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Gourmet vegetarian, kosher restaurant debuts at the West Bloomfield JCC.
SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN
Staff Writer
INT
ith a name like "Unique" Restaurant
Corporation, one would anticipate its presi-
dent and CEO Matt Prentice would be
involved in something distinctive.
But for the founder of the Bingham Farms-based restau-
rant-catering company, opening the kosher restaurant Milk
& Honey of West Bloomfield may be his most unique
endeavor yet.
After more than two years in the planning, the 4,000-
square-foot, 140-seat eatery inside the West Bloomfield
Jewish Community Center is set to hold its first dining
event. The Vegetarian Feast, a six-course tasting, will take
place 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27.
The restaurant, supervised by the Southfield-based
Council of Orthodox Rabbis of Greater Detroit-Vaad
Harabonim, will be open for regular business on Feb.
28 beginning with lunch at 11 a.m.
"Those who have been to kosher restaurants before
may be expecting "the traditional stuff," Prentice says.
"But Milk & Honey will shock people. Our flavor pro-
files are very intense. Our foods come from a lot of differ-
ent cultures — and there is nothing traditional about it."
A club liquor license has been obtained by the JCC,
allowing JCC members, Unique Frequent Diner Program
members and those who purchase a $5 one-year JCC din-
ing membership, as well as guests of each, to purchase
liquor in the restaurant.
Ingredients Of An Eatery
"After many years of the Center battling with getting quali-
ty food operations, we interviewed 10 restaurateur-caterers,
and we felt Unique was the best in our community," says
David Sorkin, executive director of the Jewish Community
Center of Metropolitan Detroit. "Then we sat down and
said, 'Now how do we make it kosher?'"
He found the answer in the Vaad. "We've been fully
What's To Eat?
Prentice describes Milk & Honey's menu as "very
eclectic", including Indian, Sephardic, European,
Caribbean and Asian cuisine.
"We use cooking techniques not always seen in
restaurants — like a lot of reduction of fresh vegeta-
Matt Prentice looks over restaurant plans with Jim Barnett, execu-
bles," he says.
tive corporate chef, and Mark Sherman, Milk er Honey general
Describing the quenelle walleye entree, Prentice
manager and managing partner.
says, "It's a French version of gefilte fish — and it
made me swoon."
In addition to gourmet variations of typical kosher
involved in the entire process," says Rabbi Joseph Krupnik,
food items, like smoked salmon blintz with carrot juice
Vaad
kashrut director.
sauce, Prentice will also offer kosher modifications of typi-
Says
Sorkin, "Together, the JCC, the Vaad and Unique
cally non-kosher recipes. Venturing into the world of tex-
were able to create a wonderful operation and offer a very
tured soy, he has created meatless meals that "can be made
high quality restaurant opportunity for the community."
to almost taste like meat."
In addition to restaurants, Unique, which Prentice found-
And for those who are more basic eaters, he says,
ed
in 1980 at age 20, also operates an 11,000 square-foot
"There's some real simple stuff too — like tuna salad and
bakery,
a gourmet take-out shop and six banquet facilities.
egg salad." And for the kids, the menu includes peanut
Prentice is also in-house caterer at Congregation Shir
butter and jelly and fish and chips.
Shalom, Temple Israel and the West Bloomfield JCC, his
Dinners are served as complete meals, with the most
expensive menu item ahi tuna, priced at $19.95. A variety of only kosher venue. He has been catering events in the facili-
ty's Marion and David Handleman Hall since March 2000.
salads are offered in meal size or accompaniment portions.
Prentice has also begun the process of creating his compa-
Open to the general community, the full-service, sit-
ny's
first cookbook. "The cooking style here is so unique,
down dining and carry out eatery will also offer desserts,
we
thought
our first cookbook should be kosher," he says.
baked on site, as well as breads from the Vaad-supervised,
on page 28
KOSHER
RESTAURANT
Unique-owned Sourdough Bread Factory in Pontiac.
Detroiter Nancy Garlock Edmunds
is nominated by President George
Bush to serve a lifetime appoint-
ment on the U.S. District Court for
the Eastern District of Michigan.
Restoration work is completed on
Vol. 1 of the hand-written Machzor
of Worms, one of the oldest
Ashkenazi High Holy Day prayer
books at the.Jewish National and
University Library on the Hebrew
University's Givat Ram campus.
The world's first chair in
"Philosophy and Jewish Law" will
be established at Bar-Ilan University
in Israel in honor of Jack D. Weiler,
a New York philanthropist.
Southfield Board of Education votes
to introduce a course in modern
Hebrew in Southfield High School.
Leaders of the Morton A.
Silverman Detroit Post 135, Jewish
War Veterans present an American
flag to Wayne County Circuit
Judge Nathan Kaufman.
Indications that Ford Motor Co.
may open a truck assembly plant in
Israel are heard after Franklin's Mr.
and Mrs. Max Fisher accompany
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ford II on a
week trip to Is'rael.
Awoltss„Wirt
'; --. so'`INeamoOKAzakk:ItatOm- -
Detroit Mayor Jerome Cavanagh
appoints Stanley Winkelman, presi-
dent of the Jewish Community
Council, to the Commission on
Community Relations.
.
Detroiter Leo Polk is honored by
War Veterans of the Rainbow 42nd
Division as State's Hero for his
donations of 75 pints of blood to
the Red Cross, setting a record.
Rabbi Morris Adler of
Congregation Shaarey Zedek
receives the outstanding achieve-
ment plaque of the Louis D.
Brandeis Lodge, B'nai B'rith.
— Compiled by Holly Teasdle,
certified archivist, Rabbi Leo M.
Franklin Archives of Temple Beth El
S1C
2/22
2002
27