Iridescence Event Space At Motorcity Casino

The kitchen treated us to an incredible Street Corn soup (absolutely delicious!), a seafood cocktail (I was tempted to lick the bowl clean), lobster tail served with three delightful sauces (vanilla, avocado, and chili), tender duck, a 45-day aged NY strip with a balsamic glaze, and a lovely filet accompanied by a cognac peppercorn sauce, plus desserts to take home! In between courses, we enjoyed amuse-bouche and palate cleansers that nicely bridged each dish. My wife was pleased, and I was in heaven! I truly can’t say enough wonderful things about this restaurant!

Neither my friend nor I had large appetites, so we decided to order drinks along with some appetizers and sides. We chose the Paloma as our drink. I had the lobster mac and cheese, while my friend ordered the Caesar side salad and a twice-baked potato. While we waited for our food, the chef sent over a taste of butternut squash soup, which paired wonderfully with the fresh bread basket. We ended up needing a takeout box for our leftovers! While we waited for our food to be packed up, we received complimentary coconut macaroons. Although I’m not a big fan of coconut, my friend absolutely loved them. The grand finale was a sample dessert plate that came out with “Happy Birthday” beautifully written on it! Overall, it was a very satisfying, enjoyable experience. I highly recommend this place; everything was amazing! Thank you!

I also highly recommend the porcini chestnut soup and the baby beet salad as starters. Unfortunately, we couldn't stay for dessert because we had to rush to the theater (which is usually my favorite part of the meal!); however, our amazing waiter packed up a generous box of macaroons for us to take home. We enjoyed them in our pajamas later that night—a very thoughtful gesture. Iridescence is on the pricier side, but it’s worth every penny for a special occasion. I suggest making an entire evening out of it with a hotel stay or a little time at the casino. Who knows, you might just hit it big on the slots and cover the cost of your meal!

A birthday is the perfect opportunity to try a restaurant that has long been on my list of must-go places. Located on the top floor of the MotorCity Casino Hotel, the restaurant is breath-taking, both in the view it offers and the overall aesthetics. With incredibly high multi-level ceiling heights and a wall of windows, every table in the restaurant felt like the best. I would imagine a high-roller feeling at home here. I loved the effervescent glass balls suspended over the dining room as if they were bubbles floating in a champagne glass. I loved the clean, open kitchen with its shiny stainless steel equipment. I loved the splendid view of Detroit with all its distinctive architecture. I loved the menu and most importantly, the quiet, seemingly effortless, and gracious service received. Iridescence offers several menu options, à la carte, prix fixe (4 courses, several choices within each), and tasting, each with their unique advantages and drawbacks. In the end, the tasting menu made the most sense. The meal started with a fantastic bread basket, golden raisin, Asiago cheese, and black olive, all served with room-temperature butter and olive oil. I typically prefer black olive bread but this time around, I really enjoyed the chewy golden raisin one, liberally covered in sesame seeds. I also had a lovely amuse-bouche as a start, a small cube of sweet potato in a fragrant and fiery curry sauce. I loved the pairing with toasted pecans. Next up was a small sliver of Big Eye Tuna on a smear of avocado mousse with thin cucumber slices. All were rather mild tasting and benefited from the citrusy/bitterness of the yuzu gelée. I appreciated the thoughtful composition here. Several small plates made up the next course. I loved the seared sea scallop on a slice of crispy, roasted pork belly, served with sweet and velvety corn pudding. The rich bites contrasted nicely with the slightly bitter radish pico de gallo. The short rib was prepared for 48-hours sous vide and was fork-tender and delicious. It worked well with the sweet mashed carrots and red wine demi-glace sauce. A baby zucchini and honeydew salad with shaved ricotta and marcona almonds was okay. I was more than full by the time this course arrived. But I had to have a few bites of the two small (really medium)-sized plates that made this course. Thank goodness I did. I enjoyed both the pan-fried branzino and the lamb ragu. I savored the branzino flavored with dill and delighted in the sweet English peas and beech mushrooms. They were so incredible that I stopped to slowly taste each mouthful of the different components. The other dish, pappardelle was served with lamb ragu and a nicely poached egg that when mixed into the pasta, added an overall richness to the dish. The main course was a medium-rare prime ribcap fillet. Well-marbled and served already sliced, the steak was juicy, tender, and flavorful. I never heard of the cut before but was impressed by its flavor and texture. It was served by a rich and intense veal red wine reduction and blistered cherry tomatoes that were simple but delicious. In addition to the tasting menu, I ordered the highly-recommended lobster mac and cheese. Large chunks of lobster meat are gently folded into the tender pasta and smothered in a thick layer of golden cheese. While I was beyond full by this point, there as a small corner of my tummy for this tempting indulgence. Dessert was a surprise. Imagine a flourless cake encased in a shiny chocolate sphere with a thick and sweet caramel sauce. It was so good and such a nice end to an amazing dinner. Service was exceptional, professional, and hospitable. The server patiently explained every dish and knowledgeably answered the numerous food questions asked. Food was efficiently whisked away and boxed and the table cloth cleared of the tiniest of crumbs between courses. Everyone contributed to a memorable experience.

Everything was perfect. To explain in a nutshell- the croutons looked so large I assumed they would be way too crunchy to eat as everyone in the restaurant would hear a crunch that loud. I was wrong they also weren't mushy and soggy feeling like croutons that have soaked in italian dressing too long. They were perfect. The most subtle of crunches on the outside and the inside is slightly moist, but nowhere near soggy. That describes the whole meal. The place isn't cheap by any means. Expect at least $50 per person but most likely more. It is worth it if you can spare the occasional extravagance. Everything we had was delicious. The short ribs were eaten without needing a knife. The sauce was plentiful and I used the excess on some of the bread. I had some pepper on my caesar salad and it was delicious. The chicken and the filet were both cooked perfectly. The wine was great. It did not pair with any of my dishes perfectly, but tasted great by itself. Dress code. You will feel a little out of place if you aren't wearing business casual. I wore jeans and a sport coat. I saw some others wearing a dress shirt and khakis. All I can say for women is business casual, but that's about as far as I can dive into women's fashion. You will need a reservation. The view probably looks best if it's a little darker out. They also have an early bird special if you get there before 630pm- 4 courses and a glass of wine for $55. I don't know if we will be back as it is expensive enough to make it a very rare treat, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone and everyone.