Tuna tartare at Madam in Birmingham 298 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham; 248-283-4200; daxtonhotel.com Hotel restaurants used to have a bad rep — diners were a captive audience, so management didn’t feel a need to make the food shine. Madam, on a busy downtown corner in the Daxton Hotel, appears to be reversing that disrepute. Let’s start with appetizers, the term Madam’s menu uses rather than something cuter. I couldn’t have been happier with either of the two I tried, both a shareable size. Tuna tartare is silky and matched with crunchy, spaghetti-like strands of papaya, dressed with a sweet-tart passion fruit vinaigrette. Then dots of avocado are added for more smooth richness. You might argue that that final touch was not needed — raw tuna is already smooth and rich — but chef Rece Hogerheide knew just when more was more. (Read more in our review.) —Jane Slaughter Credit: Joe Vaughn

An upcoming restaurant slated to open in Birmingham promises to be every bit as fanciful as the hotel it will soon call home.

The folks behind the forthcoming high-end Madam restaurant tell Metro Times they’re eyeing an April opening in the under-construction Daxton Hotel, though we should caution that openings have a habit of being moving targets. The pandemic has added additional unforeseen challenges to opening a new restaurant.

For Madam, owners tapped chef Garrison Price, a Midwest native who comes with more than 20 years of experience, including stints as executive chef at critically acclaimed fine-dining spots in New York City.

The menu includes items like the Venere Black Rice with wild shrimp, melted leeks, and egg yolk, as well as the Roasted Lamb Saddle served alongside black maitake and pine-smoked tea.

A rendering showing Madam’s fanciful lounge, including a geodesic dome. Credit: Courtesy of NJF PR

“Madam is going to present a fresh take on American cuisine,” Price says in a statement. “My goal is to marry the classic technique I have developed over the years working alongside luminaries in the culinary world with a focus on sustainability, seasonality, and creating a minimal footprint.”

The restaurant will seat 80 guests in its dining room, with more space in an adjacent lounge. The space is decorated with a geodesic dome that encapsulates diners in part of the room, and the walls are adorned with large paintings while a large chandelier hangs overhead.

“Madam’s menu and space speak to an effortless ability to balance whimsy and fun with a refined sensibility and worldly education,” owner Mark Mitchell says in a statement. “From the art on the walls to the art on the plate, we’ve drawn inspiration from across the globe as well as our backyard here in Birmingham.”

The 151-room Daxton Hotel is now taking bookings. It’s located at 298 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-283-4200; daxtonhotel.com.

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This article appears in Feb 24 – Mar 2, 2021.

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Leyland “Lee” DeVito is the editor in chief of Detroit Metro Times since 2016. His writing has also been published in CREEM, VICE, In These Times, and New City.

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