Arts & Entertainment
BEST OF EVERYTHING
A Chain Of Gold
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Bonefish Grill adds personal touches usually not found at chains.
of being overly thrilled about
dining at some restaurant chain
operations, I was less than
excited at being taken to one by former
Detroiters Marvin and Darline Leader, vis-
iting here from Fountain Hills, Ariz.
It was to a Bonefish Grill, on 11 Mile east
of Novi Road, just north of Grand River,
Novi, that opened in 2006 and revealed a
surprising experience ... The usual turn-
offs of some chain restaurants like stereo-
typed smiles and false attention, unimagi-
native menu items, re-warmed frozen food,
etc., were all missing in the revelation of an
enjoyable evening of dining to go with the
conviviality of Marvin and Darline.
The owners of Bonefish Grill are smart
... Their franchisees are also managing
partners, getting a piece of the profits ...
In this case, Brian O'Hara is the young
gent whose real enthusiasm is not in refer-
ence to "our" but to "my" when speaking
of continual improvements and numerous
innovations at the Novi Bonefish Grill.
And our server, Eric Torigian, was
among the best we've had in many a moon
... It's just too bad that he presently only
works at the Bonefish on Saturday eve-
nings, unless Brian calls for help when
someone doesn't show up or whatever,
like the Friday evening we were there
... Eric has no previous experience as a
waitperson, but possesses all the elements
that you seldom see in servers these days
... high efficiency, great personality, an
honest eagerness to please in fervent pro-
motion of his customers returning, etc.
... And on top of all this, being a former
chef, he is one in a million that sure knows
his food ... A huge trait is Eric not being
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afraid to bring samples for cus-
WHERE TO DANCE
tomers to try before ordering ...
DEPT. ... Clawson Steak
His confidence in the food he
House, former Clawson
serves is extremely refreshing.
Lounge, on Rochester
Some things about numerous
Road, has live terpsi fun
other restaurant chains go out
Wednesday-Saturday.
the window in comparison with
THEY REMEMBER
Bonefish Grill in Novi ... Its
DEPT. ... As a teenager,
fresh oak wood-burned grilled
_
recalls Jerry Light, he worked
and sauteed fish, premises-
Danny Raskin
at Wilson's Deli on Dexter
made soup like an excellent corn
Senior Columnist
and Monterey in Detroit as a
chowder with lump crab, choice
waiter for $1 an hour ... His
steaks, etc., including premises-baked
mentor was the late Jack Goldberg, owner
bread and desserts ... On the latter, even
then of the Stage Deli in Oak Park, who
key lime pie is made at the restaurant and
taught him the fundamentals of properly
not shipped in frozen, along with items
being a deli counter man.
seldom seen like Icelandic arctic char (a
"I not only experienced the enjoyment
cousin to salmon), mussels sauteed with
of sampling and preparing every menu
tomatoes, garlic, basil and lemon wine
item, such as my favorite, a corned beef
sauce, ahi tuna sashimi, etc.
sandwich on rye with a dill pickle, but I
Thanks to Marvin and Darline for an
also was taught to play Clobyosh (Klog
unexpected, but most enjoyable casual
Mela). This was a daily afternoon card
dining adventure.
game, played in the rear booth by my boss,
THE JUST ABOUT ready to open Chef
Max, with his friends shouting and swear-
Theodore authentic Greek restaurant will
ing profanities.
occupy half of the former many-dining-
"After gaining self-confidence and
spots locale on Orchard Lake Road, corner expertise talent, I decided to seek employ-
of Pontiac Trail, Orchard Lake, and be
ment elsewhere for higher wages. So I
much like most of the tavernas in Greece
found work at Lefkofsky's on Dexter and
... All tables and no booths ... Entrance
Tuxedo, Detroit. There I learned the art of
will be directly from the parking lot in the Hollywood showmanship from three excit-
sector that includes both restaurant and
ing men, the Lefkofsky brothers.
outdoor entrances onto a spacious 50 or
"They were so entertaining that they
more seating porch ... The 100-seat din-
belonged on a Broadway stage. Sam,
ing room colors will be blue and white as
dressed as a debonair movie star, was
in the flags of Greece and Israel.
always fraternizing with the women. Leo,
ADD ANOTHER restaurant to the
looking like a totem pole, kept his arms
growing list of trans-fat-free eateries ...
folded and grunted when he spoke. Little
George's Honey Tree on Northwestern
Ben missed his calling. He should have
Highway, West Bloomfield.
been a used car salesman.
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Dinner $
• (DINE-IN
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oT for Two
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Deli Dinners Include Your Choice of Any:
■ • Two Sandwiches from Our Sandwich Board Menu
■ with Overstuffed Corned Beef, Roasted Turkey Breast,
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■ Pastrami, Wilno Salami, Roast Beef or Tuna
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Homemade Chicken
Noodle Soup
Potato Salad or
Cole Slaw
Jell -0
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August 9 2007
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TheDetrron News
"Once again, seeking more pay, I wound
up working at Flashenberg's Delicatessen
on Linwood and Richton, Detroit. Mr.
Flashenberg and his wife treated me as
though I was their own son. Often times,
while standing behind the counter wear-
ing my lily-white apron, customers pre-
ferred my attention rather than my boss.
This agitated him, and he spoke up saying,
`Hey! I'm Mr. Flashenberg, not him!' I still
wear the multiple-scared knife wounds of
my past as a counter man, dressed in the
lily-white apron which I still own."
YES, THERE IS A Big Daddy's in
Toronto ... In fact two of them ... Same
logo lettering as the former one in West
Bloomfield, but no Greek food and differ-
ent owners ... Both are called Big Daddy's
Crab Shack and Oyster Bar.
MOST MISPELLED ON restaurant
menus? ... How about "alla carte" ...
Correct spelling is a la carte.
REUNION DEPT. ... 30th by
Southfield High class of 1977, is Sunday,
Sept. 2, 7 p.m., at Glen Oaks Country
Club, Farmington Hills ... $65 per person
includes chicken or vegetarian dinner ...
Pre-sales only ... Contact Mike Durham,
(248) 227-5983, or Ilene Silverman Abrin,
(248) 318-1917.
CONGRATS ... To Michael Freud on his
birthday ... To Albert Freud on his birth-
day ... To Michael and Marilyn Kent on
their 35th anniversary ... To Rozzie and
Mark Hertzberg on their 35th anniversary.
GET WELL WISHES ... To Mert
Robbins. I
Danny's e-mail address is
dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net.
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32418 Northwestern Hwy. between Middlebelt & 14 Mile 248.85509463
Order online: www.VineyardDeli.com I Weekday Dinner Hours 4.7 pm
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