FOOD

1r

By Esther Allweiss Ingber

s my daughter Julie and I were
escorted to our booth near the
entrance of Top of the Pontch, I
was struck by the familiar and still magi-
cal view. Below us and several miles dis-
tant, the Ambassador Bridge rose above
a winding Detroit River, with Windsor,
Canada, at the far left.
Being there brought me back to the
'70s, when my journalism group once
took over the fine-dining restaurant on
the 25th floor of the Hotel Pontchartrain.
The popular Hotel Pontchartrain
eventually fell upon hard times. It took
Gabriel Ruiz, a Mexican-based hotel de-
veloper, to bring new life and beauty to
the building, now called Crowne Plaza
Detroit. The long-shuttered restaurant
opened last September with the famous
Top of the Pontch name intact.
James Ahee, food and beverage direc-
tor at Crowne Plaza, said he and Execu-
tive Chef Justin Vaiciunas were tasked

A

with putting together the new space.
"Building out the restaurant took a
year," Ahee said. Ruiz's interior designer
from Mexico helped fine-tune the final
elements.
Top of the Pontch will always be
special because of its high-rise vantage
point. Tables and step-up curved booths
face the tower windows. The view
changes depending on where one gazes
along the half-turn expanse.
It's an airy room with a neutral color
scheme. Of note are the colorful array of
hand-blown glass fixtures on the ceiling
and translucent columns containing
water bubblers.
The restaurant is upscale and elegant,
but comfortable. The bare wooden
tables were fashioned by a company
called Reclaimed Detroit. Servers here
don't intimidate; they're helpful and
friendly.
A great view isn't everything though.

Another asset is Chef Justin, veteran of
Zinn Wine Bar in Plymouth. He advises
on menus, creating artful food to delight
the senses. Ben Sanders is chef de
cuisine.
Ahee said Chef Justin "wants to offer
food that is out of people's comfort
zone'
An example is the Spanish octopus
appetizer with shaved chorizo, saffron
vinaigrette flavored with curry and taro
root chip.
Julie and I ordered two of the most
popular entrees. She really liked her
Caribbean Red Snapper atop Forbidden
Rice Stir-Fry. A cucumber-ginger cream
sauce added vivid flavor. My 1-pound
Braised Creekstone Short Rib was pre-
pared osso buco style with baby yams
and crispy Brussels sprouts. The tender
meat had great flavor from a port wine
reduction and black garlic aioli.
A third signature dish is pan-seared
sea scallops served over risotto. The
menu's description also mentions apple
butter, beer vinegar bean salad and corn
lobster emulsion.
Underground Beets, served in a bowl,
was the appetizer I chose at this meal.
Sliced beets, espresso vinaigrette, feta
and goat cheeses and fennel oil were
served beneath a crunchy nest of freeze-
dried beets. I liked the taste contrast of
creamy tart cheeses with sweet beets.
A dessert we'll long remember is Drop
It Like It's Chocolate. A cold molded
chocolate cup brought to our table was

smashed onto a wide white platter. The
chocolate "shards" mixed deliciously
with dollops of key lime cheesecake,
graham cracker crumbs and raspberry
sauce.
At the bar, Michigan-made spirits
comprise some of the craft cocktails.
More than 100 different varieties of wine
and an extensive champagne selection
are available.
Dinner begins at 5 p.m.Tuesday
through Saturday, with various times of-
fered for private functions. Valet parking
tickets will be validated.
Honors already bestowed on the Pon-
tch include"10 Best New Restaurants"
from the Detroit Free Press and Open
Table's"Top 100 Most Romantic Restau-
rants in the Country"
Ahee claimed their team is just get-
ting started.
"We want to mix it up, and every three
or four months, bring a new experience
for diners," he said."We're still a very
new restaurant and want to bring more
awareness of us to the surrounding
area:' RT

TOP OF THE PONTCH

Crowne Plaza Detroit
2 Washington Blvd.
Detroit, MI 48226
(313) 782-4313
www.topofthepontch.com
$$$$ out of $$$$

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RED IMOD I July 2015 25