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THE BEST OF E\,
A 'Steak' In The Future
Many a successful restaurateur survived hard economic times.
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OTPOURRI
Many restaurateurs of yester-
years didn't overly panic during
economic conditions that confronted them
... They just pulled in their horns and
battled back as best they could ... With
the help of suppliers, new menu prices
were lowered, customers were given incen-
tives, etc. ... All to achieve two things ...
Remain afloat and pay the bills.
They might have been through it before
and knew that it would not last ... That
such conditions get resolved and so pre-
pared themselves mentally not to desert a
sinking boat but to plug holes as best they
could in somehow keeping it afloat ...
Many restaurant men and women of today
are like this, too, and will survive because
of it.
-
Les Gruber lived through soft eco-
nomic conditions and its setbacks with
his Den of 40 Thieves that preceded
the London Chop House owned by Les,
brother Sam and brother-in-law Joe
Woolf, that went on to world renown ...
Harry Berman kept on punching before
being able to sell Berman's Chop House
to Ben Davis and Sam Gottlieb and they
to Ben Kasle.
Sam Boesky lived through tough
times with his Boesky's Delicatessen
on Hastings and Farnsworth, then
Hazelwood and 12th, continuing forward
to eventually open the wonderful Darbys
.-.. Charlie Costello almost lost his shirt
with the Wedgewood Room but pulled
out of it and went on to success with
the name changed to Charlie Costello's
Supper Club.
Carl Rosenfeld sold his tire business
to concentrate on his Grand River Chop
House and was ready to cash
in his chips but pulled his
reins, held on, and ultimately
moved across the street as the
Carl's Chop House that went on
to great heights ... Jim Cockels
suffered plenty quietly with his
little beanery called Russell's
until able to have it grow from
a side street parlor to the
fine Russell's Steak House ...
Sammy Lieberman weathered
the economic ups and downs
at his Blaine and Avalon Restaurants to
become operator of the Raleigh House,
the largest catering facility in the United
States, along with three restaurants within
it, House of Lords, Giraffe and Piccadilly
... And the list goes on.
MAIL DEPT. ... "Am I to understand
that Sara Lee Corporation is closing all the
kosher facilities that supply kosher deli
products? Does that mean these products
will no longer be available to the consum-
er? Is this (sadly) the end of kosher deli as
we have known it?" ... Gloria Flanders.
"Thanks for updating the info on Costco
and Sam's regarding their no longer hav-
ing kosher hot dogs and the notice from
Sara Lee of its going out of the making of
Best, Sinai, Shofer and Wilno. So where are
we going to get our kosher salami, etc.?
This will turn us into vegetarians? Who
will supply these kosher products, espe-
cially since the Sara Lee people blew it?"
... Bernice and Manny Litvin
Dear Gloria, Bernice and Manny ...
Yours are among numerous e-mails sent
my way following the column item about
Sara Lee closing its kosher hot dog and
meat processing facility ... Yes, Sara Lee
is going out of the kosher meat
business and will "discontinue
processing and distributing
products made under all its
kosher meat brands, including
Best's Kosher, Sinai Kosher,
Shofar and Wilno", according
to a release it sent out ... So
far as I know, when the stores
or their suppliers or distribu-
tors that carry their kosher
products, run out of Best's,
Sinai, Shofar and Wilno, they
will not be provided again by Sara Lee ...
However, this is very far from being the
end of kosher deli products ... Hebrew
National, Empire Kosher, etc., are still
at most super markets here, and I can
assume that others will follow ... The
kosher hot dog and deli products fields
are much too big to be discontinued ...
Who knows, we may now see companies
like International, Abeles & Heymann, etc.,
come into this market.
IF FOLKS WANT to skip dinner
at Townsend Hotel's Rugby Grille in
Birmingham (6 p.m., four-courses, $90
per person, or 9 p.m., five-courses, $160
per person) there is no charge to party
and dance New Year's Eve to the Royce and
Jenn Band 10 p.m.-1:30 a.m. ... Just pay
for your drinks ... The Royce "The Voice"
Javan and songstress Jennifer Christiansen
five-piece group will be in the room con-
nected to Rugby Grille.
CHEF'S DEPT. ... Another gourmet
chef well-versed in Jewish traditional
cooking is Executive Chef Keith Supien,
presently heading the gourmet sector at
Fresh Foods in Grosse Pointe ... While
he was executive chef at the former Van
Dyke Place on Jefferson, Keith concocted
a L'Chaim menu that went over big from
chicken soup to chatzilim (eggplant and
caviar) to blintzes stuffed with corned
beef, shmaltz herring croquettes, apricot
chicken, beef brisket and much more.
When it closed, he moved over to Van
Dyke Place's sister restaurant, the Whitney,
and included innovations on his Jewish
cooking ... Like Madeira wine in Keith's
chicken matzah ball soup and the matzah
balls stuffed with chicken mousse ... Even
a Reuben Soup made from a corned beef
sandwich and chicken stuffed with angel
hair pasta and dried fruits ... Folks would
sure love to have him back in this area.
THE FASHION SEEMS to be drinking
champagne dry? ... This is labeled Brut
... But did you know that extra dry curi-
ously means not too dry in flavor?
SEEING SIGNS ... By Lois Kanner ...
at a Florida bistro, underneath a plastic
shrunken head ... "That sure was a dry
martini!"
MAKING ROUNDS ... To Spanga's,
Woodward, Royal Oak, for a Kosher Coney
Island ... To O'Brien's, Opdyke, Auburn
Hills, for steamed clam bucket.
ERRATA, TYPO, ETC. Dept. ... Correct
phone number for Andi's Candies is (248)
705-1551.
CONGRATS ... To Rudy Simon on his
80th birthday ... To Madelon Seligman on
her birthday ... To Nancie Becker on her
birthday ... To Harvey Markzon on his
60th birthday ...... To Dr. Thom Millman
on his 65th birthday. L
Danny's e-mail address is
dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net .
Day specials! •
0.
e1.1.EBRATE . „N ew Years Eve 1 and
New
lean
4c
Hors d'oeuvres Party Trait
Holiday Deli Meat Tray
•Deli Meat Tray
•Hot Swedish meat balls
•Old fashioned Potato Salad & Coleslaw
• Cut-up vegetable Crudités variety with spinach dip
FREE
Includes:
New Year's Eve
Choice of (4) meats: Deli Basket Lean Corned Beef, Breast of Turkey, Rare Roast
Beef, Ham, Turkey Pastrami, kosher Salami...Choice of (2) Cheeses: Swiss &
American, Muenster...Old & New Kosher Dill Pickles, Sweet Pickles, Hot Peppers,
Red Pimentos, Tomatos, Russian Dressing, Mustard,
TOTAL
Mayo, and Double Baked Jewish Rye.
Serves 10
214.
with any of
these orders!!!
311
32418 Northwestern Hwy. • between Middlebelt & 14 Mile • 248.855-9463 •
ORDER
Please mac
your order bey
SatUrday -
includes:
27h5
'Coconut Chicken Fingers with Honey Oriental sauce
'Shrimp egg roll with plum sauce
'Swedish meatballs
•Miniature Roll-up sandwiches
•Hummus & Taboull with Pita bread
'Cheese assortment with crackers
,
•Cut-up vegetable Crudities variety . 4'
TOTAL
Serves 10
with spinach dip
ONuNEwww.VineyardDeli.com
** S0
DELI • CAFE • CATERING
December 25 • 2008
B17