Randy G.
Yelp
The newly renovated Kresge Court at the Detroit Institute of Arts opens this weekend for their grand opening. It's been recently renovated to elevate its food for small bites and evening starters in a very comfortable and beautiful atmosphere. After speaking to one of the employees, it was also designed to host your planned or impromptu meeting over coffee and an easy place to plug in and work remotely.
We were treated to a tasting for several items on their newly designed menus. They offer two menus, one during the day and the other on Friday evenings. We had items on both menus and after looking at the rest of them, there are several others that I'm looking forward to trying.
From the Friday night menu, we sampled the Artichokes and Flat Bread, Toasted Farro Salad, and Smashed Beets. The artichoke dish is served with a black olive aioli and a very thin flat brad, almost a cracker, with delicate spices. The artichokes were extremely soft and light in flavor. They are not over powering in oil or vinegar, just a nice mild flavor that matches the very subtle flavor of the black olive aioli. The aioli is made with regular black olives, not kalamata, so it's not very salty or strong. The farro salad is a healthy, vegetarian, and hearty option. It's slightly on the al dente side, having a firm texture than a soft texture as rice. My last item on the tasty triptch menu was the beets in a dill yogurt sauce. The beets were prepared well with them being soft and flavorful. They are still firm and not mushy. It's beautifully presented and the dill sauce compliments the beets well. There is a nice balance of acidity and dairy to have a smooth flavor.
On the afternoon menu, we tried the Wich Came First. It has pulled chicken, hard boiled egg, kale, tomato, and tarragon mayonnaise. The chicken was very soft and tender and cooked nicely. The hard boiled egg gives the sandwich a level of creaminess. The tarragon mayo was an excellent choice with the chicken and eggs. They use a local bread company, which was nice and fresh as well.
The review would have a sense of loss if I don't mention the setting. The Kresge Court is in this beautiful courtyard with relaxing and brand new furniture. It's better than any coffee shop you will sit in. It's designed for a light bite, but also for relaxing and reading a book, working remotely, or having a business meeting. Some off their table tops are designed with removable paper so you can take notes and then take it with you. They also have iPads available to the public on some of the high top tables. Good luck in finding any place that has a beautiful glass roof, stained glass windows around you, stunning architecture, easy listening music, and a comfortable atmosphere.