Detroit Foundation Hotel to reopen, Apparatus Room restaurant is open now with new menu

Melody Baetens
The Detroit News

A hip downtown hotel and its flagship restaurant have returned after temporarily closing due to COVID-19. 

The Detroit Foundation Hotel will reopen Sunday, and the Apparatus Room, headed by executive chef Thomas Lents, has its reservation books open now. This time around, the restaurant will have new dishes that tip a hat to American food icons. 

Interiors of Appartus Room including the bar, lounge area with original fire house doors, windows, glazed tile, lighting and accents by local businesses and artists in the Detroit Foundation hotel in Detroit, Michigan on May 15, 2017.

“We live in an extremely fast-paced and hectic world, and while this has been a challenging time for all of us, it has also allowed us time to pause and reflect and for me, that meant rethinking what we want our restaurant to be,” Lents said Thursday in a press release.

“We are reopening Apparatus Room with thoughtful menu additions that offer a mix of modern takes to American and Midwestern classics, celebrate great seasonal ingredients of the moment and pay homage to dishes and chefs who have changed the way Americans eat at restaurants.”

Diners can choose from dishes like the Maurice, inspired by the local classic salad, or the golden carnaroli risotto, a tribute to chef Jean Joho's risotto dish at the Everest Restaurant in Chicago. The late chef Judy Rodgers is honored with a farm chicken dish in her name, served with mustard green bread salad with currants, pine nuts and a garlic confit. 

The Apparatus Room is open for dinner Thursday-Sunday. 

This is the lobby of the Detroit Foundation Hotel.

As for the hotel, reopening Sunday, additional safety protocols will be in place, according to a statement issued Thursday. Guests and staff will be provided with a temperature check upon entry to the hotel and all rooms will remain empty for 48 hours after being thoroughly cleaned with state-of-the-art electrostatic sprayer. 

The Detroit Foundation Hotel and Apparatus Room are at 250 W. Larned in Detroit. Visit www.detroitfoundationhotel.com to book a room or make dinner reservations. 

mbaetens@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @melodybaetens