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411114111111.11W

Arts Life

The Best Of Everything

The Palm Holds Sway

BOOK SALES on the swell Echoes
of Detroit's Jewish Communities by
localite Irwin Cohen ... have almost
reached the thousand mark in just
the short time is has been on book-
store shelves ... Momentum will no
doubt get even stronger when people
finish reading it and tell others about
Corner when he served a
12,000 slices have been sold.
the book ... a great collection of local
hen word came
16-pounder ... Only one of
For an interesting side dish, try the Jewish history and memorabilia.
that this area
the 12-pounders was eaten
CHILI COOKOFF by Temple
half-and-half ... cottage-fried pota-
would soon be
by just one person ... and it
toes and fried onion rings (around
Emanu-El in Oak Park ... is Sunday,
counted among
would be hard to imagine
Feb. 29, 5 p.m.
9,000 orders since Dec. 11, 2001.)
those parts of the country
that just one also ate the
The Troy Palm has made an
Prizes will be awarded for first, sec-
with this restaurant of note,
lobster served by Curt ...
ond and third place in two categories
impressive mark in its two-year exis-
people talked mainly about
But you never know!
tence here.
... with meat and vegetarian.
the caricatures on its walls.
The
courteous
and
effi-
IT'S
STILL
THERE
Judges will be Judge David Gubow,
as
the
dining
D ANNY
Opening its doors on Dec.
cient
ways
of
server
Nathan
Rabbi
Joe Klein and myself.
sleeper
that
so
many
folks
would
RA SKIN
11, 2001, diners at the Palm
Watters is in keeping with
The
Kevin Sofferin Memorial Chili
rather
let
rest
than
have
others
know
Local Columnist
in Troy found about 300
the Palm tradition ...
about.
Cookoff is open to the entire com-
caricatures gracing various
Impeccable service has
munity ... Entry fee is $20 ... Tasting
And so McVee's on Telegraph
sectors of the restaurant, mostly of
always been an important element in
between 9 and 10 Mile in Southfield, donation, $5.
local area personalities ... Since open- its successful existence.
For more info, call Milt Levine,
owned by Michael and dad Ray
ing here, another 80 faces have been
It was also quite an interesting
chairman, and president of the
Abrams, goes about its business in a
added.
delight to see Nathan serving Grand
quiet sort of way.
Temple Emanu-El Brotherhood,
But those "trademark" caricatures
Marnier on a glass of hot water ...
(248) 865-7428.
However, a lot of guys and gals
•on the walls have had to take a dis-
topped with a napkin to retain the
KORN KORNER ... From Al and
know that it may be a bar on one
tant second fiddle to the good food
heat ... You seldom if ever see this
Bernice Kesner in Las Vegas ... Three
side, almost always with its 25 stools
and service.
much attention paid to the serving of filled ... but the other side's 60-seat
men were traveling and happened to
When you have an executive chef
a fine liqueur ... like days of yester-
meet at a bar in Ohio. One man was
dining room is chock full of good
with the ability of a Troy Howser ...
year.
from Texas, one from Florida and
things to eat at reasonable prices.
and the knowledgeable expertise of a
Steak has been king for many years
one from Minnesota.
Servers are so friendly that its
general manager like Curt Schaber ...
at the Palm restau-
They got acquainted and started
relaxed atmos-
and servers like Nathan Watters ... it
rants nationwide ...
talking about their problems with
phere and
is easily apparent why Troy Palm, on
although it wasn't
their wives.
home cooking
Crooks between Long Lake and
conceived as a sta-
The guy from Texas began by say-
are like eating
Square Lake roads, ha:s evolved here
ple until six years
with the fami- ing, "I told my wife clearly that from
with its own distinction as a fine des- after the original
now on she would have to do all the
ly.
tination restaurant.
Palm opening in
cooking. Well, the first day after I
There's
Since that 2001 beginning, it has
1926 on Second
oodles of good told her, I saw nothing. The second
gone through over 65,000 pounds of Avenue in New
day, I saw nothing, but on the third
things to eat
USDA prime meat ... and almost the
York City.
day when I came home from work,
at lunch and
same amount of lobster, about 25
The prime aged
the table was set, and a wonderful
dinner ... and
orders being of the 12-pound variety.
steak and jumbo
dinner was prepared with wine and
if you don't
Chef Troy's culinary talents have
boiled, slightly
even dessert."
feel hungry
been a standout with the Palm group
charred, lobster are
Then the man from Florida spoke
enough for a
over three years ... originally opening
the Palm's most
up. "I sat my wife down and told her
full meal at
the Palm in San Antonio, Texas ...
wanted and best-
that from now on she would have to
dinner time,
Over 18 years ago, it would have
known items.
do
all the grocery shopping and all of
like having the
General Manager Curt Schaber
been hard to imagine him someday
But indications
the house cleaning. The first day, I
excellent lamb
being executive chef of a prestigious
are that the Palm is
chops or other saw nothing. The second day, I saw
restaurant ... But starting out then as
slowly going back to more of its orig- fine choices on the menu .:. try the
nothing. But the third day, when I
a pantry cook when 14 years old was
inal Italian heritage ... that has not
came home, the whole house was
homemade onion soup and 5-ounce
a start other fine chefs can relate to.
been forgotten.
spotless and in the pantry the shelves
rib-eye steak sandwich from top-
Being a graduate of the Culinary
The Italian specialty dishes are
were filled with groceries."
grade USDA meat or French dip
Institute of America in Hyde Park,
choice ... veal Milanese, marsala,
The fellow from Minnesota was
sandwich ... both are with fries.
N.Y., was certainly his stepping-stone martini, parmigiana and piccata
married to a woman who had grown
WHERE THEY ARE Dept. ...
to a fine career.
plus clams and shrimp over linguine,
up in Minnesota all her life. He sat
Frankie Paul Potestio ... Living in
This past April, Curt was promot-
spaghettini marina, linguine with red Naples, Fla. with wife, Rose ... and
up straight on the bar stool, pushed
ed from assistant to Troy Palm's gen-
or white clam sauce, clams oreganata, still going strong with his trusty
out his chest and said, "I gave my
eral manager ... He has been with the etc.
wife a stern look and told her that
accordion and vocalizing talents at
chain since 1999, serving as a waiter
Although key lime pie and tiramisu bar mitzvahs and social events ...
from now on she would have to do
at the opening of its Tyson's Corner,
are both made in-house, the biggest
the cooking, shopping and house
Frankie and his squeezebox have
Va., location.
pastry seller is the kosher cheesecake
cleaning. Well, the first day, I saw
always been a "love affair" that many
The biggest lobster served at Troy
shipped in daily from New York ... It
nothing. The second day, I saw noth-
folks hereabouts remember having at
Palm may be 12-pounds ... but Curt
is estimated that in the more than
their wedding and bar mitzvah recep- ing. But by the third day, I could see
recalls his waiter days at Tyson's
two years since opening, well over
tions.
a little bit out of my left eye."

Fine food and impeccable service mark Troy destination restaurant.

IV

1/30
2004

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