Detroit Free Press Critic Eviscerates Empire Kitchen & Cocktails in Scathing Review | Eater Detroit

"Two months after opening at the base of the Scott luxury-apartment building in Brush Park, this American-style bistro and bar was panned by Detroit Free Press critic Mark Kurlyandchik as bland, derivative and poorly executed. The walnut-paneled dining room with garage-door–style windows leans into a trendy, paint-by-numbers aesthetic, but the food and value fall short: a supposedly charred Caesar salad arrived with “stone-solid” croutons; a monkey-bread dessert had a rock‑hard exterior and raw-dough interior; and a flatbread (and later the pizza) exhibited an “almost moldy” off‑flavor. A few items—the spicy chicken sandwich and a kale salad—were singled out as acceptable, but overall the critic described the concept as a hollow echo of other Detroit restaurants that takes no risks and warned that its trite approach could be problematic if it becomes successful." - Brenna Houck