Molly Abraham: Review

Cliff Bell's brings old Detroit back to life in a tasty way

Even if the brief menu were not as appealing as it is, I'd probably give Cliff Bell's a multi-star rating just on the basis of historic preservation.

The downtown club that had its heyday from 1935 through the '40s is a classic piece of old Detroit. And though a few people tried to revive it from time to time after its glory days, it had been sitting there forlornly empty for more than 20 years when current proprietors Paul Howard, Carolyn Howard and Scott Lowell brought it back to life a couple of years ago.

The coved ceilings finished to look like burnished mahogany, and the original scarred wood bar top on the U-shaped bar that centers the room are as much focal points as the bandstand -- it was the dance floor in the old days, so no wonder it looks big enough to house a production of "The Fantasticks."

You just can't help but look around the softly lit room and admire its Art Deco style.

When it first opened a couple of years ago, Cliff Bell's offered just entertainment and liquor, with food brought in from a little place around the corner if anyone got hungry.

Early this year, the proprietors added a kitchen, signed up executive chef Matt Baldridge and became a full-fledged restaurant as well as a nightclub.

The eclectic menu is just right in length and scope with emphasis on sharable dishes, such as mussels steamed with fennel and garlic, oysters Rockefeller and chicken drumsticks, as well as some vintage choices like frogs legs, shrimp and grits and oxtail soup.

I can't remember the last time I saw oxtail soup on a menu, and this version is the real thing. Expect to find one of the distinctive bones in the rich broth along with its long-simmered meat.

Aimed at modern tastes are duck confit on a buttermilk biscuit; braised pork belly, that suddenly trendy dish; and roasted beet salad dusted lightly with pistachio crumbs -- so lightly, in fact, that there might have been two or three crumbs on mine along with horseradish vinaigrette with the consistency of a cream dressing.

Other dishes include fried brussels sprouts, about as unlikely a trendy item as pork belly, but they are both turning up on a lot of menus.

In addition to the lighter fare, there are several full-scale entrees including two choices of certified Angus beef, a 14-ounce New York steak and a smaller filet, at $24 and $20 respectively. Aside from one changing market-priced item, they are by far the most expensive dishes on what is a moderately priced menu accompanied by an equally affordable and varied wine list.

And it's also good to report that service is friendly and willing. Several of the staff seem genuinely excited about working in this classic setting, and they add to the good feeling here.

Cliff Bell's is a gem.

abraham67@comcast.net (313) 222-1475 Read more from Molly Abraham at detnews.com/restaurants