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The Best Of Everything
YOUR perfect choice for
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A bar-b-q's closing leads to a trip down Memory Lane.
DANNY RASKIN
Local Columnist
T
Strolling Gypsy Musicians
Fridays & Saturdays
Closed Mondays
1235 Ottawa Street • Windsor
5 mins. from Tunnel • U.S. Exchange
For Reservations
1-800-963-1903
or (519) 252-0246
INIRODUCING OUR
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3
OPEN 7 DAYS 8 a.m.-9 p.m.
6393 Farmington Road, Just N. of Maple
(Next to the Sports Club) • West Bloomfield
(248) 626-3722
Herman Yagoda Invites You To Enjoy The
Best Food & Fun In Town!
"The Iamb chops at Herman Yagoda's
McVees continue to draw raves"
Danny Raskin
The Jewish News
GARY ROSE TRIO
Every Saturday Evening
4/24
1998
116
MC ATE'S
23380 Telegraph (South of I0 Mile Rd.)
(248) 352-8243
Southfield
he closing of Buddy's Bar-
B-Q by Arlyn Meyerson,
on Orchard Lake Road in
the West Bloomfield Plaza,
seemingly brings to an end a fine
chapter originally written by Buddy
and Mary Meyerson.
A dining saga began when the late
Buddy Meyerson arrived in Detroit
with little money and a lot of ambi-
tion.
What he lacked in funds, Buddy
made up for in determination to
establish himself as a successful part of
the community.
His first venture, in 1921, was a
confectionery and soda shop at the
corner of Oakland and Holbrook on
Detroit's near east side ... Photos of
the establishment captured a simpler
era when people enjoyed such plea-
sures as a stroll to the corner for a dish
of ice cream and penny rock candy
and licorice sticks for the kids.
There were hundreds of these little
stores in Detroit, dotting street cor-
ners everywhere, serving as neighbor-
hood social centers.
The success of the candy store
enabled Buddy to open a delicatessen
at 12th and Taylor in 1927 ... This
operation, also successful, gave him
the opportunity to realize a dream and
open a full-fledged restaurant ...
Buddy's Log Cabin Barbecue.
Launched in 1933 at the corner of
12th and Clairmount, Buddy's stood
for 30 years and became famous for
outstanding ribs.
During its three decades, Buddy's
became known as the House of Blue
Lights, and was immortalized when a
song by that name became a big hit
on the rhythm-and-blues charts dur-
ing the 1950s ... The House of Blue
Lights was the place where you could
get "fryers, broilers, and Detroit bar-
becue ribs."
Even today, Detroit is noted
throughout the country as the city
that really knows how to barbecue
food ... This reputation was earned
largely by secret barbecuing processes
and special sauces developed by
Buddy and wife, Mary.
Their sons, Arlyn, Jerry and
A comprehensive government land
Aubrey, were born into the restaurant
use study showed that a region cen-
business ... Each served boyhood
tered near the borders of Southfield,
apprenticeships delivering orders,
Franklin Village, Farmington Hills
sweeping floors, washing dishes, wait-
and Bloomfield would become the
ing tables, and ringing cash registers.
center of metropolitan
As the Meyerson brothers
Detroit in terms of geogra-
became young men, they
phy and population.
decided to open their own
The Meyersons decided
restaurant ... At the time,
they wanted to be a part of
Detroit was enjoying the post-
this growth ... In 1968, the
war boom and expanding into
search was again underway
the suburbs.
for the right location ... Six
When a location on the far
acres of prime property were
northwest border of the city
purchased in 1972 at the
became available, they were
corner of Northwestern
ready.
D ANNY
Highway and Franklin
The result was the Scotch cri
RA SKIN
Sirloin, which marked another Local Columnist Road.
Each of the brothers had
milestone in the Meyerson
his own ideas about what
family's long history of food
form the new restaurant should take
service in Detroit.
... They agreed, however, that they
The Scotch opened the day after
wanted to create something which
Labor Day, 1960, on James Couzens
would become a landmark ... a dining
facility unique to Michigan, which
out-of-towners would be sure to visit
when in the area.
The brothers wanted their new
restaurant to become as closely identi-
fied with Detroit as the French Quar-
ter was to New Orleans or Anthony's
Pier to Boston.
Trio at Franklin was designed from
the ground up with this basic premise
... to create a dining institution which
would build a national reputation for
excellence and a character unique to
Detroit and Michigan.
From there the decision was made
to offer three distinct dining facilities
... each with its own personality and
cuisine ... and combine them under
one roof.
And so came the Brown Bear ...
offering complete dinners in a warm,
intimate and comfortable dining
Buddy Meyerson began a food dynasty.
room.
Buddy's Barbecue ... with all the
secret recipes and favorite barbecue
(the Lodge Freeway service drive) at
delights that the Meyersons had been
the corner of Greenfield Road.
It was a success from the start, serv- serving for almost four decades ... and
ing hundreds of lunch and dinner cus- the Great Oyster ... an upbeat bar and
lounge with entertainment and light
tomers daily.
seafood entrees.
From their vantage point at the
The Brown Bear was so cozy and
Scotch, the .Meyerson brothers were
warm
that its atmosphere enfolded
careful observers of the metropolitan
folks like a big, cuddly teddy bear ...
area's growth, giving special attention
Thick, brown carpeting, bronze mir-
to the developments planned for the
rors, and felt-covered walls done in a
northwest suburbs.