In Detroit

Stylin

We may not have a Seventh
Avenue, a Rodeo Drive or even a
Magnificent Mile, but the Detroit
area is not bereft of cutting-edge
fashion.

• Abercrombie & Fitch, the quin-
tessential unisex "knock-around"

• Edward Dorian for workplace
attire. Suits and separates reflect
the newest styles with profession-
al panache. Don't leave
before eyeing the acces-
sories — Kate Spade bags
and delicate silver jewelry
237 Pierce, Birmingham.

Chowin'

• Holiday Market — If you want
to meet a cute someone at the
grocery store, this is the place.
Excellent wine selection, semi-
respectable kosher aisle, beautiful
breads, great produce. Main
Street, Royal Oak.

• Go to school
Schools, synagogues and local groups
offer classes for fun. Try Watercolor
Painting (Farmington Adult Education,
248-489-3333), Hands-On Judaism
(Temple Shir Shalom, 248-737-8700) or
the Basics of Improvisation (Second City,
313-964-5821).

flannel emporium. Yes, it's a mall
store, but who can resist? Faded,
gently worn and slightly wrin-
kled never looked so good.

• Lotus Import Co. blends

• Westborn Market — A produce
carnival, with fresh fruits and veg-
etables, nice cuts of fish and non-
kosher meats, as well as juices,
dairy products. Good kosher sal-
ads. Woodward between 11 and
12 Mile, Royal Oak.

The best ways to meet people in metro
Detroit? Listen to your mother. What
she told you as a kid still applies today.

'

• Excelsior offers the total
shopping experience ---
mesmerizing '40s music, an
eclectic merchandise mix
that includes funky fabrics
from Cut Loose and body-
skimming styles by French
Connection, plus laid-back
customer service that makes
you feel as though you're
trying on clothes in your
own boudoir. 23900
Woodward, Pleasant Ridge.

Grocery shopping is one of my
favorite activities. It's a time to
relax, stroll down the aisles and eye
all the delectable items with which
to create scrumptious meals.

Creative Coupling

• Dexter Davison Meats — Hand-
made kreplach like your grand-
mother's, plus a bevy of kosher
cuts. Odd hours (make sure to
check). Friendly service. In the
Farmer Jack shopping plaza, 10
Mile, east of Coolidge, Oak Park.

• Harvard Row — Kosher
butcher with impeccable service,
clean cases, great prices. Orchard
Lake Road north of Maple, West
Bloomfield.

• Eastern Market — Detroit
neighborhood with lively person-
ality. The freshest produce
around town, and cheap! A flat
of raspberries (12 pints) costs
around $5. Russell Street. ❑

— Lynne Meredith Cohn

• Don't be shy
Try a matchmaking service. Temple
Israel's Beshert Connection lets you
decide whom to meet, as you page
through black books full of snapshots
and personal info.

• Pick up a book once in a while
Hit a bookstore for some Dickens ... or a
date. Looking for an intellectual? Try the
philosophy section. Adventurer? Travel.
Fellow Jews? Check out Judaica ... and
Chinese cooking. The Agency for Jewish
Education sponsors several discussion
programs at Barnes and Noble on
Orchard Lake Road.

the granola-crunching, incense-
burning '70s with the best of con-
temporary '90s garb. 419 S.
Washington, Royal Oak.

• The Yachtsman, "patty" par-
adise. No shop around carries a
larger selection of Patagonia. it's
the answer to your fleece fantasy,
and the atmosphere is ski resort
chic. 1105 S. Adams,
Birmingham. ❑

— Linda Bachrack

•-•

• Don't get lost — stay in the neighbor-
hood
In downtown Royal Oak, try -Woody's and
Fifth Avenue Billiards on Thursdays and
Fridays for live music. On Tuesdays, check
out the music at Memphis
Smoke. In downtown
Birmingham, singles are giv-
ing up "must see TV" in
exchange for a Thursday
night at Dick O'Dow's (hang-
out for a few Red Wings),
220 Merrill and Midtown
Cafe. Oh, and the Library
Pub in Novi is a hopping
place on weekends.

• A little exercise won't kill
you
Try the Oakland Athletic
Club, Powerhouse/West
Bloomfield, Franklin
Racquet Club or the JCC
gyms (West Bloomfield and
Oak Park) if you want to
schvitz with fellow Jews. It
beats the bars and, if noth-
ing else, you can take home
a hot bod — yours.

❑

— Debbie Feitl