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4108 W. Maple • Birminaham. MI •
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OPEN SUNDAY 5 p.m TO 10 p.m.
29269 Southfield Road north of 12 Mile
In The Southfield Commons
56
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1991
E.G. Nicks Has Been livansformed,
Inside, Outside And On The Menu
DANNY RASKIN
Local Columnist
W
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West Bloomfield
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569-1400
hen E.G. Nicks of
West Bloomfield
opened its doors in
1986, it looked like just
another old-fashioned
Shuler's restaurant, which
was the previous name before
three cousins, Elia Nicholas,
Greg Nicholas and rIbny Belli,
took over.
The only thing that seemed
to change exterior-wise was a
huge sign that lit up the lawn
on Maple between Orchard
Lake Road and Farmington
Road.
It wasn't long, though,
before E.G. Nicks became one
of the most popular casual
dining spots on the northwest
with its bevy of family-style
foods, friendly ambiance and
customer-pleasing ways by
smiling employees.
E.G. Nicks restaurant clos-
ed recently for 3Y2 weeks to do
a face-lift . . . and re-opened in
late November with a new
look that adds to the casual
elegance.
Don't be too shocked when
you see the free-standing E.G.
Nicks with windows now .. .
They overlook both Maple
Road and a large greenbelt on
the side . . . Its entrance is
with a couple of arches on the
outside and a certain non-
chalant flair that has an in-
viting appearance.
After one enters the rich,
red mahogany entranceway,
E.G. Nicks seems to say,
"Come dine with us and have
fun" . . . You can tell Ron Rea
had a hand in the interior
decor . . . and large rolls of
butcher paper are used to
write messages and daily
specials plus hang a look of
much casual ambiance .. .
Murals are painted on the
walls, there are new hard-
wood floors, new carpeting, an
exposed kitchen with
mahogany where pizzas and
ribs are made.
Most of the main dining
room is done with a lot more
rich-looking mahogany, in-
cluding a carved, elegant ban-
nister that leads to another
level.
The bar-side dining room
walls are painted white on
barnwood . . . A large chalk-
board against a side wall is
outstanding with its carica-
tures done regularly by
cousin Steve Ryeson, who
owns part of the Highland
House, one of the family's
chain of dining spots.
Greg Nicholas operates the
new E.G. Nicks Crabshack
and Bar that opened last
March in Brighton . . . Elia
and Tony are at the E.G.
Nicks of West Bloomfield,
where its new menu keeps 60
percent of the old mainstays
(Caesar and Greek salads and
of course turkeyburgers, etc.)
and 40 percent additions of
new items like pasta, mere
seafood and crab, with many
dishes served in large,
authentic gold miner pans
made by the same company in
Colorado who supplied them
for the California gold rush of
1849.
When E.G. Nicks opened in
February of 1986, seating was
for 240 . . . To accommodate
the changes for even more
relaxed dining seating has
been reduced to 225.
The casual, linen-covered
tables are still there, but peo-
ple like those high "giant"
tables with tall chairs that
look and are so comfortable
and festive-appearing . . .
Makes folks feel big and
they're easy to eat at and
great for conversations with
people who come to say hello
. . . no looking up or down,
everybody is just about the
same height.
The waitpersons at E.G.
Nicks all now wear jeans,
striped shirts and suspenders
or bow ties or both in keeping
with the look of informality
in this true neighborhood
family restaurant with such
fun and festivity to accom-
pany dining out.
November was an anniver-
sary for Evening Manager
Pam Shook . . . E.G. Nicks of
West Bloomfield had been
opened only a year when she
came on board . . . Her hus-
band Tom Shook's brother,
Rabbi Mark Shook, is
religious leader of Temple
Israel in St. Louis, said to be
the largest Reform congrega-
tion in the United States .. .
He graduated University of
Michigan and Hebrew Union
College . . . Rabbi Shook
comes here every so often to
speak at Temple Israel where
he was a student under Rab-
bi M. Robert Syme . . . and
where Tom and Mark's mom
and dad, Ann and Frank
Shook, are members.
Pam Shook is pleasant,
helpful and ready to please in
her highly efficient ways .. .
She shares evening manage-
ment duties with another
Pam . . . Pam Hamilton, who
is also high on the favorite list
among customers.
Pleasant Sonja Bellinger is
an asked-for waitress whose
desired efforts gain her many
bonus points . . . Executive
Chef FrankAugostini is good
enough to adapt to whatever
menu changes have been
made . . . and bar gal and
waitress Patricia "Trish" or
"Patty" Hall is indicative of
the little things that E.G.
Nicks of West Bloomfield is
big on, like walking by a table
and asking if the people
wanted coffee refills . . . even
though it wasn't her station
. . . It's this type of atten-
tiveness that helps make a
place . . . for sure . . . Trish's
sister, Beverly Hall, is E.G.
Nicks bar manager.
E.G. Nicks of West Bloom-
field was open only a year
when introducing its next-
door carry-out run by another
cousin, Greg Ryeson . . . Most
of the new menu items are
not available at the carry-out.
So much new decor . . . an
entire wall in the bar area
Friendly help and
family ownership
stand out.
dining room with a hand-
painted mural, stuffed birds,
stuffed hammerhead shark,
TVs all over the dining rooms,
75-year-old boat with only its
ribbing hanging in the bar.
And a big, big thing . . . all
people in the E.G. Nicks of
West Bloomfield kitchen who
prepare salads are required to
wear plastic gloves.
The family now operates
five restaurants . . . E.G.
Nicks of West Bloomfield,
Brighton and Lapeer, High-
land House and Gus's in
Howell . . . and all the
relatives are like doctors .. .
always on call to help each
other whenever needed .. .
This is family closeness that
doesn't have too much more
togetherness in the res-
taurant business.
It is interesting to note that
with all the changes at E.G.
Nicks of West Bloomfield,
many of the menu prices are
less than when it first open-
ed almost six years ago .. .
and the success of E.G. Nicks
can be measured in the fact
that you'll always find an
owner there . . . This essential
in the difference between suc-
cess and failure is more
prevalent today than ever
before unless the owner has
extremely highly competent
and loyal personages to watch
the store.
E.G. Nicks is family
oriented . . . and passes the