Arts & Entertainment

BEST OF EV RYTHING

Less Is More

Detroit's successful Small Plates restaurant sets another table in Royal Oak.

W

hen a new personal vision is
conceived and materializes
in the restaurant business,
success usually depends on its public
acceptance.
The fact that Small Plates-Detroit, on
Broadway between Witherel and John
R, is celebrating its third anniversary is
indicative of that success being reached
... And because of it, Todd Stern, founder
and operating partner, could now keep his
word of someday establishing another in
the northwest sector.
Number two, Small Plates-Royal Oak,
recently opened its doors at the former
location of BD's Mongolian Barbecue on
South Main Street, between Third and
Fourth.
Todd's conception had its original idea
back in 1985, after he graduated from West
Bloomfield High and went to Spain selling
time shares ... He saw the tapas rage of
so-called "Spanish appetizers:' which his
fertile mind suddenly dreamed of embel-
lishing upon ... Why not something like
this, but perhaps with additional ethnic
dishes? ... Todd, who had worked as a
16-year-old maitre d' for Steve Romanik
at Romanik's in West Bloomfield's Orchard
Mall, carried the thought through future
restaurant years as cook and manager at
Stage Deli in Oak Park when owned by his
Uncle Stan Snitz, opening the Rattlesnake
Club in Detroit with Jimmy Schmidt, at
Intermezzo and Big Daddy's Parthenon.
Even when only 8 years old, Todd
remembers telling grandmother Sarah
Geller that someday he would be a restau-
rant entrepreneur ... The recipes of his
now 90-year-old bubbie are responsible
for the delicious mandelbrot among other

r

items at both Small Plates opera-
premises-made popovers
tions ... The wonderful cakes,
with herbed cheese spread ...
rugulach, honey rolls, popovers,
The highly popular hand-cut
etc., are from the instructions
fries are at both locations.
of mother Roz Stern as well as
When Small Plates origi-
is her excellent premises-made
nally opened in Detroit, the
chicken soup with true tradi-
name might have given many
tional long, slender noodles ...
a wrong impression that there
Todd's parents, Eric and Roz
wouldn't
be enough to eat ...
Danny Raskin
Stern, may be remembered from
However,
you can be sure that
Senior Columnist
their Moishe Pipik restaurant
most of them have since dis-
of the late 1950s, near Fredson's
covered otherwise and been
Delicatessen on Wyoming and Curtis,
there numerous times.
across from Grunt's Market, Detroit.
The combination of American, Pan-
The Royal Oak hours allow for people
Asian, Spanish and Jewish, is a joy, and
to enjoy Small Plates at lunch, dinner and
the fact that many more people today are
after-theater, nitery or favored events ...
eating less and enjoying it more without
Monday, 11-8; Tuesday, 11-10; Wednesday,
having to pay for what they leave on a
11-midnight, Thursday, 11-11; Friday, 11-2
plate, has placed Small Plates in a class of
a.m.; Saturday, noon-2 a.m.; Sunday, noon- its own ... Todd was far ahead of his time
8 . . . Seating is on two levels, downstairs,
when conceiving his idea back in 1985 ...
45, plus eight stools at a food bar, where
and still is.
folks can also watch the interesting mak-
FAMILY TIME IS every day in the
ing of chow at an open kitchen and brick
kitchen at Steve's Deli in Bloomfield Plaza,
pizza oven, and eight more at a full-service Telegraph and 15 Mile, Bloomfield Hills
liquor bar ... Upstairs seats 125 with a
... Executive Chef Val Izrailov, at Steve's
large wine rack and V.I.P room for small
Deli since 1995, shortly after opening, wife,
meetings or parties.
Toma, and mother, Mina, are at his side,
General manager in Royal Oak, Scott
while daughter Shifra, waits on tables out
Sadoff, coincidently also a graduate of West front.
Bloomfield High, came directly from serv-
Val will spend about a month in
ing and managing at P.F. Chang's in Troy's
Chicago, soon, when a second Steve's Deli
Somerset Collection ... His and Todd's
opens there on Hubbard Street ... It'll be
knowledge have been instrumental in the
owned by Steve Hurwitz, boss here with
very important training of employees.
wife, Joanee, and operating partner Seth
Two new items not served downtown
Herkowitz, who always did want to be in
have been added to the Royal Oak menu
the deli business, and son of Steve's good
... lamb chops grilled with lemon and
friend, Dr. Harry Herkowitz Steve's Deli
herbs, and seared ahi tuna with a wasabi
senior manager, Stan Snitz, will stay here
cream sauce ... Also only at Royal Oak, are
... Steve and Joanee can ill afford to lose
seven side dishes, along with Roz Stern's
his presence and excellent deli know-how.

mi

WITH MARCH 8 THE last day of oper-
ation for Loving Spoonful at the Copper
Creek Golf Course, 12 Mile, Farmington
Hills, people already envision the missing
of dishes that owner-chef Shawn Loving is
so adept at preparing ... Like the pancetta-
wrapped tuna, his appetizer of fried red
tomatoes, smoked salmon, rye and pista-
chio encrusted whitefish, etc.
NOW OPEN SIGNS are at two new
restaurants ... Tres Monti Ristorante, Big
Beaver, east of Rochester Road, Troy, has
San Marino-style dining presently only
dinner Tuesday through Sunday ... Italia
Fresca, Orchard Lake Road and Pontiac
Trail, Orchard Lake village, is serving
Italian cuisine lunch and dinner, seven
days, with grand opening Monday, March
10, by invitation only.
NEW LOOK AT Buddy's Pizza,
Northwestern, Farmington Hills, is in more
ways than one ... The psychedelic painted
look outdoors and flowing open rafter-like
overhangs, are just two of the new addi-
tions ... Coming with the warm weather
will also be an outdoor patio that'll seat
about 40 ... And inside, no more hazy
visions wafting around with Buddy's new
smoke-free interiors.
CONGRATS ... To Ellen Warshaw on
her 68th birthday ... To Alan Zeitz on his
60th birthday ... To Harry Neuman on his
52nd birthday ... To Cary Miller on his
61st birthday ... To Dorothy Braiker on
her birthday ... To Frank Ellias on his 65th
birthday ... To Rose and Sid Neuman on
their 56th anniversary. E

Danny's e-mail address is

dannyraskin@sbcglobaLnet.

EM MI MI ME MN E= NMI IM

Deli Dinner
or Two

WIT "MIR II

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MICHIGAN'S

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DeDetnait News

Deli Dinners Include Your Choice of Any:

I Two Sandwiches from
Our Sandwich Board Menu

with Overstuffed Corned Beef,
I Roasted Turkey Breast, Pastrami,
Wilno Salami, Roast Beef or Tuna

L

=I No No EN EN

• Homemade Chicken
Noodle Soup
Potato Salad or
Cole Slaw
- Jell-O
DELI • CAFE • CATERING

=I Ell MI MN MI I=

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32418 Northwestern Hwy.

between Middlebelt & 14 Mile

248.855 ,9463

Order online: www.VineyardDeli.com
Weekday Dinner Hours 4.7 pm
INE INN INE

March 6 . 2008

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