Mother’s Day at The Whitney

Whether it be your wife, daughter, mother, grandmother or just a special lady in your life - The Whitney is preparing Sunday Mother’s Day Brunch (May 9) to remember. The $32 brunch will include a variety of piping hot carving stations, a sensational salad bar, succulent shrimp cocktail, fresh fruit, delicious made to order omelets and did we mention the endless mimosas! We are almost completely sold out so be sure to call and make a reservation today!

Gone Gaga! At The Whitney This Saturday, May 1st!

Gone Gaga

An artistic Show inspired by Lady Gaga Fashion

Hosted by Jasmin Medar & Jody Haddad

DJ Mike Anthony

Join us for an intimate & exclusive evening in sophisticated style. Break the monotony and experience something new!

VIP & Info contact 248.417.8481 or info@vital2u.com

Tix: http://neptix.com/events/2429/



Courtesy of:
One Source Talent
http://www.onesourcetalent.com/

Bianchi's Salon of Royal Oak
http://www.bianchis.com/

Adam & Eve Apparel
http://www.adamandevemi.com/

Royal Dutchess
http://www.royaldutchessinc.com/

Jovan Jane
http://www.jovanjane.com/

The Annex
http://www.theannexonline.com/

---------------------
10pm - 2am || 21+

http://www.jasminmedar.com/

The Whitney Prepares for Detroit Restaurant Week

The inaugural Detroit Restaurant Week in September of last year served-up 17 of the city’s finest dining establishments on a silver platter and more than 27,000 diners from across Southeast Michigan and Windsor responded by filling their reservation ledgers.

Due to the overwhelming success of the first Detroit Restaurant Week, Restaurant Week returns this spring, April 16-25. Diners will once again receive a three-course dinner for the unusually low price of $27 per person (exclusive of beverage, tax and gratuity) at each participating restaurant. The Whitney, Detroit’s iconic restaurant in a Woodward Avenue mansion, will again participate by offering the following menu selections. Diners can choose one item from each section.

Starters
· Lobster Bisque
· Short Rib (Braised Beef, Cheddar Bacon Grits, Spinach, Tomato Chutney)
· Bruschetta (Breaded Eggplant, Tomato, Basil, Garlic, Olive Oil, Balsamic Reduction)
· Roasted Beet Salad (Mixed Greens, Haricot Vert, Goat Cheese, Crispy Potatoes, Pancetta and Truffle Vinaigrette)

Entrées
· Gnocchi (Ricotta Gnocchi, Caramelized Onions, Tomato, Spinach, Maidera Sauce)
· Filet (Slow Cooked Cabbage, Baby Carrots, Fingerling Potato Salad, Natural Jus)
· Whitefish (Celery Root Puree, Ratatouille, Tapenade Beurre Blanc)
· Chicken (Spring Peas, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Savory Bread Pudding, Carrot Chips, Natural Jus)

Desserts
· Pavlova (French Meringue, Whipped Cream, Fresh Fruit)
· Chocolate Mousse (Dark Chocolate Mousse with Fresh Berries)




We hope to see you for a great meal here at The Whitney!

The Easter Bunny Comes to MidTown

The Easter Bunny will be making a special stop at The Whitney on Easter Sunday (April 4) and will be digging through his Easter basket to hand out candy to all the boys and girls who grace the halls of the iconic restaurant.

Easter Brunch, one of The Whitney’s signature offerings, will be available by reservation from 10:30am through 3:00pm. Guests will enjoy two carving stations (ham and roast beef), omelets, salmon, chicken, shrimp cocktail, grits, bacon, a salad station, and pastries galore while listening to the melodies of a live pianist in the Great Hall.

Adults are $32 per person; kids between the ages of 7 and 12 are $12.95, and children six and under are FREE. And don’t forget the price includes The Whitney’s famous “bottomless mimosas” (for adults 21 and over).

Flowers are Taking Bloom at The Whitney

Even though spring is less than 24 hours away (tomorrow at 1:32pm), The Whitney already has flowers taking bloom. BIG flowers. With some creative help from The Parade Company (the same crew that created the Whitney’s Valentine’s Day heart) The Whitney now has a handful of gorgeous yellow and red tulips in its front yard- SEVEN FOOT TALL tulips to be exact!

“Soon after we showcased the heart for Valentine’s Day we realized that we needed to start thinking of something for spring. An Easter bunny…no; an umbrella for April’s showers…no; May’s flowers…YES! This city and everyone in it needs some sign of spring and sunshine,” said proprietor Bud Liebler. “So that’s exactly what we’re giving them…a reason to smile when they stop in or pass by The Whitney and take a gander at those gorgeous big tulips. Spring is here. That means The Whitney gardens can’t be far behind.”

