Arts & Entertainment BEST OF EVERYTHING A Chain Of Gold N 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 •• ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ III MIS • 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. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ III ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ •I ■ ■■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Dinner $ • (DINE-IN • ■ oT for Two ■ Deli Dinners Include Your Choice of Any: ■ • Two Sandwiches from Our Sandwich Board Menu ■ with Overstuffed Corned Beef, Roasted Turkey Breast, ■ ■ Pastrami, Wilno Salami, Roast Beef or Tuna ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ • Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Potato Salad or Cole Slaw Jell -0 ••••••••• ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ 1289640 62 August 9 2007 III III ■ ■ ■ ■ III 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. III ■ • •011 • II • II • II • ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ 32418 Northwestern Hwy. between Middlebelt & 14 Mile 248.85509463 Order online: www.VineyardDeli.com I Weekday Dinner Hours 4.7 pm ■ ■ •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••