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.