St. Patrick’s Day Comes to The Whitney!

Your name doesn’t have to start with an “O” or a “Mc” and you don’t have to be wearin’ a green shamrock in your hair to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at The Whitney. For the first time ever, The Whitney, Detroit’s iconic Midtown restaurant, will officially celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with four days of special Irish dishes on its menu and live Irish music inside the Woodward Avenue mansion each evening.

From March 17 through March 20, The Whitney’s lunch and dinner menus will feature several selections of traditional Irish cuisine, each with a special Whitney twist. The Whitney’s signature menu items will also be available. Irish coffee, Irish beers and classic Irish Black and Tans with Guinness and Bass Ale will also be offered.

The Whitney Scores 5 out 5 Stars from Associated Content.com

Sarah Sichman’s experience is one to remember, “The inventive and tasty dishes, superior service and great atmosphere make this restaurant absolutely first-class. If you're in the area, it's a dining experience not to be missed.”

Read more here: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2698433/review_the_whitney_restaurant_in_detroit.html?cat=22

Fuego Thursdays!

Thursday nights at The Whitney are heating up fast with “Fuego Thursdays”. What may you ask are Fuego Thursdays? Tonight kicks off the first of the series where guests to The Whitney can take Salsa dancing lessons from 8:30-9:30 p.m. for FREE. That’s right, we said for FREE. But wait there is more…tonight will be Salsa, but next week might be Meringue and the week after that…who knows! The Whitney will feature $5 Mojitos and Margaritas all night long and an open dance floor will follow after lessons. Come in and dance the night away with us.

The Whitney Gears Up for Valentine’s Day

The big red heart outside Detroit’s “Most Romantic” restaurant, tells it all (thanks to our talented friends at The Parade Company). Valentine’s Day is coming and we are gearing up for one of the restaurant’s busiest weekends of the year, a time (and a place) when young love blooms, old love shines, engagements are made and cupid earns his keep.

With romance in the air, we are planning for a busy Valentine’s Day weekend throughout the 52-room Woodward Avenue mansion. Four course dinners, accompanied by fresh roses, chocolate-dipped strawberries and champagne are the centerpiece of the weekend which will also feature live entertainment by The Coachmen, one of Metro Detroit’s best known Jazz and Blues bands which will be performing on Friday and Saturday nights in the popular third floor Ghostbar. On Sunday, Valentine’s Day itself, a harpist will perform during brunch and the Coachmen will entertain dinner guests.

We will offer dinner seating reservations on the half hour starting at 5:00pm through 9:30pm throughout the weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). Dinner is $58 per person (plus tax and gratuity), while Valentine’s Day Sunday Brunch (11am – 2:30pm) is $29 per person (plus tax and gratuity). Make a reservation today! We can’t wait to welcome you and your special someone.

A Bit of Good News from The Whitney

(drum roll, please)…. The Whitney increased revenue in 2009 versus 2008 by a healthy 9%! We know that the economy is still tough, but we were thrilled to see such a meaningful increase during such a difficult year. We want to thank all of our patrons who contributed to our success in 2009. We understand that Detroiters are stretching their entertainment dollars further, and are looking for meals and experiences that are truly memorable. Our fabulous food, stunning atmosphere and authentic Detroit venue in the heart of MidTown, all at affordable prices seems to be resonating with our guests. Thank you, thank you. We look forward to seeing you again in 2010!

Chef Dan Maurer Hits the Spotlight!

With dreadlocks cascading down his back (but wrapped in a tight bun while in the kitchen) and tattoos decorating the length of his arms, Executive Chef Dan Maurer has stepped out into the spotlight with his wit, personality, down-to-earth manner and his distinguished skill in the kitchen.

Ryan Hooper, a well-known blogger, recently interviewed Maurer. As a result of this one blog post, Maurer woke up the next morning with several messages from reporters, radio stations and people genuinely interested in learning more about him. Here are some clips from the blog.


“Maurer’s interest in cooking would slowly bloom … as he went from washing dishes to working the line. But Maurer’s interest wouldn’t truly be peeked in the culinary arts until Chef Brian Brenner took over D’Amato’s. “I remember the way he taught me how to sauté a specific bell pepper in a specific way by caramelizing sugar in the pan first and then throwing in the pepper … hitting it with a little vinegar. It was a real simple thing … but immediately, I figured out that this is what I wanted to do — being a chef is what I wanted to do.” Brenner would move onto Fiddlehead’s and Maurer was quick to follow. Brenner would later take the executive chef position at Bayview Yacht Club and Maurer’s mentor, Tim Voss, would step in.

