Restaurant Review: Coach Insignia, Detroit, Michigan

Coach Insignia
Renaissance Center
Detroit, MI
313.567.2622
http://www.mattprenticerg.com/urc/coach.asp

The Coach Insignia Restaurant is truly a room with a view. Perched 72 floors above the city of Detroit in the main tower of the Renaissance Center, the Coach Insignia offers fine dining with spectacular 360 degree views of the Detroit Riverfront, the downtown areas of Detroit and the Windsor, Canada skyline.

Part of the Matt Prentice Restaurant Group, which includes No.Vi Chop House, Northern Lakes Seafood, and Shiraz, the Coach Insignia, or "Coach" as it is widely known, enjoyed a previous incarnation as the Summit Restaurant. In those days, the restaurant was one that revolved, and would make a full circle in about an hour. The views are still there, but the floor no longer moves.

The diner starts out the Coach experience with a ride up in one of two glass elevators which face the Detroit River and Windsor. Once safely at restaurant level, diners are led from the lounge downstairs to the main dining area. It is no exaggeration to say that there isn't a bad seat in the house. Even tables that are not window-side are close enough to enjoy the view.

The food at the Coach is fine dining all the way. Though the menu may seem limited, the preparation and presentation is unique among steak houses. Among the appetizers, the Main Lobster Corn Dog ($16) is outstanding. Not a true "corn dog" by any sense of the word, the succulent lobster tail is skewered, then dipped in a light tempura-style batter and fried. The grilled lamb loin appetizer ($12) is served with an olive tapenade, goat cheese and roasted tomatoes.

For salad selections, the Chop-Chop ($7) is a wonderful mixture of cucumber, hearts of palm, tomatoes, cooked eggs, sunflower seeds and bacon. An unusual salad to try is the Watermelon and Gorgonzola (10), which is served with roasted macadamia nuts, shaved red onion and strawberry balsamic vinaigrette.