheneum Suite Hotel and Conference Center The Dearborn Inn – A Marriott Hotel Hyatt Regency Dearborn Radisson Hotel Detroit - Bloomfield Hills The Ritz Carlton – Dearborn Royal Park Hotel The Townsend Hotel Westin Hotel – Detroit Metropolitan Airport (above) The Westin Southfield – Detroit

The Grill The Ritz Carlton - Dearborn 300 Town Center Drive Dearborn, 48126 DW (313) 441-2100 www.ritzcarlton.com Il Posto Ristorante 29110 Franklin Road Southfield, 48034 SO (248) 827-8070 Iridescence MotorCity Casino Hotel 2901 Grand River Ave. Detroit, 48201 DD (313) 237-6732 www.motorcitycasino.com The Lark 6430 Farmington Road West Bloomfield, 48322 NO (248) 661-4466 www.thelark.com Ristorante Café Cortina 30715 W. 10 Mile Road Farmington Hills, 48336 SO (248) 474-3033 www.cafecortina.com Rugby Grille The Townsend Hotel 100 Townsend St. Birmingham, 48009 SO (248) 642-5999 www.rugbygrille.com Tribute Restaurant 31425 W. 12 Mile Road Farmington Hills, 48334 SO (248) 848-9393 www.tributerestaurant.com