West Bloomfield:

Orchard Lake, Twelve Mile to Pontiac Trail

T

o some, it's urban sprawl

gone amok. To others, it's a
shoppers' and noshers' paradise.
Regardless of which side of the
street you stand, there's no
denying the pull of Orchard Lake
Road, especially the stretch
between 12 Mile Road and
Pontiac Trail where the area's
Merchant Princes and Princesses
reign supreme.

Even the most dedicated shop-
pers know that if you can't find
it here, you either don't need it
or it simply doesn't exist.

DINING

Few — if any — spots in town are as
restaurant-heavy as Orchard Lake
Road. Which is a good thing

because all this shopping requires
sustenance.
Formerly the provenance of
local chefs, popular casual chains
have put down roots along the
strip, including newcomer
California Pizza Kitchen (31005
Orchard Lake, 248-737-5912) and
J. Alexander's (7440 Orchard Lake,
248-538-8349).
They vie for the culinary custom
of patrons against such venerable
haunts as Stage & Co. (6873
Orchard Lake, 248-855-6622), Deli
Unique (6724 Orchard Lake, 248-
737-3890), Boneyard Barbecue
(31006 Orchard Lake, 248-851-
7000), Giorgio's Gourmet Diner
(6215 Orchard Lake, 248-737-
3636), Larco's (6480 Orchard Lake,
248-626-6969), La Shish (6303
Orchard Lake, 248-538-0800) and

Village Place (4170 Orchard Lake,
248-682-3400).
There's also Sunny's Café (6680
Orchard Lake, 248-626-3750) — the
last word in omelets; its neighbor,
the Russian-accented — literally and
figuratively — Fiddler (6678
Orchard Lake, 248-851-8782);
Yossi's (7325 Orchard Lake, 248-
626-0160), whose menu is a paean
to the tastes of Israel and the
Mediterranean; and the sassy
French brasserie Zinc (6745
Orchard Lake, 248-865-0500).
And then there's the long await-
ed replacement for Big Daddy's —
Sea Grille (6199 Orchard Lake,
248-487-0326).
It's hardly hyperbole to say that
few stretches of roadway can
match the concentration of sushi
restaurants found along this swath.

There's Kabuki Sushi (28972
Orchard Lake, 248538-0664), Blue
Ginger Sushi (6635 Orchard Lake,
248-737-7918), Me' Ne Sushi
(6239 Orchard Lake, 248-538-
7081), Sushi Samurai (4157
Orchard Lake, 248-737-4408) and
Yotsuba Japanese Cuisine (7365
Orchard Lake, 248-737-8282).
Other Asian entrants include the
award-winning, sophisticated
Hung Hua (27925 Orchard Lake,
248-489-2280) and the nearby,
smartly dressed Pallas (27909
Orchard Lake, 248-553-9013).
The cluster of Indian restaurants
and markets is equally impressive,
from the sophisticated Bombay
Grille (29200 Orchard Lake, 248-
626-2982) to the vegetarian Udipi
Restaurant (29210 Orchard Lake,
248-626-6021), as well as House of
India (28841 Orchard Lake, 248-
553-7391).
And for something sweet there's
Opera Pastries (6588 Orchard
Lake, 248-626-5551), Sweet
Endings (4113 Orchard Lake, 248-
539-2111), or the simple pleasure
of a thick malt or sundae from the
Carvel (6695 Orchard Lake, 248-
855-6315) ice cream shop.

SHOPPING

Talk of dining out is the perfect
segue to mention Orchard Lake
Road's many ethnic and specialty
food markets, including India
Grocers (28958 Orchard Lake, 248-
737-9909) and Babylon Ethnic
Foods (6609 Orchard Lake, 248-
851-4343), Pomeroy's Seafood
(5675 Maple Road, 248-851-6500),
Whole Foods Market (7350

WEST BLOOMFIELD on page 44

MainStreets • October 20, 2005 • 43

