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Big Rock Gathers No Moss

Birmingham chop house builds on innovation and success.

H

is reputation follows him and, as
such, he is expected to keep cre-
ating changes at his restaurants.
So it is nothing new anymore when
Norm LePage takes a successful restaurant
and, rather than have it stagnantly rest on
its laurels, continues to make alterations
... It's uncanny that improvements seem
to happen every time.
In 1984, Norm resurrected the old
Birmingham Grand Trunk Western
Railway Depot and created Norman's Eton
Street Station ... only to transform it 13
years later into a fresh and better din-
ing destination with another new name
... 1997 saw it become a bona fide chop
house ... Big Rock Chop House, that is.
In those 10 years, owners Norm and
Bonnie LePage, with partners Ray and
Mary Nicholson, have seen about 1.5 mil-
lion people served in the restaurant alone,
since the inception of its new concept and
name ... With this amount of custom-
ers, Norm and Bonnie certainly had to be
doing something right again!
A name change in itself is nothing new
... It has been done many times before ...
But this one by Norm was together with a
complete operational turnover as well ...
Taking a highly successful restaurant and
completely changing it in all aspects is
most times unheard of.
But Norm still isn't satisfied ... And
already the area in which Big Rock stands
is being worked on for what will eventu-
ally become a complete complex, housing
the present restaurant and Reserve ban-
quet facility, condominium lofts, under-
ground parking for those residing in the
lofts, retail space, etc.
Still with Norm these past 10 years are

Vera Day Rizer, general man-
ager; Helen McCasland, office
manager; Kevin Eskanian, head
waiter; Carolyn Clark, catering
director; Craig Wilson, bartend-
er; Michael Joseph, head stew-
ard; and Alan Gonzalez, waiter
at the upstairs Got Rocks ...
Where there were seven manag-
ers back in 1997, today, between
Big Rock and Reserve, the count
is 21 ... Reserve now also has
its own kitchen staff plus the
addition of a garden area with covered
terrace gazebo for the likes of enchanting
marital "I Do" sessions.
Executive Chef Jeff Rose, noted for his
ability to make improvisations on stan-
dard items along with high quality culi-
nary presentations, has been with Norm
and Bonnie only three years, but his tal-
ents have blended in excellently with Big
Rock's 10-year numbers ... Over 15,000
pounds of calamari, more than 180,000
pounds of seafood, over 700,000 pounds
of beef, etc. ... In the name change's first
year, bone-in filet and whitefish were the
biggest sellers ... Today, they continue on
top together with Dover sole, salmon and
tuna mignon ... Big, too, are the lamb
chops, veal chops and short ribs.
Big Rock kitchen hours for lunch and
dinner are Monday and Tuesday, 11-10;
Wednesday and Thursday, 11-11; Friday
and Saturday, 11-Midnight ... In the
upstairs Got Rocks, food and liquor are
served Monday-Saturday, 5 p.m.-1 a.m.
The time for a change was in direct
accordance with Norm LePage's way of life
in the restaurant business ... Since the
days of 1971 when he and Bonnie owned

a little Southern Creme
coffee counter and donut
shop in Dearborn Heights
and their first restaurant,
Squire's Table, in Commerce
Township, success to him was
doing it better, which he has
constantly done.
Eton Street had been a
winner for 14 years, a highly
regarded American Bistro
... Norm visualized having a
chop house and steak house
and has turned it into a dining phenom
... While so many restaurateurs hope for
better economic times, Norm revels in
business being up from 15 percent last
year to an even greater 35 percent today.
Norm LePage has again found his ulti-
mate dining happiness in Big Rock Chop
House.
PEI WEI ASIAN Diner (pronounced
pay-way), "little brother" of P.F. Chang's
China Bistro, has opened on Orchard
Lake Road, corner of 14 Mile, Farmington
Hills ... It seats around 70, open Sunday-
Thursday, 11-9, Friday and Saturday,
11-10.
NEW THREE - COURSE luncheon
menu is at Il Posto Ristorante, Southfield,
Monday through Friday, soup or salad,
choice of three entrees (with vegetables
and potatoes) and dessert, $18.
MAIL DEPT. ... "We went to the Falafel
House on Orchard Lake Road just south
of Maple, West Bloomfield, and enjoyed its
outstanding falafel stuffed with pieces of
shawarma." ... Karl and Margie Stern.
DURING ITS RECENT 20th anniver-
sary, with one of the events being celebrity
impersonators riding the trains, Dennis

Green, marketing manager for Detroit
People Mover, rode with "Marilyn Monroe"
and others ... Sitting across was a gent
who kept staring at her ... Finally, he
leaned forward and asked, "Excuse me,
but are you the REAL Marilyn Monroe?"
... Dennis joined riders in laughing, and
said, "She looks pretty good for having
been dead over 40 years, don't you think?"
... The fellow quietly exited at the next
station.
REUNION DEPT. ... This Saturday,
Sept. 8, 6:30-midnight, is Detroit Henry
Ford High's big 40th by class of 1967 at
Laurel Manor, Schoolcraft Road, Livonia
... $80 at the door, $150 per couple ...
For more info, call Esther Allweiss Ingber,
(248) 967-6380 ...1957 Detroit Central
High shindig is Saturday, Oct. 6, at Pi
Banquet Hall, Southfield ... For more info,
call Barbara Kanarek Dorfman, (248) 626-
2228, or (248) 514-7222.
CONGRATS ... To Betty Simons on
her birthday ... To Bruce Guttman on his
birthday ... To Linda Powell on her birth-
day ... To Jerry Zuckerman on his birth-
day ... To Brandon Gilbert on his birthday
... To Aileen Leichtman Bloom on her
birthday ... To Dr. Morton Lazar on his
94th birthday ... To Aaron Friedman on
his 84th birthday ... To Roslyn August
on her 75th birthday ... To Seth Stern on
his 21st birthday ... To Sheldon Yarsike
on his birthday ... To Sheila and Donald
Zimberg on their anniversary ... To Mikki
and James Hill on their anniversary ... To
Aaron and Dolly Friedman on their 60th
anniversary.

Danny's e-mail address is

dannyraskin®sbcglobal.net.

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September 6 2007

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