MAINSTREETS

West Bloomfield
& Commerce

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
restaurants, 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 the
legendary Stage & Co. (6873 Orchard
Lake Rd., 248-855-6622); Matt Prentice's
Deli Unique (6724 Orchard Lake Rd.,
248-737-3890); Giorgio's Gourmet Diner
(6215 Orchard Lake Rd., 248-737-3636),
where "gourmet diner" is not an oxymo-
ron; the contemporary-styled Larco's
Italian Grille (6480 Orchard Lake Rd.,
248-626-6969); The Village Place (4170
Orchard Lake Rd., 248-682-3400) for
hearty comfort food; and the piquant
Mexican dishes plated at El Nibble Nook
(2750 Haggerty, 248-669-3344); plus the
cozy, classic Maria's (2080 Walnut Lake
Rd., 248-851-2500).
There's also Sunny's Café (6680
Orchard Lake Rd., 248-626-3750) — the
last word in omelets; its neighbor, the
Russian-accented — literally and figu-
ratively — Fiddler (6678 Orchard Lake
Rd., 248-851-8782); Yossi's (7325 Orchard
Lake Rd., 248-626-0160), whose menu
is a paean to the tastes of Israel and the
Mediterranean; the sassy French brasserie

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Zinc (6745 Orchard Lake Rd., 248-865-
0500); and the expansive Sea Grille (6199
Orchard Lake Rd., 248-487-0326).
If breakfast foods suit your mood any
time of day, 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 Rd., 248-539-4710).
It's hardly hyperbole to say that few
parts of our vast metro area contain the
concentration of sushi restaurants found
here. There's Me' Ne Sushi (6239 Orchard
Lake Rd., 248-538-7081), Yotsuba
Japanese Cuisine (7365 Orchard Lake
Rd., 248-737-8282), Samurai Sushi
(4157 Orchard Lake Rd., 248-737-4408),
Sharaku (6159 Haggerty, 248-960-
1888), and Samurai Steakhouse (7390
Haggerty, 248-661-8898).
Not to be outdone, kabobs and other
broiled meats, garlic-tinged dips and suc-
culent grape leaves, among other Middle
Eastern fare, get top billing at Mezza
Mediterranean Grille (4189 Orchard
Lake Rd., 248-865-0000), Original

main

lot ,

Uptown Parthenon (4301 Orchard Lake
Rd., #130, 248-538-6000) and Falafel
House (6540 Orchard Lake Rd., 248-855-
6929).
For a spirited night out, connoisseurs
of wine, beer and mixed drinks look no
further than the very citified Nectars
Wine Bar (4135 Orchard Lake Rd., 248-
851-7777), where wines from its vast
walk-through cellar can be purchased
at its neighboring wine shop; the robust
— it spans 14,000 square feet and boasts
a truly vast menu of updated pub fare
— Uptown Grille (3100 W. Maple, 248-
960-3344) with more than 30 beers on
draft and 40 in bottles; and the sultry Tu-
Can Tango Tapas and Martini Bar (6041
Haggerty, 248-669-6160).
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.

SHOPPINC
With no traditional department store
anchor calling either West Bloomfield or
Commerce 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 spacious stores
and breadth of merchandise, plus their
long-time success in a seemingly constant
challenging retail climate, among them
Tapper's Jewelers (6337 Orchard Lake
Rd., 248-932-7715), Bricker Tunis Furs
(6335 Orchard Lake Rd., 248-855-9200),
Levin's Beauty Supply (6716 Orchard
Lake Rd., 248-851-7323) and Sherwood
Furniture (6644 Orchard Lake Rd., 248-
855-1600).
Expectant mothers and mothers with

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