“Voss … opened up Tribute and ran Forte for almost a decade,” says Maurer. “When he came into the picture, he blew my mind. He took me from enjoying it to craving it. Every day, I learned more under him than I had in the five or six years I had spent cooking. He was my most important teacher. Most importantly, he taught delegation — the importance of spreading around responsibilities in the kitchen to alleviate stress and make the kitchen fun. Keeping trust among your staff is one of the most important things of being a chef.”

“Every chef I’ve worked under has taught me 90 different ways to cook a button mushroom,” laughs Maurer. “What makes me unique is mixing all the techniques I’ve learned into my own style and letting it develop. I chose to isolate myself from the pop culture culinary world. I never want to follow what someone else is doing." And, in that sense, Maurer is truly changing the culture at the Whitney from the kitchen up. He’s even lightening up the formerly the intimidating nature of the Whitney by trying to get his friends to come sample his foodie passions rather than taking on some “bigger fight or greater cause.”

“I will always bend my style for the customer – particularly for Michigan customers –which is a basic rule of being a chef. In a place like Detroit , if you make something too fancy they won’t get it – they’ll be enjoying it for the ridiculous amount of money they dropped, a sort of obligation to liking it simply because they paid so much. I never dumb my food down, but I do think about who is eating it and why they come to a place like The Whitney.”

For more of this article, visit http:
www.frank151.com/blog/2010/01/0/kitchen_culture_the_whitneys_dan_maurer

As mentioned before, this article sparked interest throughout the media. Just this week, Detroit Public Radio featured Maurer, Mosaic’s Executive Chef Tim Voss and D’Amato’s Executive Chef Myles McVay on the Craig Fahle Show.

There are sure to be more appearances by our own Chef Dan Maurer, so keep listening and we’ll bring you the latest. You can also book a reservation and meet the man himself as he wines and dines you with his amazing cuisine.

Goodbye 2009, Hello 2010!

As we wrap up another year here at The Whitney, I would like to take a minute to remember some great times had at the restaurant over the past 12 months.

This year was the first year for our Motown Mimosa Brunch on Sundays which turned out to be a huge success. Guests enjoyed the musical stylings of Detroit's classic Motown artists, bottomless mimosas and fabulous food prepared by The Whitney's chefs.
Our brunch attendance jumped from 40 per Sunday to over 100 on average with the introduction to the Motown sound.

It was also a successful year for our Pre Theatre Menu and DSO Package (these are still offered throughout the winter). The Pre Theatre is a four-course menu offered at a fixed price of $45 per person and can be enjoyed before your show. The DSO Package includes two floor seats to a DSO show of your choosing and dinner for two with us, all for just $180! Thank you all who took advantage of these great deals over the year!
If you were around during the summer, you would remember our "oasis in the city" a.k.a garden patio. We hosted Rain or Shine Happy Hour, Twilight Tuesdays, Thursday's 89x Garden Parties, and Detroit's premiere DJ's on the weekends. Whether rocking out to the 89x bands or dancing into the night on Tuesdays with DJ Capnt 20, the garden was the hottest place to be this summer (as I type this, I am looking out the window at the furious blizzard and wishing that it was summer in the garden).

We also had the opportunity to host fundraising events here at the mansion. Early in the year we hosted several current Channel 56 donors as well as a number of key prospects for the station. Then in September we kicked off our “Flora’s Tea Room” service with an event featuring Mr. Song Millinery, the world-famed designer of the “Aretha” hat from President Obama’s Inauguration. Mr. Song’s "Day of Fashion" at the mansion in September was a great success with beautiful women in beautiful chapeaux, all for the benefit of Susan G. Komen for The Cure. The day was split into two events: a high tea debuting the launch of The Whitney's High Tea service and a cocktail garden event in the evening, both featured a fashion show by Mr. Song. Fashionable hats were encouraged and definitely represented!

Another successful fundraiser was a special Sunday Brunch for the Michigan Opera Theatre in October which raised over $7,000 for Michigan’s premier opera company.

And we have one more benefit to go – this Thursday evening’s New Year’s Eve celebration featuring members of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra plus “The People’s Choice” band, a popular, upbeat band that will rock loose around the midnight hour.Proceeds from the New Year’s Eve gala, which will feature three individual dinner seatings as well as an exclusive “after party,” will go to the DSO.

There have so been many good times spent here over the past year, (including more than 30 weddings which took advantage of the mansion’s opulent settings and surroundings!), and just this last month of holiday cheer has been our best yet. We have been jammed packed every week with Detroiters and visiting out-of-towners looking to celebrate the wintery season. We had the opportunity to welcome a bunch of new faces into the restaurant and hopefully they were surprised and delighted by their experiences here and will come back soon.

We now go into the New Year with hopes of having another successful one. Speaking for all of us here at The Whitney, we wish you and your family all the very best this holiday season and a New Year full of only good and positive things!

