The Best Of Everything

Dairy Gourmet

La Difference proves kosher restaurants can succeed.

One of the salmon dishes, for
gleam above ... Surrounding them are
s the name implies, La
example,
is
served
on
a
bed
of
green and burgundy drapes ... The
Difference is a very different
spinach,
red
onion,
Chanterelle
mush-
eight booths have padded green backs
type of kosher restaurant.
rooms
and
roasted
red
peppers
The
and padded burgundy seats amid gold
Traditional Jewish dishes
smoked
salmon
is
smoked
in
fruit-
walls
with hints of blue.
that you would normally expect to see
wood,
topped
with
caviar
and
A hand-painted mural is
at a kosher restaurant are so far out of
sour
cream
on
a
crisp
potato
painted
on the back wall
this operation's world of dining that
latke
...
and
garnished
with
and
five
paintings of fruit
they are not even on the menus for
fried
capers.
hang
on
the
sides ...
lunch or dinner.
Ahi
tuna
is
charred
with
red
Rippled
water
glass dividers
It is strictly dairy, but don't expect
chili
fettuccine,
peanuts,
scal-
separate
the
booths.
to see typical dishes like lokshen kugel
lions, bean sprouts, fried ginger
The large, spotlessly
(noodle pudding), blintzes, vegetarian
threads
and
Wasabi
citrus
clean
kitchen was done over
chopped liver, gefilte fish, falafel,
cream.
for
La
Difference ... There's
hummus, cabbage borscht, stuffed
There are other fresh fish
a completely new line of
cabbage, etc. at lunch or dinner.
selections you may never have
stoves, fryers, stainless steel
DA NNY
In fact, you may not see another
found
before
...
Like
ovens, coffee grinders and
kosher restaurant like this outside of
RA SKIN
Macadamia
Crusted
Chilean
so
much more ... In the
maybe New York or California.
Local Columnist
Sea
Bass,
a
fresh
and
delicious
kitchen
too are huge bath-
La Difference is located at the back
filet
served
on
smashed
pota-
rooms
for
the employees to
of the Robin's Nest shopping strip on
toes
and
vegetables.
use
...
Men's
and
women's
rest rooms
Orchard Lake Road and Northwestern
Other top sellers are the angel hair
are indicative of the restaurant's clean-
Highway, north of 14 Mile Road ...
pasta with smoked salmon, asparagus,
liness and fine appointments.
And food-wise it is quite different.
dill
and
burre
blanc
...
and
fettuccine
La Difference is owned by kosher
Oh, beg pardon, there is one tradi-
Alfredo,
with
fresh
cream,
parmesan
caterer
Paul Kohn, who feels this place
tional dish available ... Mushroom
and
cracked
pepper
is
like
his
business card to the Jewish
barley soup ... deliciously concocted
In
the
former
location
of
Sultan's,
community
"How do you expect
with carrots, mushrooms, barley, pota-
the
younger generation to
toes, onions and cel-
have
their life-cycle events
ery ... It's full-bodied
kosher
when they have never
and the kind a lot of
eaten
kosher
food," he asks.
grandmas say they
"My
intent
is to show
used to make ... A
them
and
others
that there is
chowder is also served,
a
difference
in
kosher
food,"
but I don't think too
says
Paul.
"Not
just
the
tra-
many grandmothers
ditional
food
they
may
only
made it with scrod,
know about."
salmon, sea bass, red
General Manager John
pepper, onions and
Wood
is probably one of
diced potatoes.
the
most
knowledgeable
La Difference
persons
in
the restaurant
opened Dec. 22,
business ... As vice president
1998, serving dinner
of Machus Restaurants, he
only ... In March, it
was
highly respected for his
also began
b serving b
gentlemanly
ways and wide
lunch ... And a top-of-
dining
wisdom.
Owners
David
and
Paul
Kohn
and
general
manager
John
Wood
the-line wine, liquor
have a hit on their hands with La Difference.
David Kohn, Paul's son,
and champagne selec-
who
helps operate the restau-
tion came when the
rant,
is so intent on learning
liquor license was
to
give
top-drawer
cuisine that he
Waleed's
and
Steve's
Back
Room
received.
traveled
to
Israel
and
Amsterdam
Middle-Eastern
restaurants
...
this
Although it is an upscale kosher
restaurant
is
strikingly
different
and
looking
for
new
sources
of cheeses not
restaurant, the biggest sellers remain
graciously
attractive
in
its
simple,
spa-
available
in
this
country.
the fish entrees ... Like broiled white-
cious elegance.
Executive Chef John Schmidt is
fish, sea bass, Ahi tuna, North
Seating
is
for
86
at
tables
in
the
responsible
for the excellent kosher
Atlantic salmon and perch.
center and booths along the sides ...
dishes served at La Difference ... His
La Difference may have these in
covered with white linen tablecloths,
grilled portabello mushrooms with
common with kosher restaurants of
sparkling
silverware
on
white
linen
braised fennel, tomatoes and cabbage
yesteryears ... but only in the fish
napkins...
Custom-made
light
fixtures
is a choice dish ... As is his roasted
themselves ... not the preparations.

A

ANDIAMO

What Italian
was meant to be!

Andiamo Italia

East Fourteen Mile Road in Warren

810 268-3200

Trattoria Andiamo

Mack Avenue in Grosse Pointe Woods

313 886-9933

Andiamo Lakefront Bistro

Jefferson Avenue in St. Clair Shores

810 773-7770

Andiamo Italia West

Telegraph in Bloomfield Hills

248 865-9300

Andiamo Osteria

Main Street in Rochester

248 601-9300

Andiamo Osteria

Main Street in Royal Oak

248 582-9300

Private dining accommodations
and off-site catering

Selected "Best Italian Restaurant"
by Gourmet Magazine '96, '97 and '98

visit us at www.andiamoitalia.com

6/18
1999

98 Detroit Jewish News

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