OF EV ERYTHING
The Taste Of Home
Ethiopian restaurant in Southfield is true to its roots.
priced pre-fixe lunch and dinner, as Forte on South Woodward, Birmingham,
nother misused expression in restaurant language is "home cooking"
sends out an important customer-pleasing intent with the new three-course,
... If it is made in a restaurant's kitchen, it sure isn't home cooking ...
five-entrée
choice lunch Monday-Saturday, 11:30-2 (whitefish, Forte burger,
Home-style cooking might be a better way of saying it, even though
capellini,
turkey
club, pan-roasted chicken, $9.95) ... and four-course, four-
this too could be a vastly tainted expression.
entree
choice
early
evening everyday, 4-7 (whitefish, filet mignon, capellini,
Every so often a restaurant will come along with true home-style cooking ...
citrus
marinated
chicken,
$19.95) ... Forte's fine, regular, upscale menus are
One of them is Taste of Ethiopia, where Jewish-born owner Meskerem
also available.
(Meskie) Gebreyohannes prepares its food exactly as she did back home in
FORMER LOCALITE Sheryll Bellman, author of the recent big seller,
Ethiopia
America's Great Delis: Recipes and Traditions From Coast to Coast, will sign her
This could be a reason why Meskie doesn't blow her own horn about mak-
Danny Raskin
book for folks on Wednesday, March 15, 6-7 p.m., at Zingerman's on Detroit
ing something no one else has ... One item no other can boast of is called
Senior
Columnist Street in Ann Arbor ... Also that day during Zingerman's 24th anniversary, 7-9
appetizer bread, a delicious Dobo bread that is eaten before meals.
p.m. tasting celebration, ($20 for the tasting and, of course, no charge in a
Taste of Ethiopia is a small restaurant ... very clean, with seating for just 40
nearby area for Sheryll's signing) ... Zingerman's is listed in the book along
... unpretentiously hidden in the Southfield Plaza, Southfield Road, between 12
with Darbys and Boesky's.
and 13 Mile.
WHERE THEY ARE ... Sam Locricchio, former Arriva restaurant owner, is now man-
Meskie's Ethiopian restaurant experience in Toronto (Blue Nile five years and King
aging Benedetto's Italian Ristorante on 15 Mile, east of Hayes, Clinton Township ... He and
Solomon two years) is coupled with her back-home knowledge to reveal the unique,
Sandra Mandella, warble at Benedetto's Saturday evenings and at Mezzaluna on Metro
earthy Ethiopian style of dining that offers an exceptional and exquisite array of flavorful
Parkway, Sterling Heights, Friday nights.
foods.
THE FRIDAY CHICKEN carry-out by Jeffrey Rosenberg at Farmington Hills Catering
Ethiopian food is among the healthiest of all ethnic fare ... At Taste of Ethiopia, Meskie
of Adat Shalom Synagogue, is going over big, with pickups Fridays only, 10 a.m.-4 p.m....
uses no preservatives and no additives in preparation of its pure, wholesome and nutri-
Jeffrey's Italian Buffet is Wednesday, March 22, 6-8 p.m., $18 adults, $8 children (age 8
tious assortment ... I don't know if they had much pure vegetable oil years ago in
and under free.)
Ethiopia, but it is all Meskie uses here ... No frozen food or from cans either ... She takes
REUNION DEPT.... Plans are set for the 20th anniversary shindig of Southfield-
great pride in preparing everything fresh.
Lathrup
class of 1986 ... It'll be Saturday, Nov. 25, at the Dearborn Inn ... Call Melissa
Meskie even makes the traditional very low fat (1%) Inerja bread that is used in place
Wolf-Litvin,
(248) 505-0555, or email tiffo27@aol.com .
of utensils (which are available) ... It is a thin, spongy flatbread made from teff, a tiny
CONGRATS
... To Shelly Forman on her birthday ... to Esther and Harry Sherberg on
grain, that is utilized to scoop the fine Ethiopian food .... The ground teff is mixed with
their
60th
anniversary
... to Toby Husband on her birthday ... to Eugene Friedman on his
water and allowed to ferment, then cooked as one would a pancake.
59th
birthday
...
to
Uri
Lenchner on his 60th birthday ... to Harry Lenchner on his 90th
In the .center of the small Taste of Ethiopia restaurant are three messobs, hand-woven
birthday.
wicker hour-glass shapes traditionally used as tables, with wicker covers to keep food
READER'S CRITIQUE ... "I have been a longtime Buddy's Pizza fan. I love the food
warm.
and casual atmosphere. A recent trip to Buddy's with a friend from Chicago was no dif-
Taste of Ethiopia is open six days ... Tuesday-Saturday, 11-10; Sunday, noon-8 ... Lunch
ferent. As a self-described deep-dish expert, this out-of-town visitor instantly fell - in love
buffet only is Tuesday-Friday, 11-2; Saturday-Sunday from the regular menu ... serving
with Detroit's original square pizza.
specialty dishes like steak tartare tossed in a spiced butter and served raw or medium
"The menu at Buddy's is large for both veggies and non-veggies, from soups, salads,
rare, $11.50; chipped lean beef or lamb marinated and cooked with onions, garlic, rose-
home-style pastas and quality pizzas. We first ordered minestrone and chunky vegetable
mary and red wine, $9.75 beef, $10.50 lamb ... Its beef stew, lamb stew and chicken stew,
soup. The next course was a Buddy's best-seller, the Sicilian-style pizza, my favorite. On
all $7.50, are also taste treats.
the first bite, my friend said it was better than any of its counterparts in Chicago.
Legumes play an important role as part of an Ethiopian vegetarian meal ... Common
"Buddy's pizzas are consistently outstanding. I have never been disappointed in their
ones like lentils and green peas can be cooked and eaten as salads, seasoned with chilies
quality or freshness. A tasty crust, an original tomato sauce and hand-shredded cheese hid-
and ginger, or fried legumes can be ground into flour.
ing the pepperoni. No wonder it's regularly voted Detroit's best pizza." — Fred Marx. 1 -1
Ethiopian food is the ultimate in "living off the land" ... and few use its natural food
resources better than Meskie Gebreyohannes at Taste of Ethiopia.
ADD ANOTHER feather to its highly regarded cap full of successful endeavors ... Low-
Danny's e-mail address is dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net .
A
SPOSITA'S
r
RISTORANTE
Fine Italian Dining in a
Casual Atmosphere
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK!
1'O%
OFF
TOTAL FOOD BILL
(MON-THURS. ONLY)
PLEASE PRESENT THIS COUPON TO
RECEIVE DISCOUNT!
ONE COUPON PER CUSTOMER • EXPIRES 03/31/06
(NOT VALID ON ROLMAYS1
OUR NEW HOURS
Sunday
3pm-9pm
50
March 9 • 2006
BLUE GINGER
Vietnamese I Japanese I Malaysian
*Try our authentic Bubble Tea (our specialt y)
*Lunch Specials: $5.95-$6.95
Friday
1 lam-11pm
33210 W. 14 Mile Road
In Simsbury Plaza
Just East of Farmington Road
West Bloomfield
—Danny Raskin, November 26, 2004
*Low-Carb/Low-Calorie Fresh Shrimp Roll
Monday-Thursday
4prn- lOpm
Saturday
4pm-11 pm
"Blue Ginger features the best of
Malaysia,
Vietnam & Japan."
SPOSITA'S
RISTORANTE
-8954
Tues-Thurs 11-1 0 • Fri-Sat 11-11 •
rr,;-Ii;o7d. Lake
Sun 4:30-9
(in Old Orilard
• 248.'737.7918-