People are talking and they are saying some great things about The Whitney. Don't want to be left out? Search The Whitney at www.opentable.com and post your reviews. We appreciate all your comments!

"I have been to The Whitney twice within the past 2 months for dinner. I love this place. It was quiet, the food and service was awesome and the entire staff are warm and friendly. The place has lots of history and the staff love talking about it. Don't miss this place if you have the opportunity to dine there."

"The Whitney is a gem that truly shines, especially during the holiday season. The beauty of the architecture transports you back to a time of elegance as soon as you open the doors. The grand staircase is particularly gorgeous when festooned with garland, and you expect your dining experience to be grand based on the immediate ambiance. Our food was a delight to the eye, exceptionally well presented, and prepared to perfection. The atmosphere was both festive and romantic, truly a perfect evening."

"Waitress was amazing-very attentive and friendly."

"I was already impressed after the soup!!!"

"The Whitney is always an amazing experience every time I go, and this time was no exception."

"Overall we were very pleased with out dining experience. The ambiance is beautiful and the food was scrumptious. The Whitney provides a very romantic setting perfect for that special occasion."

"Everything was wonderful- like a dream. Waiter "Ruis" was excellent. Highly recommend this for special occasions"

"Was looking forward to this experience and chose it as part of my wife's 30th Birthday celebration. The Whitney definitely did not disappoint! The service was excellent. From confirmation calls for my reservation to them even ensuring that the flowers that I ordered were in fact delivered on time. Perfect romantic setting and ambiance for the occasion. I earned many "cool points" with the misses. Thanks Whitney!!!"

"This was a wonderful experience for us! We will return in the future."

"Gorgeous restaurant and good service. After dinner walk around the whole mansion to see the three historical floors. Probably would be a good place for a small wedding reception."

"Wonderful setting, great food, and a marvelous wait staff that are very knowledgeable about the restaurant."

"Place has lots of character; charming and romantic. Food was very good. Weeknight PrefixedHarvest Menu is a steal."

New Years Eve Diner Menu

Wondering what kind of delicious menu we have lined up for New Years Eve?? Well here it is!

First Course

Caprese

Tomato, Buffalo Mozzarella, Basil, Balsamic Vinaigrette

Roasted Beet

Mixed Greens, Haricot Vert, Goat Cheese, Crispy Potatoes, Pancetta and Truffle Vinaigrette

Second Course

Soup

Smoked Tomato Bisque, Blue Cheese Cracker

Crab Cake

Wonton Chips, Roasted Corn Salsa, Avocado Cream

Short Rib

Braised Beef, Cheddar Grits, Spinach, Tomato Chutney

Third Course

Salmon

Spinach, Bacon and Gruyere Quiche, Herbed Tomato Galette, Beurre Blanc

Sea Scallops

Sunchoke Puree, Braised Brussels Sprouts, Tomato and Lemongrass Chutney, Balsamic

Risotto

Butternut Squash, Leeks, Fennel, Wild Mushrooms

Fourth Course

Lamb

Braised Shank, Parsnip Puree, Creamed Mushroom, Haricot Vert, Crispy Leek

Filet

Japanese Pumpkin Tart, Chanterelles, Cranberry Beet Chutney, Bourbon Demi

Gnocchi

Mushrooms, Spinach, Grape Tomatoes, Madeira Cream Sauce

Fifth Course

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Chocolate Mousse

Whitney Carrot Cake

Don't forget to make your reservations today!!

Ring in the New Year with The DSO at The Whitney

10, 9, 8, 7…HAPPY NEW YEAR!! This year, The Whitney will partner with The Detroit Symphony Orchestra for a very special night of great food and fabulous music provided by musicians of the DSO. A portion of the proceeds will benefit one of Detroit’s most treasured cultural organizations: the DSO!

Dinner service for the night will include a four-course menu with wine-pairings and will be offered at three separate times (5p.m., 7p.m., and 9p.m.). If you’re looking to celebrate the midnight hour with dancing and a traditional New Year countdown, stay for the elegant after party that will take place throughout The Whitney mansion after the 9p.m. seating. The countdown to midnight will be displayed on The Ghostbar’s plasma TV’s and passed hor d’oeuvres, a premium bar and musical entertainment will be offered to party-goers.

WHAT
Four-course Meal
Wine-pairing
Formal Attire (Black Tie Optional)
Dancing & Live Music by the DSO (Three floors of music – various styles)

WHEN
· Dinner @ 5p.m., 7p.m., and 9p.m.
· Beyond Dinner the Party Continues 10:30p.m-4a.m.

PRICING
Dinner - $100 per person
Dinner & Party - $150 (9p.m. seating ONLY)
Party ONLY - $65

BENEFIT
20% of proceeds donated to the DSO

RSVP Now!!!