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Mediterranean Magic

Mezza Grill's tastes include Israel, Greece, Lebanon, Turkey, etc.

I

t's tough to erase a stigma, especially
in the restaurant business ... Getting
rid of a black cloud that may hang
over an operation is difficult ... People
will talk ... Rumors will swirl and a silver
lining of hope can come about only with
truth and rationality.
In the case of Mezza Mediterranean
Grill on Orchard Lake Road, between
Pontiac Trail and Pine Lake Road, Orchard
Lake, it rightly changed its name from La
Shish because of the hurt that would not
go away.
Owner Samee Saleh says he was able to
get out of the La Shish franchise agree-
ment when it got into trouble because of
wordage in the contract that nullified the
pact if state or federal laws were broken.
Now that strict adherence to the fran-
chise menu does not need to be abided
by, Mezza can and has altered the bill
of fare to include what the restaurants
are really all about ... Mediterranean
restaurants with cuisines from many of
the countries that make up the Middle
East ... Israel, Greece, Lebanon, Turkey,
etc. with their excellent uses of honey,
sesame seeds, sumac, chick peas, mint,
parsley, etc., which in many cases at
Mezza Mediterranean Grill, seems to have
somewhat of a taste that might be of its
own character instead of copies ... Also
American dining delights like chicken
soup with noodles or matzah ball, tomato
basil soup, duck a l'orange, crab cakes,
Caesar salad, chicken marsala, pasta, pizza,
etc., including whitefish, salmon, shrimp
and scallops.
Importantly, the kibbee is made fresh
every day and prepared baked, tomato
or fried ... Also a favorite of many is the

wanted appetizer of people
like Ken Popper, the delicious
mujadara, of sauteed lentils
with cracked wheat, topped with
caramelized onions ...The Pizza
Napoli at Mezza Mediterranean
Grill, is thin-crusted from flat
bread and topped with mozza-
rella cheese, sun-dried tomatoes
and Mediterranean olives ...
It is available, too, with other
toppings ... Little loaves of pita
put in all baskets are also baked in the
intensely-heated brick oven.
Seating at Mezza Mediterranean Grill,
is 120 in two beautiful rooms of pure oak
with mahogany coloring ... 70 and 50
... Along with murals and green linen
napkins, they make up intimate and relax-
ing atmospheres of cleanliness ... Hours
are Sunday-Thursday, 11-11; Friday and
Saturday, till midnight.
It seems somewhat of a lucky thing
that someone like astute businessman
and Hezbollah-hating Saleh, a Christian
Orthodox Lebanese, held the La Shish
franchise in Orchard Lake when the par-
ent company met its demise ... Being
the owner of eight Big Boy franchises, he
had the monetary resources to weather
the storm ... Saleh had purchased the
former Sheik from Dean Hachem to turn
it into the first La Shish franchise because,
he says, it was the hottest restaurant of
its kind on the market ... But instead,
his Mezza Mediterranean Grill has itself
become a growing chain, which is some-
thing Saleh could not of had otherwise ...
Sam, as he is many times called, recently
opened in Novi, on Grand River, and will
soon bring Mezza to Rochester Hills ... In

July, he'll open in Southfield.
Twice yearly, Sam's Big Boy
on Pontiac Trail and 15 Mile,
Walled Lake, and Orchard
Lake Mezza, give 10 percent
of a day's proceeds to vari-
ous B'nai B'rith groups ...
Sam's marketing consultant,
Bill Brawn, is vice president
of the Great Lakes Region of
BB, and Bill's wife, Nancy, is
president of the Zeiger-Stone
BB Chapter ... Dr. Richard Mark (son of
Florine Mark) and Sam had intentions of
purchasing the original La Shish chain
about 2 years ago ... Had Sam been
forced to close down because of the La
Shish problems, he would have survived,
but Orchard Lake Village waitresses like
Elina Shimiyeva, Ilana Sussman and Kim
Gaston, plus waiter Gilbert Rexhepi, etc.,
and Moe Cheib, Sam's very likeable and
knowledgeable managing partner at his
Mezza locations, would have had to work
elsewhere.
The rainbow of reality seems to have
finally arrived for Mezza Mediterranean
Grill, which thankfully has been able to
weather the tragic storm and prove that
realization and truth will eventually beat
out wrongful accusation ... Unjust alle-
gation can be very cruel and it is to the
credit of many that it is discontinued ...
This is the American way.
THERE IS NOW a fresh approach
to newly named "The New Giorgio's
Gourmet Diner" with takeover of daily
operations by a partner ... The New
Giorgio's, Orchard Lake Road north of
15 Mile in West Bloomfield's Sugar Tree
Shopping Center is now under everyday

operational leadership of associate Robert
"Bob" Bisgeier, the gent seen regularly
these days at the popular diner ... By
devoting his full time, Bisgeier says that
he can more easily combine an even
larger emphasis on customer satisfac-
tion with menu changes both lunch and
dinner ... The New Giorgio's presently
has previously absent everyday lunch
(Monday-Friday) and dinner (Monday-
Sunday) specials bill of fares, plus its
servers now being guided with a training
program ... Along with numerous other
selections, the lunch additions include the
highly requested weight conscious choice,
a Skinny Minnie Plate of grilled turkey or
veggie burger served with cottage cheese
and fresh fruit, $7.25.
GOOD EMPLOYEES DEPT. ... General
Manager Alberto Di Santis and Assistant
General Manager Stolion "Stoli" Liti, at
Bacco Restaurante, Northwestern Hwy.,
Southfield ... Both are customer content-
ment oriented with all-out efforts high-
lighted by diversified capabilities.
THEIR SEASON may be here, but
smelts aren't the only fish going over big
at O'Brien's Crabhouse on Opdyke Road,
Auburn Hills ... Owner Dan Dunsky, son
of Harriet and Bob Dunsky, continues
to also feature boatloads of regulars and
usually hard-to-get fresh goodies from the
sea.
CONGRATS ... To Michael Layne on
his birthday ... To Saul Waldman on his
80th birthday ... To Marsha Moss on her
68th birthday ... To Louise Spector on her
60th birthday. ❑

Danny's e-mail address is
dannyraskin®sbcglobaLnet.

4 41

4. 14 14t 4

201 S Old Woodward Avenue • Birmingham MI 48009
248.594.7300 • www.forterestaurant.com

1393790

May 22 • 2008

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