Roast, Roast, Roast

Since we met, Jack and I have an absolute favorite thing to do together. That is trying new restaurants and indulging in some of the best food we can possibly find. It celebration of a fun three years we have had together we decided to make a trip to downtown Detroit and visit Michael Symon's restaurant, Roast. It definitely exceeded any expectations we had and we enjoyed such a fun night of laughs, catching up, and great food!

We started off with cocktails and it seemed like our waitress had known us because of the drinks she recommended. I had what they call "no name" and it was stoli blueberry, limoncello, fresh lemon juice, tarragon, and lemon soda. Jack had a "cucumber collins" and that had house infused cucumber gin, fresh lime juice, sugar, and a lime slice. They were easily the best cocktails I have ever had and definitely was a great start to our dinner.

Next, we decided to order an appetizer to get our palates "warmed up" and that is just what the BBQ pork belly did for us. The meat was so tender it literally fell with the touch of a fork. It was served with an apple, watercress, and almond salad on the top. The perfect bite was a with all of it together. The pork belly had a beautiful crust on the outside for a little crunch but so tender on the inside. I do not think it could have been prepared any better. The salad complimented the pork so well and I could have enjoyed that as my meal but we only get better!

For our main course we both ordered steaks and of course we had to try some of their sides. The sides we chose were rosemary fries, macaroni and cheese, and soft polenta. The fries were the best fries I have ever had and the rosemary they were tossed with complimented them so well. The macaroni and cheese was so cheesy and the breadcrumbs on the top added a great crunch to each bite, too. I do have to say that the polenta was my favorite side because of the unique flavors that were added to it. There was mascarpone cheese added to make it extra creamy and honey for a bit of sweetness. Ah, so good!

Now the steaks...I though the pork belly was tender but the steak I had was the best steak I have ever had in many different aspects (I know Jack's was for him, too). I had a filet with sea salt and olive oil. It was a simple preparation but was perfectly executed. That is how I like it! There was a perfect sear on the outside making a crust that was crunchy and it was cooked a perfect medium rare. The best way to give you an "taste" was a hardly had to chew because it melt in my mouth. "It is like steak butter" is what Jack said and he was so right! Jack ordered the house aged ribeye with blue cheese onions. The flavors that came out of the steak were unreal and the ribeye with still the "star" of the dish despite the blue cheese and onions-those only complimented the flavors.

We finished with dessert, my favorite course, and it was the perfect finish to a perfect evening. I had the creme fraiche brulee (their brulee of the day) and it was not too sweet and had an unreal creamy texture. I love the crunch of the caramelized sugar on the top! Creme brulee is my favorite dessert and this is easily the best one I have ever had. Jack had a "man dessert". He ordered the beer and pretzels. That came in a tall class with Guinness ice cream, chocolate pretzels, and a caramel foam. If you like Guinness then this is the dessert for you! Absolutely delicious!

That concluded our wonderful meal and of course a celebration of the best three years together! I am sure we will be sharing in many more celebratory delicious meals in our days, too!

I highly recommend many visits to Roast. I know I will be returning!

xo