Located on the top floor of the tallest building in Michigan is a restaurant with one of the best views in all of Detroit, Highlands.
This iconic location used to be the site of Coach Insignia, until Chef Shawn McClain took it over.
The former winner of Iron Chef moved to Michigan when he and his wife, a Michigan native, had their two daughters. He has opened several restaurants across the U.S., including many in Vegas, but he always wanted to open one in Detroit after seeing the city’s resurgence. When Coach Insignia closed, he had the perfect location to launch his own concept.
He gave the interior an update, hiring the Rockwell Group out of New York to give it a chic Mad Man-esc vibe. Warm jewel tones on plush mid-century modern seats greet you when you first come out of the elevator. Gold fixtures and lighting with rich wood accents add to the ambiance.
The menu is elevated as well, to match the views. While they started off with an a la carte menu, they are now doing a 3-course prix fixe menu with several options for each course. For the first course try their wagyu beef tartare with a creamy, smoked egg, red wine pickled onions, and served with sourdough toast finished with marrow butter. Don’t miss the baked Crescenza ravioli filled with creamy rich cheese and truffles, drizzled with warm brown butter tableside. If you are a fan of seafood, check out the seared sea scallops for the third course. They are served with braised oxtail, charred broccoli, and hen of the woods mushrooms and drizzled with a sweet onion foie gras jus.
They also have add-on shareable dishes like Chef Shawn’s signature foie gras brûlée, a rich, savory twist on the French dessert. If you are in the mood for steak, you must check out their steak book, where they have their premium steak offerings. Their in-house butcher is in charge of their 6 aging cabinets, where they dry age a rotating list of steaks.
Highlands offers 3-hour validated parking in the Beaubien parking structure next to the GM Renaissance Center. Access to the restaurant can be found on the third floor, inside the Marriot hotel.
For their New Years’ Eve Celebration details watch the full video above or visit their website.