With the name “Rugby Grille” I would assume that this place is casual, but because I’ve heard about it from others I knew it was more upscale.
You walk into this place and feel like you’ve been transported to one of the more elegant places in the 1930’s. The old school elegant vibe was perfect. Everyone who works here was pleasant, the hostess who took my coat really set the mood for a superb experience. I felt like I knew her forever because of the warmth she radiated. I usually wait until I’ve been to a restaurant at least twice to review it but this one… I couldn’t wait to talk about.
It is a surprise I haven’t been here sooner. I’m guessing because it’s located inside of a hotel and for that reason it never stood out to me. But now I know it is definitely worth more of my attention.
Service was amazingly attentive. When we initially ordered a robust Malbec to ensure that this wine selection wouldn’t over power the dover sole. A lighter wine was suggested and we made a decision to go with the waiters recommendation of a Beaujolais. Love that our waiter, Montgomery, was intuitive and a pleasure to speak with during our dinner.
The Amuse-busche which was basically a “deconstructed” caprese salad as a waiter explained.
Due to the cold, coollld weather, chicken noodle soup called my name from the menu and I could not have been happier to see the piping hot bowl of soup come out. This soup was made with string like noodles, while I was expecting a thick noodle being different doesn’t mean it was bad.
I ordered The Faroe Island salmon. The butternut squash puree was my favorite part of this dish. The sweet underlining puree in this dish created a unique spin. The flavor combination left me only wishing I had more of this butternut squash puree.
It was super tough to save room for dessert with my entree being so fantastic. But I do not give up and if there is a will there is a way. Ordering an expresso while deciding on a dessert gave me an extra motivation to pursue dessert. With this espresso a side of rock candy is served to sweeten the beverage. Rock candy is something I enjoyed as a child because my favorite museum had it in the gift shop. So I always concluded the visit with one. Basically seeing rock candy brighten my night.
The apple tart and a glass of port was dessert. The apple tart is a light dessert. I would still recommend sharing if you order an appetizer and entree because between the two of us we still didn’t finish it.
https://www.townsendhotel.com/fine-dining/rugby-grille-bar-restaurant-metro-detroit-michigan/dinner-menu
