Our Enchanted Dinner at Iridescence Inside Motor City Casino Hotel

Recently we were invited by Motor City Casino Hotel in Detroit to dine at Iridescence, the only AAA 4 Diamond Award-winning restaurant in Detroit. You know we love an adventure, so we accepted the invitation! (Thank you to the fantastic staff of Motor City Casino & Hotel for this sponsored opportunity to experience Iridescence.)

We have stayed at Motor City Casino Hotel before and have shared our experience with you, but we have never dined at Iridescence. We were excited to try their newly revamped menu. We decided to stay the night at the hotel and make a little mini getaway out of it. Once we checked in we donned our “dress up” attire and headed out the door.

Iridescence is located on the 16th floor of the hotel. When we arrived, we were awestruck with the view. It was simply amazing, as you can see:

As part of a small group of Michigan bloggers partaking in the event we were treated to a welcome reception in the wine room. Tempting treats were served along with sparkling wine. We loved how the wine bottles were displayed within the room, including the rotating wine bottle wall.

At the reception we met the executive chef Nicholas Geftos, who explained the items on the variety platters. Chef Geftos is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in Las Vegas. It was obvious to see his passion for the restaurant and perspective on food in the short time we visited with him.

Our waitress, Bao greeted us once seated and we ordered a couple of signature cocktails and an appetizer to start. Bao was so helpful in guiding us in our decisions; she recommended the Cherry cocktail and it was simply delicious. I’ve never drank bourbon before and this cocktail used cherry infused bourbon with their house made sour; it was divine. Jim opted for the MotorCity Mule which he enjoyed as well.

I opted for the Hudson Canyon Scallops appetizer and Jim chose the Crab Cake.

Bao had said that their crab cakes were one of the favorites at Iridescence and it was easy to see why.

After carefully perusing the menu, which by the way is presented on an interactive iPad so you can view photos of the items as well as read the descriptions, we ordered our salads and entrees. It was so hard to choose; I was wavering between the Miso Marinated Alaskan Black Cod and a steak. I decided on the cod with a wedge salad. Jim had a hard time deciding between the Ora King Salmon and the Prime Ribeye. Bao recommended he try the steak as they dry age their prime beef which she said gave it a truly unique taste. He opted for the ribeye and a Greek salad.

The salads were so pretty – it was hard to dive in. Aren’t they inviting?

Dining at Iridescence restaurant was relaxing and special; we do not customarily find ourselves at restaurants like Iridescence. It was easy to see that all of the diners within the restaurant were enjoying the experience of Iridescence. Obviously the management places a high priority on employing a very capable team to care for the guests. Enjoying the tempting cocktails and delicious food along with the breathtaking view of Detroit was magical.

We felt so comfortable, so relaxed. Honestly I was a bit nervous about fitting in before we arrived but within minutes of arrival that feeling was gone. The entire team at Iridescence did a fantastic job of making us feel welcomed and at ease. There was nothing pretentious about the evening; Bao did an excellent job of explaining items on the menu and listening to our likes and dislikes before offering her expert opinion and recommendations. We truly appreciated that, and could see that other wait staff were just as engaging with their customers within the restaurant.

When our dinners arrived, we were both so pleased with our choices.

Here is my Miso Marinated Alaskan Black Cod

And this was Jim’s amazing Prime Ribeye (with a side of Oscar sauce).

We also were treated to a side of their delectable Lobster Mac & Cheese, another dinner guest favorite. It was easy to see why; look at this melty cheesy goodness:

The time passed so quickly as we relaxed and enjoyed the dining experience. It had been a very long time since we had stopped and just enjoyed each other over a delectable dinner.

As guests of Iridescence we were encouraged to try a variety of options while dining, including dessert. Since we had already experienced appetizers, salads, cocktails, our entree and side dish it was a real struggle to decide on dessert. We had already boxed up remnants of the appetizers and our entrees (along with the mac and cheese) because we were feeling full. We nearly opted to skip dessert but as we enjoyed another cocktail (I went with the Cherry again because it was simply to-die-for delicious) and let our food “settle” as my Gran used to say, we watched amazing desserts being brought out from the kitchen. They were incredibly tempting so we went for it!

Diners close by had chosen an intriguing chocolate sphere that seemed to cause quite a stir nearby. We chose that dessert, the Melting Chocolate Sphere. When it arrived at the table Bao completed the presentation it was easy to see why this dessert was garnering oohs and aahs.

We left Iridescence incredibly full, but what left more of an impression on both of us was how special the evening was. It was a dining experience, a truly  memorable dinner that doesn’t happen very often (at least in our lives). Every aspect of dining at Iridescence was a pleasure. We would highly recommend Iridescence if you are looking for a place to have a special dinner, to celebrate and enjoy a dining experience. We are already planning to return for our wedding anniversary. Trust us, you will not be disappointed!

In case you are curious, you do not have to be a hotel guest to dine at Iridescence. The restaurant is closed Monday and Tuesday, open from 5pm to 10pm Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. On Friday and Saturday hours are extended until 11pm. You can make online reservations also.

If you want to explore the menu at Iridescence or the wine list, the website has a wealth of information.

Thank you to the fantastic staff of Motor City Casino & Hotel for this sponsored opportunity to experience Iridescence.