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Return Destination

Commerce Grill keeps bringing them back.

N

o one said it would be easy going
into the restaurant business in
.
these unpredictable times ... And
especially as a first venture without a
stitch of restaurant knowledge.
Experience is a wonderful thing, but in
numerous instances, a well-organized
rationale is many times even better ... To
attain restaurant survival these days, this
is really needed.
Every so often, someone comes along
whose common-sense aptitude is coupled
with a -fervent desire to win the challenge
that having no previous experience might
confront them with for success in the
restaurant game.
Diane Walsh, owner of the new
Commerce Grill, Union Lake Road
between Commerce Road and Willow in
the Uptown Plaza, Commerce Township,
seems to be pushing all the right buttons.
Her Commerce Grill opened last August.
No mistakes in hiring ... Diane's general
manager, Eric Meloche, was Ella and son
Tony Mitchell's general manager at their
Mitch's Tavern in Waterford, and served
the same capacity for Fred Graczyk at his
Brandy's in Bloomfield Hills.
Her executive chef, David Hoch, is a
1987 graduate of the Culinary Institute of
America, Hyde Park, N.Y., and worked
under wonderful Master Chef Leopold
Schaeli at the Machus Red Fox on
Telegraph in Bloomfield Township.
From the outside, Commerce Grille
doesn't look like much ... But the interior
brings double-takes from first-timers ...
The striking decor of soft lighting, long-
hanging light shades, mahogany tables,
white linen napkins, gray walls with
blonde oak trim, large mirrors, high-

padded booths, natural stone fireplace
and floor, etc.
Diane loves to entertain, and it shows as
she goes to tables greeting folks and mak-
ing certain everyone is satisfied ... Her
friendly handling of Commerce Grille,
with its upscale style and reasonable pric-
ing, is a prominent plus.
She is not without her own flings at
entertaining, being a former niter), ball-
room dancer with a partner, owning her
own dance studio and a Las Vegas casino.
Signature dish prepared by Chef David
is Commerce Grille's 8-ounce cocoa filet,
rubbed with cocoa, cinnamon and chili ...
But the best seller is its lake perch entree
with the little devils skinned by Diane's
son, Ivlatthew, prepping in the kitchen
before going to Chicago in August for the
fine Cordon Bleu program.
... One of the soups, interestingly sepa-
rated.into two sections, one-half black bean
and one-half corn chowder, is like having
two soups at the same time ... Salmon and
white fish are also big favorites.
Commerce Grille is open seven days a
week, Monday and Tuesday, 4-9;
Wednesday-Saturday, 4-11; Sunday 4-9 ...
Come the warm weather, an outdoor patio
will be open with another five tables ...
Seating is for 90 in the dining room and
another 20 at the semi-square blonde oak
bar with its blonde oak overhang.
A familiar face on Tuesday and
Wednesday evening is Jimmy Cohen at the
piano, 6-10 p.m.... Many folks remember
Jimmy from the Jakk's Lounge days on
Greenfield in Oak Park ... Well-liked Don
Nadell tickles the-ivories on Thursday,
Friday and Saturday evenings.
Commerce Grille adds much to the

DETROIT'S LEGENDARY STEAK HOUSE

Brunck

A classic since 1920

Metro Times • Playboy Magazine
Delta Airlines • Hour Magazine
Maxim Magazine • City Search
Both People & Editors Choice

WELCOME BACK WINGS FANS!
SHUTTLE SERVICE TO ALL
DOWNTOWN EVENTS

only have I seen Steven Spielberg at his
mom's place, but his big-time producer
friend, Brian Grazer (Cinderella Man, A
Beautiful Mind) has been there on many
occasions as well." — Hershel Goulson
(formerly of Southfield), Los Angeles, Calif.
SMART SERVER Dept.... Guys and
gals who return a customer's credit card to
them and say, "Thank you, Mr. or Mrs.
Jones," after noting the party's name on
the plastic.
CONGRATS ... To Phyllis and Ken Katz
on their 50th anniversary ... To Harry
Chaben on his birthday.
ERRATA, TYPO, ETC. Dept.... The Don
Swindell Shuffle Bay quartet, featuring
drummer gal Sheila Brown, appears Friday
and Saturday evenings, 7:30 to 11:30, in
the lounge at Ginopolis' On The Grill, 12
Mile and Middlebelt, Farmington Hills.
READER MINI CRITIQUE ... "My wife
and I enjoyed a recent visit to Tutto Bene
on 13 Mile Road east of Orchard Lake
Road [in Farmington Hills]. The food was
fresh and home-cooked, the waithelp
courteous, accommodating and prompt.
"No alcoholic beverage is served. The
menu is a la carte, reasonably priced, with
the standard Italian fare, including pizzas,
pastas, panini, calzones and a nice variety
of fresh large salads. My bowl of a Tuscan
vegetable soup (Ribollita) was outstand-
ing, as was Deann's soup of the day, a rich
(no cream) tomato with mushrooms.
"I also had a fine pasta with half meat
sauce and half marinara. Deann also had
a large salad with grilled chicken." — Dr.
Marshall Shapiro. El

Danny's e-mail address is

dannyraskin®sbcglobal.net.

We now offer some of your most favorite items of 30 years.
Available anytime for your carry:out needs.

ll

10:00 am-2:30 pm
Adults $21.95
Children 5-12 yrs $15.95
Under 5 yrs FREE
Purchase two entrées
totaling $50 or more
receive $10 off with ad.

Voted Best Steak House by:

growing dining
popularity of the
lakes region ...
Those who have
discovered it come
back, which is
probably the most
important aspect of
a good restaurant.
Diane Walsh
Danny Raskin
need
have no con-
Senior Columnist
cerns about satis-
faction ...
Customers returning is a major road to
restaurant success.
MAIL DEPT.... "Life here in
Charleston, South Carolina, is fabulous. I
love living here, love the Charleston Grill I
am now running, and the wonderful peo-
ple I meet every day.
"I say with great pride that, in my first
year, I've increased revenues here by over
24 percent and have securely established
myself in the restaurant community. Rick
Rubel, formerly with Matt Prentice's
group, now works with me.
"It is amazing how this area has become
a vacation spot for Detroiters. Without
exaggeration, I see at least one Detroiter a
week that I know from Tapawingo or
Tribute. It amazes me but, then again, this
area is beautiful and only a two-hour
flight from Detroit" — Mickey Bakst, for-
mer Tribute maitre d'/manager.
"This may have already been brought to
your attention from a recent column of
yours, and you may have already printed a
correction, but the Milky Way restaurant
here in Los Angeles, as the name implies, is
a dairy only kosher restaurant, not meat-
only. I have been there many times and not

Lox

CARL S

c Ho_p H o c's E

3020 Grand River I Detroit, MI

313 833-0700

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Corned Beef
Extra Lean Corned Beef
Fresh Roasted Turkey Breast
Swiss Cheese
Chicken Salad
Tuna Salad

522.50

$10.00 lb.
$11.00 lb.
$10.00 lb.
$6.25 lb.
$9.00 lb.
5 9 . 00 lb.

"The best tuna ish in North America." - n _ETROIT FREE PRESS

Bloomfield. Plaza • 6638 Telegraph & Maple • Bloomfield Twp.
248.851.0313

March 2 e 2005

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