Restaurant Review - Ambiance

Ambiance

Since I have been working downtown Detroit for the past four years, I have made it a point to visit as many restaurants as I can.  One of the restaurants I went to this week and would like to review is Ambiance. Ambiance is located on 211 West Congress, Detroit, MI 48226.  This is approximately two blocks from my office. Ambiance is in the basement of the Bankers Trust Building, it doubles as a restaurant in the daytime and a lounge/bar after 6 p.m.

I went with two co-workers for lunch yesterday and we tried the fried catfish entree which was served with french fries, coleslaw, and texas toast.  The fish was battered in a seasoned corn meal mixture and very crispy, I did notice the portion size of the fish was considerably small.  The coleslaw needs a revamp, it was swamped with mayonnaise and lacked flavor. The french fries were tasty and the texas toast was decent.  The chef went for presentation by adding parsley and lemon and tomatoes slice for garnish to the plate. The wait staff was pleasant and the owner came out to greet guests and assist on the floor.

As far as the menu, they have appetizers including nachos, deep fried corn, cheese sticks, battered mushrooms, jalapeno poppers,etc., your basic bar food.  For lunch entrees they have burgers, po boys, catfish, tilapia, chicken wings, etc.  I would like to see dessert added to the menu, this is a must have for any restaurant. 

I would recommend this restaurant if you are looking for decent bar food. Just be aware, if you want to use your cell phones there is absolutely no signal in this restaurant.

Food Poisoning - Not Cute!

I went out to dinner with the girls on Friday, it was me, Peggy, Sparkle, and Bertha (Nicknames).
It's one of our favorite spots for Mexican, El Patio in Farmington Hills. I pronounced Pa-tee-o, they pronounce, Pat-ee-o (Tom-ay-to, To-mat-o, whatever works for you). I have been here a few times before and enjoyed it.

I ordered a Beef Fajita Taco Salad and a side of guacamole, everyone else had Chicken Taco Salad or Chicken something. The Beef Fajita Taco Salad was very tasty, a few too many green peppers, but flavor was definitely there. The guac wasn't my favorite, but it did the job. We shared a carafe of Red Sangria, they make a decent Sangria, so I enjoyed a few glasses.

A few hours later I get home and my stomach is bubbling and cramping, then it turned really ugly, I'll spare the details.  Basically, I got food poisoning and it had me up all night on Friday and all day on Saturday. I didn't feel better until Sunday morning. 

I am going to let the restaurant know that I got food poisoning, I narrowed it down to the beef because everyone else had chicken and they were fine.  You can use your own discernment, but I personally am not going to go back to this restaurant. If you do go my advice is to AVOID THE BEEF!

Pictured below is me enjoying my glass of Sangria, and so comfortable - as you can see my friend Peggy took a picture of me in my houseshoes at the restaurant. It was one of those days where I didn't care.

The food is pretty tasty for unauthentic mexican, it's something you crave if you have a "taste" for mexican. My recommendation for good mexican is any restaurant in Mexicantown.

Food Poisoning Alert - Be Aware!!!
El Patio
39241 Grand River Avenue
Farmington, MI 48335-1532

The Best Pizza

Pizza is everybody's favorite. My recommendation for the best pizza in the Metro Detroit area is Aubree's.I have been to this restaurant several times and each time have been extremely happy. The pizza has everything that makes a pizza great - it is the crunchiness of the crust, the flavored crust - my favorite is garlic butter, and the quality of the ingredients. When everything comes together it makes this pizza the best.

In addition to the pizza, they have a great selection of other foods including pasta dishes and fish and chips. I have tried several things on the menu and will do another post about those items.

During my last visit, I shared the Dinner for two with my friend Peggy. You will have enough to take home.

Dinner For Two
Medium 1-topping pizza
Garden or Greek Salad
Aubree’s Bread 19.95

  

We added extra topping to our pizza, one half is feta and pepperoni,
the other half is spinach and feta. Just delicious! 

The greek salad is delicious with calamata olives, red onions, tomatoes, and beets, the greek dressing is very tasty.                  



The breadsticks are simply delicious, seriously, I could just eat these and be fine. Mouthwatering, chewy, garlic butter flavored! Yummy.









Aubree's Pizzeria & Tavern

20420 Haggerty Rd
Northville, MI 48167

http://www.aubrees.com/

Homemade Chicken and Dumplings

This is a comfort food that I enjoy on a cold day. One of the reasons I like this recipe is because I know I always have these ingredients available. I keep a package of chicken in the freezer and of course flour and butter are always on hand at my house.  I have made this recipe for my husband, my sister and my niece and they have all enjoyed. I hope you enjoy as well!

Ingredients
Chicken Thighs or Chicken Legs (2 1/2 - 3 pounds)

1/4 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup chopped carrots
Salt
Pepper

Garlic Powder

Seasoning Salt

Poultry Seasoning

2 Tablespoons Oil

Dumpling Ingredients

2 cups flour

1 pinch salt
1/2 cup milk

2 Tablespoons butter

(Add more or less milk, enough to make dough)

Directions

Heat oil in Large Pan
Place seasoned raw chicken and chopped onions and carrots in the pan and cook completely (about 20 minutes, test chicken).

Meanwhile:

Mix flour and salt. Work in the butter with fingertips. Gradually add the milk. Mix together.

Dust hands and cutting board with flour. Roll and flatten the dough to 1/2 inch thickness, cut in 1 inch squares.

Take chicken out of pan, remove meat from bone, return chicken meat to pot and add 4-6 cups water to make broth, season broth with more seasoning salt, garlic, pepper (season to taste). Heat to a boil.

Drop flour dumplings carefully into the hot broth and simmer the chicken and dumplings 10 minutes longer, making sure to ladle broth over the dumplings to submerge them as they cook.

Top off with a few sprinkles or sprigs of parsley or chopped green onions.

Delicious!

Best Sushi

I remember tasting Sushi for the first time several years ago. I didn't want "raw" fish, so I started with the California Roll, which is made from avocado, imitation crab meat, sushi rice and sesame seeds.

Since then, sushi is one of my ultimate favorites.  I have been to several restaurants where the sushi is not properly rolled and it ends up falling apart. When I eat sushi, I don't want the rice to overpower the sushi roll, the sushi shouldn't be too large and easily handled with chopsticks.

Out of all the restaurants that I have tried in the Metropolitan Area, I have three favorites that have the best sushi. Crave, Oslo, and Yotsuba would have to be my recommendations.
I rated them on freshness, the "sushi" experience, and taste.

Crave Lounge
22075 Michigan Avenue
Dearborn, MI 48124-2352
http://www.cravelounge.com/

Oslo
1456 Woodward
Detroit, MI 48226
http://www.oslodetroit.com/

Yotsuba
7365 Orchard Lake Road
West Bloomfield Township, MI 48322
http://www.yotsuba-restaurant.com/