Pe 'lee
The Russian Bear
BAGEL DAY Finds Its Footing
OFFICE APPRECIATION
AT
La Mirage Center
DANNY RASKIN LOCAL COLUMNIST
On Northwestern Hwy.
EVERY WED.
6 a.m.-10 a.m.
1/2 PRICE
13 BAGELS FOR $2.50
(No Bagel Night At This Location)
15 CONVENIENT LOCATIONS
GENERAL OFFICES
1900-A WOODWARD • BLOOMFIELD HILLS • (810) 641-9188
YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO DOWNTOWN
TO GET
E ZIP
Italian-American Favorites
• Pasta Specialties • Pizza
• Steaks • Chops • Poultry
• Seafood
OMOI S Restaurant
In Ferndale Since 1961
Woodward at 9 Mile
Cocktails
548-5005
OUTDOOR ENTERTAINMENT
Morytay to Thirsday I I am to 2 am
Foctay II am to 330 am
Saturday 12 noon to 3.30 am
Sure.ay 12 rx,rt to 2 a in
ON OUR
HUGE DECK
711111111111•11111===mmimmE
MARCO'S DINING AND COCKTAILS
FINE ITALIAN CUISINE
Lot
Lunch & Dinner
Specializing in Unique Private Celebrations
f or _AB Occasions
c,cr "-13
32758 GRAND RIVER AVENVE
VILLACiE (.7_-)MMONS CENTER
DOWNTOWN FARMINGTON
FOR RESERVATIONS 810.477.7777
"The Simone Vitale
Haim is an assurance
of a great evening."
Danny Raskin, Jewish News
72
FOR ALL YOUR
HAPPY OCCASIONS
(810) 544 7373
-
eing the only ethnic restau- making, •so there is no fooling to 12 midnight.
rant of its kind in an area around.
Biggest sellers are the always
where the surrounding
The Russian Bear in Orchard popular beef Stroganoff, tender-
populace might deem there Mall met with resistance when it loin sauteed with mushrooms
should be more, gives vent to first opened, probably- because and onions, and chicken Kiev,
wonderings of why the absence? the stressing of authenticity lightly breaded breast of chicken
The answer is quite simple wasn't there . . . Too much em- with parsley butter ... Whitefish
. . . There is no such thing as phasis was put on satisfying the and salmon head the list of fish
almost authentic in Russian din- desires for American cuisine entrees.
ing . . . It either is or it isn't .. . which can be had at so many
Vitaly brought in a Russian
Something like being just a little places . . . As a result, the restau- chef from Odessa, Russia, Victor
pregnant.
rant did opening business, but Dolbney, who was a cook for over
Russian Bear of many years could never get a majority of peo- 27 years and worked at Na
ago in downtown Detroit reeked ple to return.
Prevale, still owned in Odessa by
of authenticity . . . So did the
This is where present owners Vitaly . . . He assists Executive
Russian Samovar and Col. Fedor Vitaly Lobalov and wife Anna Chef Paul Rathburn . . . Also new
and Joyce Maybohm's Carousel, stepped in . . . He was the money in the kitchen are Russian
both also in Detroit.
associate who wanted an au- women like Tatiana Koganova
When another Russian Bear
opened on April 14, 1994, in the
Orchard Mall on Orchard Lake
Road north of Maple, it had big
plans, but fell short of the one
most important ingredient .. .
more emphasis on true authen-
ticity in its cuisine.
There are too many Russian
residents and lovers of the real
thing who know better . . . and
can't be fooled.
With Vitaly Lobalov and his
wife, Alla, taking over, the
chameleon-like alteration has
provided wondrous results. . . .
The Red Wings hockey stars, like
Sergei Federov, Vladimir Kon-
stantinov, Vyacheslav Kozlov and.
Viacheslav Fetisov, discover that
they can now order and get the
same dishes they enjoyed back
home playing for their Soviet
teams.
Vitaly may not yet have mas-
tered too much of the English lan-
guage, but his "new" Russian
Bear is doing all the talking these
days . . . and people who love The Russian Bear's Alla and Vitaly Lobalov.
Russian food have no trouble re-
lating to its authentic goodness. thentic Russian restaurant .. .
. She and Victor prepare all the
As a result, business has be- with American dishes a sec- Russian food, which is finished
gun booming and Russian food ondary factor . . . Food for every- by Paul, who makes the Ameri-
lovers, of which there are many, body like the fine places of can food, too, while speaking to
have welcomed the Russian Bear yesteryears . . . both Russian and his kitchen help in Russian .. .
like the sudden appearance of a American.
In the kitchen, even the dish-
long-lost brother or sister.
Former partner Alex Stuck washer is from Russia . . . The
With authenticity comes a dis- was bought out, and Vitaly and waiters and waitresses can all
tinctive taste . . . the real thing . Alla took over to accomplish this speak Russian and English
.. not that heavy food prepara- desire . . . The restaurant was fluently.
tion many people wrongly asso- closed for 2 1/2 weeks and re-
Russian Bear butchers and
ciate with Russian dining.
modeled where needed . . . A hir- cuts its own meats and fish .. .
As a result, one of the least- ing process was begun to bring in makes its own dishes like semga,
known kinds of food has again be- Russian employees and persons salmon made of a special Russ-
come among the most popular who knew Vitaly's wants.
ian recipe with vodka poured over
. . .The reasons why authentic
Two rooms seat 220 . . . the . . . It smokes its own salmon, pre-
Russian food has risen with such nonsmoking area 140 and smok- pares its own Russian dressing,
stature are numerous, but two ing area 80.
makes its own pickles, garlic but-
stand out . . . There are very few
A balalaika player goes from ter spread and eggplant spread
authentic Russian restaurants table to table on Friday and Sat-
.. A lot of healthy pure garlic is
. . . which also accounts for the lit- urday evenings 7-9 p.m. . . . and used in may of the dishes .. .
tle-known dishes . . . And this a Russian orchestra weaves folk When customers sit down, they
cooking is quite reminiscent of and top melodies for dancing Fri- are given the two spreads before
what many remember Grandma day and Saturday nights 9 p.m. ordering.