_ its & Entertainment
.
THE
BEST OF EVERYTHING
A Perfect 10
Chef's large repertoire scores big at Five Restaurant.
R
estaurants with many faces can be downright
dangerous ... You'never know which one it will
be on your next visit.
This is especially true of the food it serves, where con-
- sistency is usually the all-important thing.
Which is where Torn MacKinnon comes in ... It has
always been a focal point in Tom's large repertoire of food
preparation ... Consistency is why the MacKinnon's he
still owns in Northville, now operated by-his chef son, Ian,
has always been among the tops in dining.
Today, Tom is executive chef of the new Five Restaurant
at the Inn at St. John's, on Five Mile Road in Plymouth,
where he continues his great quality of dining talent.
Many will also.remember him from MacKinnon's, or
as a WDIV-TV personality where he did a five-minute .
segment called "Gourmet on the Go" during its noontime
news ... Or as the "No NOnsense Chef" on Channel 7's
Good Morning, Detroit.
Five Restaurant at the Inn at St. John's is located within
the 118-room luxury boutique hotel, in itself a veritable
museum of beauteous decor ... The restaurant puts
together Italian architecture of the existing facility with
a striking Arts and Crafts structural design that includes
custom-designed glass and wood paneling and original
artwork ...' Its shades of tangerine, celery, moss green
and browns present a warm variety of relaxed texture.
Off the dining room is a fine 70-seat martini lounge
with curved marble-top bar, wines by the glass and tapas
dining menu. .
.
Seating at Five Restaurant is for about 70 plus a lovely
outdoor terrace that overlooks the inn's picturesque
grounds, large garden and well-manicured golf course.
Tom's baker, Robert Weiss, was a former cook at
Botsford Inn before coming with the master ... He and
local singer Karen Newman are cousins, but the only
singing he does is in the kitchen while making challah
among his five bread preparations.
Five Restaurant is a seven-day operation ... Breakfast,
7-11; lunch, 11-3; dinner, 5-11.
The consistent culinary talents of Tom MacKinnon
are endless ... with dining items seldom, if ever, seen
elsewhere ... Like the Boston Eggs Benedict at breakfast
(crab cake with grilled English muffin and poached egg);
at lunch, My Irish Egg Roll (corned beef, house-made
mozzarella, in an egg wrap), green onion soup,
Broder, whose book readings will be 2
ahi tuna club, tandoori ribs; at dinner, steak dogs,
p.m. Sunday, April 23, at the Henry and
smoked ginger barbecued salmon, Piedmontese
Delia Meyers Library in West Bloomfield's
filets, etc.
Jewish Community Center, Maple and
Almost everything on the menu is prepared
Drake.
much different than at other places ...'a talent
Both are former grads of Roosevelt
garnered from 35 years working at Danny's Gin
Elementary and Durfee Intermediate ...
Mill, Great Dane and other spots before opening
Bill's father, Hy Broder, was a popular gent
MacKinnon's in 1981.
in the Jewish community, and his wife,
Danny Raskin
His braised maple leaf duck is a standout, as are
Celia, was founder of the Sinai Hospital
the seared frenched lamb chops, fresh whitefish and Senior Columnist Guild.
pan-Asian stuffed shrimp pyramid.
His newest novel, Taking Care of
In addition to being executive chef at Five Restaurant,
Cleo, is set around Charlevoix in the late '20s, and many
Tom MacKinnon also supervises all kitchen operations
of her "The Magician" short stories are about Detroit ...
at the Inn at St. John's, gaining note for its weddings, bar
No charge, with reservations requested ... Call (248) 432-
mitzvahs and special events at the 190-acre property.
5546.
No better choice could have been made than the selec-
CONGRATS ... To Janet Rosman on her birthday,
tion of this excellent chef icon to run its dining show.
celebrated with table for four at Angelo's Greek Bistro
THE MENU FOR Tribute's 10th anniversary
... To Mary Sugarman on her birthday
To Diane
party, Monday, June 5, at the restaurant, 12 Mile, west
Swanigan on her birthday.
of Orchard Lake Road, Farmington Hills, sounds like
THE HANK GREENBERG Memorial Golf & Tennis
something out of a gourmand's greatest food dream ...
Invitational, Monday, June 12, at Tam O'Shanter, Orchard
Unbelievable-sounding exotic passed hors d'oeuvres, cav-
Lake Road, West Bloomfield, honors Hall of Fame short-
iar, cheese, and dessert stations, choice wines ... At the
stop Ozzie Smith with the Hank Greenberg Memorial
$50 price, the 300-attendance cutoff should be reached
Lifetime Achievement Award ... Call Elayne Wolfson,
mighty quick.
(248) 788-0921.
ANOTHER RUMOR needing squelching is that
OAK PARK DAYS by Hoa Hoa Inn on Novi Road, off
the Fiddler restaurant on Orchard Lake Road, West
14 Mile, whose name back then on Nine Mile was Hoa
Bloomfield, is being or has been sold ... No truth, says
Kow, will be Wednesday, April 19 through Sunday, April
Dan Kuchersky, son of the late owner, Mike Kuchersky
23 ... Eight dinner entrees, including broiled whitefish,
... According to Dan, it is still being operated by the
almond boneless chicken, etc., plus soup, egg roll, tea or
Kuchersky family ... Mike's wife, Maya, and their two
coffee and almond cookies, $7.95.
sons, Dan and Roman.
MAIL DEPT. ... "Regarding your column's 'Wonder
GOOD BUYS DEPT. ... Salmon, tilapia or whitefish Where They Are Dept.; I ran into Ricky 'Dee' Drapkin about
with soup, salad or coleslaw, ranch, cottage fries or baked
two years ago. He was working at a local store and_said he
potato and toasted garlic bread, $12.95 ... at Brass Pointe, also did some occasional voice-over work. It is worth not-
Orchard Lake Road and 10 Mile, Farmington Hills.
ing too that Ricky was a prolific songwriter, composing
THE LOW-PRICED prix-fixe lunch and dinner
tunes recorded by Motown artists. I believe the Beatles also
menus (soup, salad, entree) at Forte, Old Woodward,
recorded at least one of his pieces:' ... Terry T. Brown. [It
Birmingham, are getting high praise ... $9.95 lunch,
was "Devil in Her Heart:' recorded in 1963.]
Monday-Saturday, 11:30-2; $19.95 dinner, Monday-
Sunday, 4-7.
Danny's e-mail address is dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net .
MUCH YESTERYEAR nostalgia accompanies for-
mer localites, authors Bill Broder and wife, Gloria Kurian
❑
•
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND
Roasted Duck • London Broil • Leg of Lamb
Mac & Cheese • Roasted Chicken
Chicken Pot Pie • Shish Kabob
Dinners starting as low as $6.99
All dinners include: soup or salad & dessert
Northwestern Hwy.
Southfield, MI 48034
29221
248-358-2353
56
April 13 • 2006
cross
•
Restaurant
Italian Cuisine
248.476.0044
For the
month of
April, take an
additional
10% Off
your entire bill
if your na me is
Ed y
not ,ttliewith
any other otTer
Sunday-Thursday: 7-9
tarrilq restaurant Friday & Saturday: 7-10
"Any Event" Catering • Banquet Room Available
400
M
Off
Buy any dinner entree and receive
S6Noff the second dinner entree
Salads. ♦ ulas smith\ idle, and ilk tor 2 excluded.
ale coupon per table
Fvpues: 400106
I
1
Farmington Hills • Corner of Grand River & Haggerty Road
Auburn Hills • 1 4, miles south of the Palace of Auburn Hills „0,.