West Bloomfield
& Commerce

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ould the mix be any more ideal?
After all, few places in south-
eastern Michigan can boast
such a concentration of sparkling lakes,
posh residential enclaves, immense shop-
ping and dining options, and a plethora
of entertainment offerings as the West
Bloomfield/Commerce Township area.
To be sure, some bemoan the traffic
woes and assorted other aches and pains
associated with ever-evolving, rapidly
growing communities.
But overlook the few extra minutes
of travel time and the vertigo-inducing
signage competing for your attention and
you'll relish the discovery of a world of
goods and services, and a bounty of res-
taurants, that other parts of town can only
envy.

DINING
It's no coincidence that Orchard Lake
Road, the backbone of the greater West
Bloomfield/Commerce area, is so restau-
rant heavy. Indeed, with all of the brows-
ing and shopping happening here it's easy
to work up a hunger.
Look beyond the intrusion of chain
restaurants and seek out the locally owned
— they've been sating our hunger for
years — including such eateries as Stage

4C

OCTOBER • 2007

main

STRUTS

& Co. (6873 Orchard Lake, 248-855-6622),
Deli Unique (6724 Orchard Lake, 248-
737 3890), Giorgio's Gourmet Diner
(6215 Orchard Lake, 248 737 3636),
Larco's Italian Grille (6480 Orchard
Lake, 248-626-6969), The Village Place
(4170 Orchard Lake, 248-682-3400) and
El Nibble Nook (2750 Haggerty, 248-669-
3344).
There's also Sunny's Cafe (6680
Orchard Lake, 248-626-3750) — the last
word in omelets; its neighbor, the Russian-
accented — literally and figuratively
Fiddler (6678 Orchard Lake, 248-851-
8782); Yossi's (7325 Orchard Lake, 248-
626-0160), whose menu is a paean to the
tastes of Israel and the Mediterranean, the
sassy French brasserie Zinc (6745 Orchard
Lake, 248-865-0500) and the expansive
Sea Grille (6199 Orchard Lake, 248-487-
0326).
If breakfast foods suit your mood and
lunch and dinner, then pull up a chair at
Gest Omelets (39560 W. 14 Mile Rd., 248-
926 0717) or Zoe's House of Pancakes
(6339 Orchard Lake, 248-539-4710).
Few cities have them, but West
Bloomfield is about to get one: the
quintessential friendly neighborhood
watering hole and casual dining spot. It's
called the Rusty Bucket Corner Tavern

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(www.rustybuckettavern.com ) and its
first Michigan location opens soon in
Crosswinds Mall.
It's hardly hyperbole to say that few
parts of our vast metro area contain the
concentration of sushi restaurants found
here. There's Blue Ginger Sushi (6635
Orchard Lake, 248-737-7918), Me' Ne
Sushi (6239 Orchard Lake, 248-538-7081),
Yotsuba Japanese Cuisine (7365 Orchard
Lake, 248-737-8282), Samurai Sushi
(4157 Orchard Lake, 248-737-4408) and
Samurai Steakhouse (7390 Haggerty,
248-661-8898).
Not to be outdone, kabobs and grape
leaves, among other Middle Eastern fare,
get top billing at Mezza Mediterranean
Grille (4189 Orchard Lake, 248-865-
0000), All Baba Grill (4284 Orchard Lake,
248-738-8222) and Falafel House (6540
Orchard Lake, 248-855-6929).
Finally, what's regarded as the best res-
taurant in greater Detroit, if not the state,
and worthy of being mentioned in the
same sentence as some of the most exqui-
site restaurants in the county, is The Lark
(6430 Farmington, 248-661-4466). From
its subdued setting reminiscent of an
elegant southern European country inn,
to the impeccably prepared cuisine and
precisely selected wine list, The Lark, quite
simply, is flawless.

SHOPPING
With no traditional department store
anchor calling either city home, a handful
of well-known merchants, particularly on

Orchard Lake Road, do an admirable job
of filling this role, due in part to their spa-
cious stores and breadth of merchandise,
among them Tapper's Jewelers (6337
Orchard Lake, 248-932-7715), Bricker
Tunis Furs (6335 Orchard Lake, 248-
855-9200) and Sherwood Studios (6644
Orchard Lake, 248-855-1600).
Expectant mothers and mothers with
kids in tow head to West Bloomfield Plaza
for such shops as Buddha Belly (6718
Orchard Lake, 248-855-2688) maternity
wear, Baby and Me (6718 Orchard Lake,
248-855-3214), Brody's Boyswear (6690
Orchard Lake, 248-851-6232) featuring
special sizes, from slim to husky, and
Cinderella's Castle (6702 Orchard Lake,
248-851-0663) specializing in clothing
and accessories for young and pre-teen
girls, while at Orchard Mall, it's all fun and
games at Toys!3 (6389 Orchard Lake, 248-
538-5203).
One-off merchants worth checking
out include LiP Havana (6690 Orchard
Lake, 248-539-0190) for cigar aficiona-
dos, Esther's Judaica (6245 Orchard
Lake, 248-932-3377), Lamp Shack (6682
Orchard Lake, 248-851-5777), Slade's
(6349 Orchard Lake, 248-354-0066) and
Tortue Decor (4301 Orchard Lake, 248-
538-7522) for distinctive gifts and home
accessories, Ruby's Balm (6917 Orchard
Lake, 248-626-7829) for hard-to-find
skin-care products and cosmetics and Old
Ball Park (39710 W. 14 Mile, 248-669-
6670) where you can pick up memorabilia
or this year's hottest jersey celebrating the