Steaking a Claim

Prime beef is back in a big way

Detroit is in the midst of a revamping, reopening, and resurgence of steakhouses. With new restaurants across the city and old favorites getting a facelift, proprietors are finding ways to differentiate themselves, catering to the tastes of an expanding customer base while paying homage to classic American steakhouse roots.

Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse, the newest beef emporium to dot Birmingham鈥檚 map, has already set a precedent for appealing to the local crowd. Although the Birmingham location is one of several Hyde Park locations by an Ohio-based group, each restaurant offers a menu tailored to its geographical location. In Birmingham this includes a 鈥渓ocal favorites鈥 portion of the menu as well as a steak menu with traditional and specialty options.

Prime29 offers steaks aged for 29 days, thus its title, and also offers an extensive selection of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options that earlier restaurateurs would never have considered. The West Bloomfield spot emphasizes service and a handsomely contemporary setting.

Detroit Prime has joined the ranks with its own spin on the classic American steakhouse menu. The Farmington Hills restaurant was designed as a tribute to 1940s Detroit, with menu items from Faygo root beer braised short ribs to an inclusive list of Detroit microbrews and a setting that features Detroit memorabilia from the Detroit Tigers to Bob-Lo boats. Like Prime29, it also offers some interesting vegetarian options.

Although Michael Mina鈥檚 Bourbon Steak closed after serving the MGM Detroit Grand for five years, Wolfgang Puck Steak has already stepped in, ushering in the new age of modern steakhouses in the city.

罢谤辞测鈥檚 Ocean Prime brings a modern supper club feel to the steakhouse scene, with updated classic sides, including an extensive list of potato options鈥攆rom truffled French fries to lobster mashed potatoes. A variety of fresh seafood options expands the steak selection.

The former Andiamo Italia restaurants in Bloomfield Township, Dearborn, and Warren have a new name鈥Joe Vicari鈥檚 Andiamo Italian Steakhouse鈥攅mphasizing steaks while continuing to offer the authentic Italian dishes that put them on the map in the first place.

The London Chop House looks better than ever in its refreshed cellar setting while the vintage charm has been retained. The new proprietors have created a destination for those who remember the restaurant鈥檚 former glory and also for those looking toward the future of the city. While the menu has been modernized, it also has steakhouse classics such as steak tartare and oysters Rockefeller.

Consider the enduring success of the venerable Clawson Steak House, which has held court in the same location for 50 years, or Kiernan鈥檚, a decades-old Dearborn mainstay. And we can鈥檛 forget such prime players as Big Rock Chophouse, Cameron鈥檚 Steakhouse, and No. VI Chop House, along with Morton鈥檚 The Steakhouse, and Ruth鈥檚 Chris Steak House.

Other establishments not exactly considered as traditional 鈥渟teakhouses鈥 have found success over the years through evolving menus, wine lists, and service. Grosse Pointe neighborhood eatery City Kitchen serves up certified Angus beef鈥攊ncluding New York strip, beef tenderloin filet, and tournedos鈥攖o go along with their seafood and hearth-fired pizzas. Meanwhile, Gaucho Brazilian Steakhouse puts its own 鈥渟kewered鈥 twist on the steak, with servers bringing an array of meats to the tables in an endless procession.

Fiamma Grille in Plymouth distinguishes itself with a menu that changes according to the season. Like the up-and-coming steakhouses in town, this one offers gluten free and vegetarian options, along with a Wine Spectator 鈥淎ward of Excellence鈥 wine list.

Fleming鈥檚 Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar doesn鈥檛 stop at steakhouse. Both Birmingham and Livonia locations offer an array of seafood and chicken dishes. The most recent change, however, is in the cocktail menu. While Fleming鈥檚 continues to provide a list of one hundred wines by the glass, the newest addition is a sampling of cocktails, wines, and appetizers each night.

Michael Symon鈥檚 Roast, in downtown鈥檚 Westin Book Cadillac, is an unabashedly all-American steakhouse showing a shift in the status quo with 鈥渁 beer list for the wine enthusiast.鈥 As more microbreweries pop up across the country, Michigan remains high on the list of breweries per capita. Roast stocks local and international beers alike, including seasonal selections on tap.

The great American steakhouse 鈥攚hether classic or contemporary 鈥 is alive and well in metro Detroit.