Selden Standard Detroit

The first weekend in April, Mom, Dad, and I met our friends Art and Jessica at Selden Standard, one of Detroit’s hottest restaurants.

Since it was April you would think it would have at least been a reasonably nice day.  But no, it was gross and snowy and cold.  Still we proceeded with our plans and were so glad.

Art and Jessica are always fun, and Selden Standard certainly impressed.  It was bustling from the moment we walked in the door.  The main room is bright and loud with tables and the bar.  In the back is the open kitchen where we visited the chef Andy Hollyday at the end of our meal.  He is super nice and clearly super talented.

We were led to the separate dining room in the restaurant, which we enjoyed because it was quieter, though a little dark.  The décor is sparse, which we didn’t mind, but the one complaint we had was that the metal chairs are so hard.  By the end of the meal, we were very uncomfortable and couldn’t wait to get up.

The waitress Jocelyn was friendly and knowledgeable.  She answered all of our questions about the food and the restaurant.

But the food was the real star here and will bring us back again and again.  We all started with appetizers.  The vegetable carpaccio, kale and date salad, roasted broccoli, smoked potato, and chorizo were devoured.

I was so excited to try the smoked potato with raclette and it did not disappoint.  The vegetable carpaccio was my favorite.  Light and bright it featured carrots, radishes, and beets.  I don’t even like beets, but these were outstanding.  The kale salad was also a hit with roasted dates and Marcona almonds.

Swordfish, short rib ragu pasta, polenta with mushrooms, squid fried rice, and quail were our entrees.  Again, they were all hits.  I had the swordfish and loved the flavor of the grill, the crispy, almost charred exterior of the sweet potatoes, the green curry sauce, and the crispy onions on top.  I did have an odd piece of bloodline, but really, the dish was outstanding.

I also tasted Jessica’s quail.  Neither of us had ever had quail and remarked at how tender and flavorful it was.  I tried polenta for the first time as well.  That was Dad’s entrée.  It was silky smooth and the sweet-tart flavor from the balsamic was such an interesting pairing.

Something I noticed throughout several of our appetizers and entrees was the use of herbs, particularly mint.  I love using fresh herbs in my own kitchen, but find most restaurants shy away from them.  Here they added so much flavor to the dishes and made me fall in love with mint, an herb I don’t often use.

Finally, it was time for dessert.  Jessica and Art and Mom and I each ordered the Pineapple Coconut Sundae.  While delicious, there was something about it that wasn’t quite balanced; it seemed just slightly too sweet.

Dad ordered the Chai Spiced Ice Cream Sandwich.  We debated over ordering this since the waitress said she loved it but customers were mixed on their enjoyment of it.  It happens to be vegan and is full of nuts, dried fruit, and spices.  Apparently Dad was feeling adventurous, and I’m certainly glad he was, because it was amazing.  I would have eaten the whole thing, but don’t worry I left him a couple bites 😉

I’m so impressed with Selden Standard from start to finish.  I can’t wait to go back and check out some more offerings on the ever changing menu.