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EVERYTHING

7

Change With A Twist

To keep customers coming back, Yotsuba adds to is delicious menu.

W

ith destination res-
taurants seemingly
taking over a lot of
dining interest, ethnic restau-
rants more than others, because
of their traditional dishes, are
finding it necessary to come up
with innovative menu items.
Their long-established offer-
ings that have been by-word
presentations for so many years
in identification of particular
cultures does not by any means
need to change ... But other
items are also being found nec-
essary in many ethnic dining
emporiums to attract the dining
dollars out there.
This is the case with beautiful
Yotsuba Japanese Restaurant &
Bar, Orchard Lake Road, north
of Northwestern and 14, in the
Robin's Nest, West,Bloomfield
... Owner Ann Lin knows how
difficult changes can be because
of set traditional food requests,
but is smart enough to realize
that other creative smatterings
of delight not found in other
Japanese restaurants is now
important as well.
Along with items seldom seen
elsewhere, like Philadelphia roll
of salmon and cream cheese;
Boston roll with lobster meat,
Boston lettuce and asparagus;
raw or smoked salmon sushi;
raw salmon sashimi (no rice),
etc.; also available now at Yotsuba
is a very creative and delicious
salmon or tuna pizza on tortilla,
lox and cream cheese on bagels ,

ground sirloin hamburgers on
kaiser rolls, stuffed flounder,
fresh-cut salads, etc.
A main reason for these items
is convenience, and it is big ...
No longer do all those in a party
have to have Japanese food just
because they are in a Japanese
restaurant ... And if Japanese
fare is wanted, but something
different is sought, Yotsuba has
a delicious spicy tuna wrapped
with rice paper instead of-sea-
weed, Boston roll of tuna on
crispy rice cake topped with
black fish roe, Japanese shrimp
tempura on a kaiser roll or
English muffin, etc.
It'll even make French fries
when ordered or egg omelets of
any kind ... along with the stan-
dard Japanese layered omelet,
egg sushi, steamed egg with
spinach and fish or Chauwahi
(custard and fish).
Innovations have made
Yotsuba a Japanese dining spot
of another kind ... One that
presents the best of its culture's
delights along with other culi-
nary sprinkles.
Translated in Japanese, Yotsuba
means four-leaf clover, its good
luck symbol etched all around
the restaurant ... It would
come as no surprise if Ann had
corned beef and cabbage next St.
Patrick's Day.
To be sure, West Bloomfield's
Yotsuba is strikingly beautiful ...
In fact, one of the most attractive
in Michigan ... But ambience

to

SO

restaurant entrepre-
neur ... About the
time years back here,
when Don Rickles
did a monologue
to entertain Jackie
Mason at 3 a.m. in
the back room of
Grecian Gardens,
Greektown, and
was asked to leave
because he was
disturbing its cus-
tomers ... The time Rickles was
auditioning for a job at the Slate
Brother's nightclub in Beverly
Hills, when Frank Sinatra came
in and laughed hysterically at
being ridiculed from on-stage by
Don with his insulting comedy
... Result was that Rickles got
the job and remained at Slate
Brothers for 10 weeks before
shoving off into a star-stud-
ded career, starting with Las
Vegas ... When the girl arrived
every morning at 7 a.m. on her
bicycle for breakfast at Nate & Al
Delicatessen in Beverly Hills, and
visitors wondered at how much
she looked like Doris Day with
freckles ... It was Doris Day.
MAIL DEPT. ... "I read
some mail that you received from
a reader who inquired about
Cardinelli's in Detroit. I remem-
ber going there years ago and
enjoying its Italian food. I would
like to know if the former owners
or any of the employees are still
in this region, and if any of the
family owns a restaurant in the

itself is not enough to
bring back customers
... Food and service
are still the true keys
in a restaurant's suc-
cess ... Both of which
Yotsuba enjoys.
Seating for 140 is
on two levels, includ-
ing two private Tatami
rooms with foot wells
(16 and 8 to 10), both
enclosed with fine-
looking, hand-made, rice-paper-
covered doors ... Another 20 is
at a large horseshoe sushi bar.
Nov. 18 will be the second
anniversary of Yotsuba in West
Bloomfield ... Its first location,
in Ann Arbor, opened five years
ago.
Yotsuba here is still mainly and
very much a Japanese restaurant
... but with creative menu selec-
tions that make visiting it an
interesting and delightful experi-
ence.
RETURNING BY much
request will be the sing-along
events by Yossi's Israeli Cuisine,
northeast side of Robin's
Nest, Orchard Lake Road off
Northwestern ... They'll start
up again 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14
... $18 adults, $13 youngsters -11
and under, and include appetizer,
entree and beverage (tea, coffee
or pop) plus vocals, guitar and
accordion ... Reservations only,
(248) 626-0160.
NOSTALGIA DEPT. ... By
former Detroit and California

FREE!

Includes:1 lb. coleslaw or potato salad • 1 pound of double baked rye bread
• mustard • Russian dressing • old & new dill pickles

DINNER

Weekend Reservations Suggested

dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net.

Early Supper Menu
Daily
from 5:30-6:45 pm

R smeu nt & Bar

248.681.2124

1978 Cass Lake Rd. • Keego Harbor

attheVineyards

3241

8 Northwestern Hwy., between

14 &

Middlebelt

248.855.9463

0/4- 4
s';><-4";

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px.Cuipo

INC III•11:

I EARLY BIRD DINNER SPECIAL EVERYDAY 4pm-6pm

E R MY

Tuesday-Saturday 5:30-10 pm
Sunday 5:30-9 pm

Danny's e-mail address is

epeCiai

Buy 1 pound of meat of your choice:
Corned Beef, Pastrami or Turkey Breast & get all the fixin's for

Announcing Our
New Casual
Dining Menu

area." ... Michel Holtman.
To my knowledge, there is
nobody around that owned or
worked at the Cardinelli's Italian
Restaurant on Woodward and
Mitchell in Detroit ... Many
folks will recall the wine in cups
they used to drink at the former
Giulio's, and its immensely-
popular home-style northern
Italian cooking ... Some of the
dishes that Cardinelli's used to
serve have yet to be found again,
they say.
QUESTION & ANSWER
Dept.
Q."While in Baltimore, we
were almost taken to a restau-
rant called Purim Oak because
we were Jewish. Do you know
anything about it?" ... for-
mer Detroiter Sam Kerwin,
Washington, D.C.
A. For sure, Purim Oak is not a
Jewish restaurant ... I was there
a few years ago while visiting
Baltimore, and had a delicious
Korean dish ... I don't know
where the Purim comes from.
CONGRATS ... To Blanche
Duke on her birthday ... To Dick
Jaeger on his 65th birthday ...
To Sheila and Steve Silverstein
on their 25th anniversary ...
To Shirley and Ed Rosenberg
on their 60th anniversary ... To
Susie Klein on her birthday ...
To David Berman on his 80th
birthday.

EQ

WillOILIE SLAB. Rib 111114MIER FOR 2

I

2 Texas Toast • 2 Cole Slaw • 2 Rice or Fries
$10:95

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Inclucl, ( - aro

out • 11

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2 drinks • Bpi,: id 20'06

R,

o 14 Mile
1103 East Lake Drive approx. corner
1/2 mile west of Novi Rd.
248.668.9005

October 12 2006

63