BY LINDA BACHRACK
T
here's an excited buzz
around town about the
intimate, but casual,
gourmet restaurant
tucked away on Cass Lake Road in
Keego Harbor. Jeremy barely
opened its doors before those in
search of a classic dining experi-
ence were singing its praises.
The chef behind his namesake
eatery is Jeremy Grandon, a 29-
year-old talent who honed his skills
under the tutelage of Tribute's
Chef Takashi. A graduate of U-M
and the Culinary Institute of
America, Grandon grew up in
Bloomfield and attended Andover
High School. He's been cooking at
home since he was a kid. "I was
always fascinated with the cooking
shows on TV," he says.
"I wanted to bring something to
Detroit that was like New York or
Chicago," says Grandon. "I think
the area is lacking in contemporary
food with traditional flavors. We
use lots of juices, oils and vinai-
grettes. You won't find a meat
stock here."
Grandon's menu is well-edited
and creative. His signature appetiz-
ers include a grilled asparagus,
radicchio and Portobello mushroom
salad topped with an egg over-easy
Right: Poached figs with mas-
carpone mousse, walnuts and
red wine caramel.
Opposite page, clockwise: Red
snapper in yellow curry with
somen noodles, bok choy and
shiitake mushrooms.
Seared scallops with cauli-
flower-almond puree, green
grapes and golden raisins.
Strip steak with cheddar
mashed potatoes, green beans
and onion jam.
and a sherry vinaigrette. "It's a
pretty traditional Italian dish," says
Grandon, "but the vinaigrette is
my own interpretation." Another
highlight is the seared scallop
appetizer plated with a cauliflower-
almond puree, green grapes and
golden raisins — a top seller and
one of Grandon's original creations.
The entrees, limited to five or
six choices, range from red snapper
and salmon to lemon chicken with
polenta, a strip steak and a spicy
pasta dish. The snapper, nestled in
a bed of somen noodles, bok choy
and shiitake mushrooms, is lightly
sauced in a delicate yellow curry,
while the steak, Grandon's only
nod to meat and potatoes, is
bathed in a port wine-balsamic
reduction and topped with crisp
green beans. Its accompanying
mashed potatoes are redolent with
cheddar.
Sous chef Nick Orlandino, for-
merly the pastry chef at Sweet
Georgia Brown, shares dessert
responsibilities with Grandon.
"Jeremy's goat-cheesecake is the
best you'll ever taste," says
Orlandino, "and I always thought
my cheesecake recipe was out-
standing." The duo also prepares a
classic crème brulee and a choco-
late terrine.
Grandon's wife, Paula, takes
charge of the front of the house,
and Jeremy is keenly aware of his
place in the back. "We originally
thought Paula would be the bar-
tender/host/reservationist," says
Grandon. "We expected maybe 30-
50 people a night." But the restau-
rant's been packing in more than
100 diners a night, and upwards of
130 on Saturday.
They come for the relaxed
ambience, the friendly service and
the intimate dining experience, but
most of all, they come for Jeremy
Grandon's cooking.