planned 100-room abode, don't you
think? Matilda married lumber baron
Alfred Wilson and the two lived
amidst 24 fireplaces and no shortage of
valuable paintings. The mansion, on
the grounds of Oakland University, is
open for tours on Sunday year-round
and from Monday-Saturday during
August.
Shop At A Non Mall Mall -
Surround yourself with shopping luxu-
ries and beeline to the Somerset
Collection in Troy. Don't call it a mall
or you'll give yourself away as an out-
of-towner. No tired shops and run-of-
the-mill merchandise, this
180-store sparkling palace
gleams with stately marble
designs, contemporary
water fountains, glass ele-
vators and upscale shops,
all connected by a glass-
enclosed moving skywalk.
Want to pamper your-
self? Head to Spa Thira,
Spa Nordstrom or the
Estee Lauder Spa at
Hudson's department
store. Want food? Try the
clubby Capital Grille or
the fun-loving J.
Alexander's.
A sampling of shops
includes Gucci, Armani
Exchange, Saks, Neiman
Marcus and Nordstrom.
For The Kid In You -
There's not an inch of
space in Birmingham's
Adventures in Toys that
isn't crammed with some
kind of toy. Surprises from
this fantastic emporium
range from magic wands,
tiaras and cowboy hats to
educational place mats and
necklace beads.
The Village part of Henry Ford
Museum & Greenfield Village in
Dearborn gets high marks from curi-
ous children. Glass, pottery and print-
ing demonstrations amaze while train,
carriage and boat rides delight the wee
ones.
Take the five-minute trip from
downtown Detroit to Windsor,
Ontario, a la Indiana Jones-style via an
underwater tunnel. Then pack a picnic
and find a park bench at Dieppe Park
or Coventry Gardens and the Peace
Fountain and watch a steady stream of

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Detroit River boat and freighter traffic
against the Detroit city skyline.
Light A Stogie Booming
Birmingham got trendier last year with
the opening of the Big Rock Chop and
Brewery. Steaks and fresh ales preside
in this outdoorsy eatery/bar. The jet set
climbs to the top — to Got Rocks, a
loft-area bar where cigar smokers,
cognac connoisseurs, executives and
stylish dames congregate. Anyone can
enter, but Got Rocks emits a clubby,
membership feel. You almost expect a
door guard to request a secret pass-
word.

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Step Back In Time If the metro
Detroit community is one big house,
then the towns of Plymouth and
Northville have to be the family
rooms. The sister cities, located about
15 minutes from West Bloomfield and
five miles from each other, welcome
visitors with open arms. Sinclair Lewis
would be right at home with their
main streets. Each is lined with ice
cream parlors, parks, art galleries and
antique shops.
When hunger strikes, reserve a table
at Plymouth's Cafe Bon Homme on
Penniman. The intimate, white-linen

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the Deborah Roberts Design Room,
which overflows with treasures for the
table, body and home. Bursting like a
sizzling pan of popping corn, Royal
Oak's dining scene flourishes with
places like Tom's Oyster Bar and
Memphis Smoke, where Southern
cooking rules (pass that melt-in-your-
mouth corn bread!).
Birmingham may be Michigan's
most fashion-conscious enclave and is
the shopping capital for one of the 10
wealthiest counties in the United
States. Upscale, creative boutiques
abound.
Pot Around It looks
like it belongs in an Agatha
Christie novel, not
Motown. Pewabic Pottery,
a tiny Tudor-style cottage
tucked back off Jefferson
Avenue in downtown
Detroit, has always has
been part of the artistic
world. Starting in 1903, it
was the studio and home
of Mary Chase Stratton,
whose famous Pewabic
tiles adorn numerous cities.
Stratton's spirit lives on in
the studios and contempo-
rary ceramics retail galleries
that showcase the works of
artists from all over.
Jewelry, candlesticks,
bowls, mugs, vases and, of
course, tiles fill the shelves.
Indulge When you
book a pedicure, you
expect your feet to indulge
in a relaxing soak, special
massage creams and nail-
shaping and filing. That's
pretty much the routine ...
unless you make an
appointment at Spa
Nordstrom in Troy. A few minutes into
your visit and you'll enjoy a foot and
calf massage before it's time for your
happy footsies to take a dip into a
heated paraffin pool to seal in mois-
ture. All blessedly soothing.
If you've got the time, you also
should slip in a top-notch facial by
Ellen Green, facialist extraordinaire.
Nordstrom and Green were rated as
one of the top 1997 facialists in the
country by beauty editors at Allure
magazine. Dexterous fingers, steam,
aromatherapy and more reawaken
every inch of tired skin.

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Catch A Mainstream Flick -
Formerly a vaudeville house of the '30s
and then a stage for re-tread musicals
and comedies, the renovated
Birmingham Theatre on bustling Old
Woodward in Birmingham now fea-
tures films and draws big crowds just
about every night. With eight multi-
sized theaters on two floors, a large
candy selection and popcorn made
fresh daily (emphasis on the word
daily), this movie house scores big
points. And it's in the heart of a
thrilling downtown entertainment dis-
trict.

restaurant serves French/European-
style lunches and dinners that are tres
tres bien. In Northville, sup in story-
book fashion at Emily's, a house on a
hill on Center Street.
Go Gallery Hopping At last count
there were some 26 galleries between
Royal Oak and Birmingham exhibiting
gorgeous lamps, valuable paintings,
home decor, jewelry, blankets and
whimsical, hand-painted furniture.
The two downtowns are about 10
minutes from each other off
Woodward Avenue.
An outstanding Royal Oak gallery is

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8/14

1998

Detroit Jewish News

BEL