Whitney Chef will make Cuisine his own

Source: Detroit News
Paul Grosz had already written a menu for the new restaurant he’ll open next month. And then he took a trip to San Francisco, Chicago and New York. What he found in those stellar restaurant cities inspired him to tear up that original bill of fare and start all over again. The clean, less ornate plate presentation and the emphasis on letting rich, natural flavors come through made him take another look at his plans. In it’s most recent incarnation, it was Il Centro, an Italian restaurant that was around for almost exactly the same length of time Grosz spent at the Whitney. He says opening his own restaurant is the culmination of a lifelong dream.

With his brother Rick as his only partner (and no orthodontists or tax attorneys who’ve always wanted to own a restaurant) Grosz has remarkable freedom to do what he wants. His plan is to serve dinner only for the first few months, with lunch to be added in the fall.

First order of business will be to transform what he calls the rustic Italian look that fit the pastas and bruschettas of Il Centro, he’ll go for something much more contemporary to compliment his menu of upscale dishes that includes some emphasis on his classical French training. Along with Huntington Woods designer Ronald Edwards, whose experience includes redoing old buildings into lofts, he plans to strip away the excess trimmings but save the woodwork and the character of the old structure.

“We’ll re-do floors, get new chairs, new lights,” says Grosz, who likes a clean, crisp look softened with white linens.

While traveling last month, Grosz says that he was impressed not only by what the top chefs were putting on the plates but even more so by the attitude of the ordinary people he encountered in those cities.

“They are so proud of their restaurants. Cab drivers know about wines, about restaurants. They can tell you what’s on the menu,” he says. “I want to bring that here. I want people to be proud of our restaurants.”

What might be some typical dishes served at Cuisine? Grosz mentions an appetizer he calls the French Breakfast - a brioche with smoked salmon, a quail egg sunny-side up, and some osetra caviar over French green lentils. And quail stuffed with foie gras - “I love working with quail” - and vegetarian Nicoise salad without the tuna. He also plans to serve a lot of fresh seafood as well. Bread will come from his favorite Avalon bakery in the Cass Corridor.

Target date for the opening of Cuisine is mid-June.

Meanwhile, chef Keith Supian has seamlessly taken over Grosz’ duties in the kitchen at the Whitney. After working with his predecessor for two years, and prior to that, at Van Dyke Place for many years until it closes, Supian is well qualified for the top job.
Source: Detroit News