BEST uF EVER

H1NG

A Wholesome 22

Blue Nile restaurants mark another milestone.

H

pounds of beef.
e has traveled a long road in
When Seifu, an Ethiopian Jew,
achieving hard-to-come-by suc-
opened his first Blue Nile 22
cess in the ethnic dining world
years ago in Detroit, all dishes
... As the years sped by, each step taken
were individually priced ... No's,
by him to reach his present goal became
he makes sure that nobody ever
easier.
goes away hungry from a Blue
Owner Seifu Lessanework's Blue Nile
Nile restaurant ... All entrees
Ethiopian restaurants are happily celebrat-
contain selections from four
ing a total of 22 years between his present
meat items and seven vegetar-
location, Nine Mile, west of Woodward,
ian dishes and are all-you-
Ferndale, four years, and previous one on
Monroe in Detroit, 18 years ... Seifu's sister, can-eat ... The Ethiopian
Almaz, and her husband, Habte Dadi, oper- Feast is $18 per adult; half-price for
ate his Ann Arbor site, which opened short- youngsters under 12 ... An all-you-can-eat
Vegetarian Feast with seven selections is
ly after the Detroit locale first unlocked its
$16.90.
doors.
It had no Ethiopian wine when opened
The two Blue Nile restaurants are like
22 years ago ... In the last 17 1/2 years,
one, with almost everything the same ...
Seifu counts more than 22,000 emptied
menu, seating; hours, etc. ... In Ferndale,
bottles since getting a license to use
the colorful Blue Nile decor is enhanced
"Seifu's Honey Wine" label with utilization
with colored umbrellas hanging from the
permission of the words, "Quality guaran-
ceiling and brick walls painted red. •
teed by Seifu Lessanework, personal butler
Ferndale has 15 messobs, handwoven
to his majesty, The Emperor of Ethiopia"
wicker that traditionally serve as tables,
(Haile Selassie).
with seating for 100 ... In Ann Arbor,
Blue Nile is today the only restaurant
there are 17 messobs, and seating for
in the United States with this authentic
.
around 150.
Ethiopian wine.
This past July, after three months test-
The original Trapper's Alley locale's
ing with customers, Seifu's new Fit Fit
intent was to use a Teff Inerja bread of
Food made its introduction to the Blue
Ethiopian flour flown in from Washington,
Nile list of wholesome dishes, made with
D.C., where its 200,000 Ethiopian populace
sunflower juice, Ethiopian bread, spicy
is America's largest ... But after three
lentils, mixed with vegetables and served
months, Seifu was serving plain Inerja
alongside all entrees.
bread with flour from Idaho and made at
Both restaurants are open six days a
week ... Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 5- both locations.
Many customers are members of gen-
10; Friday and Saturday, 4-11; Sunday, 3-9.
erations
who had never eaten Ethiopian
Between the two locations, more than
food
before,
but have become regular
2 million customers have passed through
patrons
and
healthier
because of it, says'
the Blue Nile doors ... chomping on over
Seifu.
4 million pounds of chicken, almost 2
Blue Nile in Ferndale is in its own free-
million pounds of lamb, over 8 million
standing
building, sided by the restau-
pounds of vegetables and almost 1 million

SHANGRI-LA

Authentic Chinese Cuisine

"Integrity and freshness are keywords at Shangri ,La.
Shangri-La has turned curiosity into regular visits
— Danny Raskin, The Jewish News

rant's free, ample parking lot.
Twenty-two years with not a
single carry out and no doggy
bags ... But certainly a tradition
of relaxed ethnic dining in Blue
Nile restaurants that continues to
preach wholesome goodness in all
their servings.
RECENT PRIVATE event
showing off the newly renovated
Sweet Georgia Brown restaurant
on Brush and Monroe, Detroit,
was a highly attended sightseeing experi-
ence.
To go along with an update of SGB's
striking, sophisticated new look, own-
ers Frank Taylor, CEO of the Southern
Hospitality Restaurant Group, and former
basketball star Derrick Coleman, blended
in well with their impeccable styles of
splendor ... Frank was his usual sarto-
rial elegance, and Derrick wore a brown
suit with pleated and belted back from
his clothing Collection at Jack's Place,
Southfield, that blended in with the res-
taurant's warm shades of chocolate.
Sweet Georgia Brown's even more con-
temporary look would give the fanciest
New York or Los Angeles dining and jazz
spots a torrid run for their money.
THIS YEAR'S third annual Grub Crawl
by the Greater West Bloomfield Chamber
of Commerce won't concentrate only on
Orchard Lake Road restaurants, as in the
previous two years ... The former Taste
of West Bloomfield will now also include
dining spots in various WB locales ...
Folks will travel from one restaurant to
another tasting sample-size portions of
each restaurant's specialty ... Date is set
for Tuesday, Oct. 17, 6-10 p.m.... Susie
Graham is Grub Crawl committee chairgal.
THIS WEEKEND, June 23-24, will

begin summer break time for the Don
Swindell Shuffle Play quartet at. Ginopolis'
On The Hill, 12 Mile and Middlebelt,
Farmington Hills ... They'll return to the
lounge in September.
READER CRITIQUE ... "My wife,
Marion, and I, a long-time Detroit deli
owner of Billy's, Livernois at Seven Mile,
and Hy Grade Deli, Michigan at West
Grand Boulevard, visited two of New
York's most famous delicatessens.
"Katz's Deli had the bestmatzah balls
I have tasted. So light they almost floated
out of the broth. A great hand-cut corned
beef sandwich, too.
Carnegie Deli's matzah ball soup was
average. Its potato pancakes were among
the worst ever. At Carnegie, three large
latkes were $12.95, plus a ridiculous $3
sharing charge. Our two bowls of matzah
ball soup, one order of latkes shared, two
cups of coffee — the tab with tip and tax
added was over $42! And they don't accept
credit cards. Cash only" ... Bernie Litt.
CONGRATS ... To Carol and Leonard
Moss on their 58th anniversary.
ERRATA, TYPO, Etc. Dept. ...
Correct e-mail address for the Detroit
Mumford High class of 1966 reunion,
Saturday, Nov. 4, at Somerset Inn, Troy, is
qofeuchre@sbcglobal.net ... That contacts
Margi Fridson Weinhaus, (248) 553-6687.
The Mumford '66 graduating class had
folks like Eddie Zuckerman, Hollywood
television writer with an Emmy award for
Law and Order (his new show, Runaway,
begins this fall), plus State Sen. Gilda
Jacobs of Huntington Woods and State
Rep. Burton Leland of Detroit. E

Danny's e-mail address is

dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net .

Deliciously Intoxicating,
Great Priced Authentic
Northern Italian Cuisine

•The perfect dinner spot before or
after the theater, or just because...

•Restaurant & Bar

OPEN 7 DAYS • 11 am - 2 am

(248) 626-8585

6407 Orchard Lake Road • West Bloomfield; MI 48322

across from Comerica Park I Detroit I (313) 471-3500

June 22 e 2006

47