all's fare
It's summer in
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ssaggi has created a .diatriy,-.
outdoor world — out back.
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Assaggi Bistro
330 West Nine Mile Road
Ferndale
(248) 584-3499;
assaggibistro.com
Appetizers, soups
and salads: $5-$13
Lunch entrees: $10-$15
Dinner entrees: $22-$38
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Michigan and we don't care
if it's hot — we want out.
Restaurants all over town are carving
out niches on sidewalks, in alleyways and,
in the case of Assaggi Bistro in Ferndale, a
once-empty space that faces a public park-
ing lot outside its back door.
Two springs ago, owners George Gize
and Josie Knapp turned this wasted area
into an extension of their popular restau-
rant that features a confluence of French,
Italian and other Mediterranean flavors.
"It's like my al fresco patio," says Knapp.
"It's romantic."
Indeed, with copious foliage and a
compact herb and vegetable garden just
across the sidewalk, Ferndale is not only
fashionable, but fragrant and dreamy. "You
get a feeling like you're in a different place
— not facing a parking lot," Knapp says.
In the winter, menu choices like Herb
Roasted Colorado Rack of Lamb with
Celery Root Gratin or Red Wine Risotto
with Braised Short Rib are cozy enough
to bring folks in out of the cold. But in
the summer, the patio that seats 75 (nearly
as many as in the dining room) teams
Assaggi dassics like Moroccan Spiced
Braised Duck Legs or Papparadelle Pasta
with Wild Boar Ragu with seasonal menu
specialties to lure diners.
Assaggi is the Italian word for "to taste."
When you're there, that's all you want to
do — taste everything on the menu. The
"from scratch" fare is modern and classic
(though not whimsical or ostentatious). In
the summer, the specials feature vegetables
Knapp and Gize grow in their home
garden. "We have a big garden at home,
and we bring a lot of our own produce:
heirloom tomatoes, herbs, peppers, beans,"
says Knapp.
Every experience at Assaggi has many
authors. The owners are literally there all
the time. Call and likely it's Knapp's cheer-
fill greeting on the other end. The menu,
drinks and wine list are a collaboration
between the owners, chef Dylan Perkins
and manager Kevin McBrady.
Even if it's 100 degrees in the shade,
desserts — like warm chocolate walnut
cake served with strawberry, red wine sauce
and espresso gelato — are still the perfect
way to end the Assaggi experience.