Arts & Entertainment THE BEST OF EVERYTHING Early-Day Gourmet Café Rendezvous impresses its guests, on and off the menu. I t has been almost four years and yet many people still don't know about the restaurant ... However, and thankfully so, many also do ... Café Rendezvous, Orchard Lake Road, north of 13 Mile, Farmington Hills, is the sort of small place that makes a big impact after visiting. At least four restaurants have preceded Café Rendezvous at the site, but none with the silent quaintness of its offerings ... Owners Leonid (Leo) Stoddard and Yakov Fleyser are both accomplished innova- tive chefs whose cuisine styling and low prices are becoming legend ... Before Café Rendezvous, the location also housed Acropolis, Andy's, Uptown, Gary's, and probably others ... Seating is only about 58 and hours are just until 3 p.m., seven days a week ... Monday-Friday from 6:30 a.m.; Saturday from 7 a.m., Sunday from 8 a.m. This sounds more like another of those good little breakfast-and-lunch spots, and it is, but with menu items folks certainly won't find at too many breakfast-and- lunch places ... Some people are even known to go there before 3 and have a pre-dinner snack or very, very early light supper ... Sure there's the usual breakfast- and-lunch fare, all the scrambled- and omelet-style eggs, pancakes, French toast, sandwiches, salads, etc. But the large amount of daily specials are mind-boggling creations like jumbo lump crab or lobster tail scrambled eggs, shrimp omelet, lobster omelet, pancakes with bananas and walnuts, or with choco- late chips or strawberries, etc. ... And the almost 20 sandwiches served with potato chips, French fries or tures and new policies." a substitute include soft-shell IF YOU HAVE a favorite crab, wild mushroom and steak, pizza recipe, send it along three-cheese (Gouda, Swiss and with your phone number to Havarti) on rye that also comes Todd Stern, owner of Small with cream of tomato and basil Plates, Royal Oak and Detroit soup for $7, bison burger, etc. ... His "Perfect Pizza" contest ... And those who want a side will be at the Royal Oak loca- of shrimp can have that, too ... tion on S. Main Street, with Danny Raskin Entrees like crab cakes may not Senior Columnist eight recipes selected by a be on the menu but are always group of local personalities available ... Crab Benedict ... Their creators will be poached eggs is a popular item on the invited to make their pizza, with the win- daily Café Rendezvous bill of fare. ner having his or her pizza and name on Yes, there's bagels, cream cheese, lox, the Small Plates, Royal Oak, menu ... The premises-made soups like vegetable black recipes can be emailed to bean, etc., plenty of salads, almost 10 of smallplatescontest@gmail.com or them, both meat and no-meat burgers, dropped off at the restaurant through July (meat burgers are with certified Angus 28 ... Judging is set for Friday, Aug. 1, 2 to beef) ... But the adventuresome many 4 p.m. times opt for creations of Leo and Yakov MAIL DEPT. ... "I recently went that are making Café Rendezvous a culi- to Cannella Patisserie & Creperie on nary giant which after four years is rapidly Hamilton Row in Birmingham and got getting out of the sleeper class. the feel of being in a truly French café. It THOSE WHO maintain that they saw has breads, pastries, sandwiches, desserts or were told of Giorgio's having filed for and about 15 of the most delicious crepes bankruptcy should be aware that it does I have ever eaten. They are made with not pertain to the presently operated goat cheese, chicken, mushrooms, shrimp, restaurant, "The New Giorgio's Gourmet wine, tuna, salami and other great-tasting Diner;' on Orchard Lake Road, Sugar Tree, fillings. Executive chef and owner Matt West Bloomfield ... The one that filed for Knio was at the Ritz-Carlton and studied bankruptcy is the former corporation run in France. You can also enjoy the French by the restaurant's past operator, George café experience by dining and lounging on Golematis, who owns the previous name Cannella's outdoor patio." ... Jason Shain. ... "The New Giorgio's Gourmet Diner is RUMOR DEPT. ... It is talk only, so open, alive and well:' says Bob Bisgeier, its please consider it as such, that the for- present head honcho, "and doing business mer Big Boy location on Orchard Lake as usual. We are not closing, nor do we Road and 15 Mile, West Bloomfield, may have any plans to do so. Everything is fine become another P.F. Chang's. with our new entity, new items, new fea- RECENT CLOSING of T.G.I. Friday's on CS, PARTIES, MO AND REUNIONS Northwestern Highway, Farmington Hills, came as a sudden surprise ... It always looked busy, but evidently not enough for the chain biggies. WHEN IT OPENS in early 2009, the Plum Market taking over the former Farmer Jack in Old Orchard Shopping Center, Orchard Lake and 15 Mile, West Bloomfield, will be the Jonna family's third one ... Others are in Bloomfield Commons, West Maple Township; and Maple Village, North Maple, Ann Arbor ... A fourth Plum Market by the Jonnas is slated for Royal Oak. SIGN ON THE door of Noor Market that in 2006 took over the former Angelo's Bistro location owned by Angelo Georgizas, at Sugar Tree, West Bloomfield, says that it is closed for remodeling. HOUSEHOLD HINT Dept. ... From Bea Gill, who tells how to peel onions without tearing and adds that she isn't kidding ... "Take a quarter slice of white bread and put it between your teeth to let it stick out of the mouth a little and keep your mouth slightly open. Now you can chop onions without getting tears or burn- ing your eyes" ... (Bea should have also said to make sure that nobody is around to take your picture looking very silly). CONGRATS ... To Linda Kunin on her birthday ... To David and Lisa Lapides Sawicki on their 10th anniversary ... 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