Arts Life

The Best Of Everything

Culinary Genius

Every entree at Jeremy restaurant has a special touch.

rant is a very innovative
here are many
preparation of which some
types of culinary
just
cannot be seen elsewhere
talent in the
... The touch of culinary
restaurant world ...
genius seems to be in each
A latent ability that in so
presentation
... Some of them
many instances is never fully
may
appear
to
be the same ...
realized because of inability
but
are
certainly
unlike
by some to recognize it ... Or
preparations
seen
elsewhere.
where a talent is noted but
DANNY
Like
the
red
snapper
in yel-
allowed to remain dormant
RASKIN
low curry with somen noo-
without proper recognition.
Local Columnist
dles, bok choy and shitake
This is too bad because
mushrooms
... or the salmon
that culinary talent not being
with
mussels,
white
beans
and red
appreciated deprives so many people
pepper
broth,
served
in
an
oversized
of a great potential.
bowl ... As is the salmon, many of the
To appreciate the culinary talent
dishes prepared by Jeremy have the
that is displayed at Jeremy restaurant
touch of southern France.
on Cass Lake Road, west of Orchard
Looking for a whitefish like you may
Lake Road in Keego Harbor (former
Sweetwaters locale), is to recognize a
closeness to brilliance.
It is definitely a complete oppo-
site of the many culinary abili-
ties that never seem able to
flourish.
Executive chef Jeremy
Grandon, co-owner with
wife Paula, is only 29
years old and may very
well be among the finest
young chefs this area
has seen. Jeremy attend-
ed Lone Pine elemen-
tary and West Hills
Middle School in West
Bloomfield ... His cook-
ing ability may have blos-
somed when, as an 8-year-
old, he prepared a lavish
Chinese dinner for his par-
ent's Bloomfield Hills neigh-
bors.
At Andover High, he was
Paula and Jeremy Grandon
known simply as the very quiet
young man whose inner culinary
secrets were never truly revealed.
never have had before? ... How about
But Jeremy went on to attend and
graduate from the prestigious Culinary the one prepared by Jeremy ... Give
him a couple of days notice and
Institute of America in Hyde Park,
Jeremy will whip up a whitefish dish
N.Y., the springboard to almost cer-
you've yet to see ... with corn, aspara-
tain culinary success for many future
gus and shitake mushrooms elegantly
master chefs and other gastronomic
prepared and served in a celery broth.
stars.
His fetish for the freshest possible
Just about everything on the small
ingredients
allows the flavors to come
rotating menu (three distinctive appe-
through
...
It
is most apparent in his
tizers, a daily soup, two salads, five
entree
selections
... citrus chicken with
entrees that cover most dietary needs,
polenta, chard and fried fennel,
and three desserts) at Jeremy restau-
salmon over warm potato salad with

7

j241

10/31
2003

76

of casual fine dining restaurants that
don't come around too often.
I'VE GOT A BONE to pick with
Irwin Cohen ... Because of him, I
haven't been getting my usual sleep.
When he was coming to the Jewish
News offices almost daily on a regular
basis, everyone knew it was to get info
for his new book, Echoes of Detroit's
mustard sauce, strip steak with onion
jam, glazed carrots and potato pancake Jewish Communities: A History.
And when the tragic fire at the JN
... appetizer creations like ... tuna
demolished archives of over 60 years,
sashimi with crab salad and lemon oil,
folks thought it would stop him.
breaded white asparagus, shrimp with
Those who did were quite wrong ...
avocado and a tequila-lime,
Irwin eventually became a regular
macadamia nut salsa, etc. ... and
again at the new Jewish News offices ...
homemade desserts like lavender milk
looking at microfilm for more of his
flan with rhubarb, coffee-almond ter-
great assemblage of material.
rine, etc.
I can't think of too many books that
Jeremy restaurant is not a large place
kept
me so much awake at night
... Seating is only for about 70 in the
because I didn't want to put them down.
main dining room and lounge with
Finally, a literary work of art collec-
its full bar and stools ... But there is a
tion that should be in every home ...
comfortable intimacy that coupled
and certainly in every library ... in the
with an elegantly interesting decor
Jewish community.
makes for a choice locale which many
Great memories! ... Sensational arti-
have discovered with overly satisfied
cle bits that bring back the years with
results.
names and places and pictures that
The choice decor design direction
must never ever be forgotten!
comes from Jeremy's parents, Barbara
Irwin's years of research have made
and eye surgeon Dr. Stanley Grandon,
members of Temple Israel, from whose their way into excellent reading that
no one should miss.
religious school he became a bar mitz-
His Echoes of Detroit Jewish
vah ... Barbara and Stanley have col-
Communities can be gotten at Spitzer's,
lected art over three years ... and their
Lahser and 11Mile, Southfield ...
expertise along this line is evident at
Borenstein's, Greenfield and 10, Oak
their son and daughter-in-law's excel-
Park ... Esther's Judaica, Orchard Lake
lent restaurant.
Road and Maple, West Bloomfield ...
The elegant chandeliers and oil
or by calling Irwin at (248) 968-5314.
paintings from another era and richly
He'll also have it at the Jewish Book
upholstered cozy chairs are inter-
Fair in the Jewish Community Center
spersed with dark wood of a previous
in West Bloomfield, where he'll talk
century that also serve as room
about the book at 11 a.m. Sunday,
dividers when needed ... Some of the
Nov. 9.
decor pieces came from a former
STILL WAITING FOR Places To
1920s mansion in Kirk in the Hills.
Open
Department ... The formerly
Jeremy restaurant is a five-day-a-
week operation ... Wednesday through called Hoa Kow of West Bloomfield,
which will open under another name
Saturday, 5:30-10 p.m.; Sunday, 5:30-
in Novi ... The former Excalibur, slat-
9 p.m.
ed to open at the same site in
There aren't too many better restau-
Southfield as a casual Italian dining -
rant combinations than that of Paula
spot ... The new Zinc, at the previous
and Jeremy ... Her going around table
location of Pizzeria Uno in West
to table as general manager, saying
Bloomfield ... the Russian restaurant
hello is a pleasant touch ... and his
said to be opening at the former locale
keen ability in the kitchen is with few
of La Difference kosher restaurant in
equals.
Both man and wife owners are prod- West Bloomfield ... The Cheesecake
Factory coming to Somerset
ucts of Tribute restaurant, where
Collection in Troy when the lease
Jeremy was a kitchen stalwart ... and
signing
is completed.
Paula its only female lead server, the
BEST BET of the Week ...
first person you see when there is
Michigan Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
more than one waitperson per table ...
induction and dinner ... Monday, Nov.
She was also a server at Rhinoceros
3 ... at Congregation Shaarey Zedek.
and Ristorante De Modesta.
FORMER DETROITER and
That so many people have already
longtime reader, now living in
found this culinary gem is no surprise
Adventura, Fla. ... 81-year-old Harold
... Jeremy is one of those better types

