RESTAURANT YEAR of the A

s you walk into Madam, your eyes are drawn to the two larger-thanlife women, who make a bold statement without saying a word.

The 12-foot-tall portraits, made by blending photos, paint, and a layer of gold leaf, showcase women who are vibrant, provocative, sophisticated — maybe even a little mysterious and surprising — much like the stylish and sumptuous space that is the flagship restaurant of the luxurious and posh Daxton Hotel.

At Madam and the hotel, art is a key ingredient, along with the food. Daxton hosts an Art of Dining series, featuring international artists such as Los Angeles-based Stephen Rowe. A 2021 salmon dish inspired by his “I Love the Silence of Blue,” which hangs in the wine-tasting room, stands out in his mind.

“As an artist, I’ve never experienced a food and wine pairing of my works,” Rowe says, adding that the chefs crafted “some plates that resembled my art; that was quite amazing to see the artistry they created.”

Making its debut in early 2021, Madam and its home base of Daxton Hotel were a part of the Chicago-based Aparium Hotel Group, whose portfolio of boutique hotels spans the country from Colorado to New Jersey and includes the Detroit Foundation Hotel downtown. Chef Garrison Price, who worked for culinary titans such as José Andrés and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, helping to open restaurants across the globe, oversaw Daxton Hotel’s seasonally driven, vegetable-focused bill of fare with a global spin. Chef Rece Hogerheide, a sous-chef at the time, took the reins when Price left in early 2021, and now the menu is overseen by chef Clifton

Booth, another local who came on as sous-chef and was coached up and elevated.

Since opening two years ago, Madam has continued to carve its niche with its global take on farm-to-table, taking diners on a journey from Michigan, with simple local greens transformed into a symphony of flavors that belies its side