Executive Chef Thomas Lents debuts a revamped menu paying homage to iconic new American dishes and cocktails.
DETROIT, MI – Detroit Foundation Hotel, reopened its doors Sunday, October 4 after temporary closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The award-winning hotel located in the former Detroit Fire Department Headquarters has been credited with spurring Downtown Detroit’s revitalization and will welcome back visitors and locals with enhanced sanitation and safety protocols. The hotel’s flagship restaurant, Apparatus Room is also reopening with their beloved menu by Executive Chef Thomas Lents, encompassing new additions that celebrate the fabrics of New American cooking and Midwest classics and paying homage to some of the country’s most iconic culinary masters.
“It is our privilege to welcome back guests to Detroit Foundation Hotel and Apparatus Room,” said Philip Salud, General Manager of Detroit Foundation Hotel. “We have always been more than just a hotel, but a place for the community to come together and it is our hope to continue to be that, while keeping safety and well-being the top priority.”
Extensive sanitation protocols have been implemented to ensure the health, safety, and comfort of all guests and staff. Temperature checks will be provided upon entering the hotel for both guests and employees, while contactless check-in will be an amenity to guests. Masks will be required in all public spaces and social distancing will be enforced per state guidelines. All rooms will remain vacant for 48 hours after being thoroughly cleaned with a state-of-the-art electrostatic sprayer.
The heart of the hotel is Apparatus Room, helmed by Chef Lents. Having received multiple Michelin stars in some of the world’s best kitchens, Chef Lents’ enhanced menu continues to showcase culinary excellence and has become a staple of the Detroit Community.
“We live in an extremely fast paced and hectic world, and while this has been a challenging time for all of us, it has also allowed us time to pause and reflect and for me, that meant rethinking what we want our restaurant to be,” said Executive Chef Thomas Lents. “We are reopening Apparatus Room with thoughtful menu additions that offer a mix of modern takes to American and Midwestern classics, celebrate great seasonal ingredients of the moment and pay homage to dishes and chefs who have changed the way Americans eat at restaurants.”
Some of the menu highlights include homages like the Golden Carnaroli Risotto, paying tribute to acclaimed French-American Chef Jean Joho’s risotto dish at the Everest Restaurant in Chicago but with local summer squash, roast tomatoes, burrata, and calabrian chili and Farm Chicken “Judy Rodgers” Style, a take on the legendary dish from Zuni Cafe served on a mustard green bread salad with currants, pine nuts with a garlic confit. Modern takes on Midwestern classics include The Maurice, inspired by a Detroit classic made famous by Hudson’s Department Store.
The beverage menu takes classic cocktails and incorporates innovative twists from Detroit history to local lore and personal inspiration. The Luminous 75, an ode to French 75 with Tito’s vodka, St. Germain, Aperol, Lilet Blanc, sparkling wine, lemon and orange bitters references Thomas Edison who grew up in Michigan and whose Edison light bulbs hang over the bar.
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