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A Delish Destination

Discerning diners are driven to 855 Deli ... in a roundabout way.

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mong destination-dining rea-
sons is a restaurant that folks
will go to regardless of obstacles
... On a small scale, comes another delica-
tessen that has what people want and the
necessary low prices.
The former location of Hello Deli and
Boris's Deli on 15 Mile and Farmington
roads, West Bloomfield, has had its share
of obstacles with continual construction of
a roundabout at the site.
Thankfully that has been completed, and
it is the first anniversary of 855 Deli (not
to be confused with the former 885 Deli on
Northwestern Hwy) ... Seating for about
30 is at nine tables and a window counter
with stools and now complete waitress ser-
vice for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Among big dinner sellers at 855 Deli are
the menu listed 10- to 12-ounce broiled
whitefish, $10.95; beef short ribs, $11.95;
veal cutlets, $8.95, plus popular dishes that
include Salisbury steak, $8.95; roasted
brisket, $11.95; house-made meat loaf,
$8.95, etc ... All dinners come with soup
and salad plus choice of two other side
dishes (kugel, potatoes, vegetables, potato
salad, coleslaw, etc.) ... Lunch selections
also come with soup and salad.
In the first year, owner Lazar Israilov
and kitchen head Dave Johnson went
through 15,000 pounds of corned beef,
5,000 pounds of pastrami and 6,000
pounds of turkey ... but look for much
more in the coming years.
The corned beef and pastrami sand-
wiches at 855 Deli, according to Johnson,
are not the four-to-eight ounce variety
that may be seen at some delicatessens ...
or piled in the center to make them look
large ... Those at 885 Deli, he says, are the
true weight of 10 ounces.

855 Deli is open seven days
... Monday through Saturday, 7
a.m.-8 p.m.; Sundays 7 to 5.
A good neighborhood delica-
tessen is a prized one ... That it
also attracts people from other
areas, who come for one reason
or another, is most worthy ...
855 Deli celebrates its first anni-
versary with huge gains in its
continuous popularity.
A NEW NAME, new owners,
new look, new ideas ... all perhaps adding
up to the shot in the arm that this popular
little restaurant has needed, as the former-
ly-named Giorgio's Gourmet Diner, Sugar
Tree Plaza, Orchard Lake Road, north of 15
Mile, West Bloomfield, becomes D'Pauli's
Family Dining.
Heaven knows that the previous owner,
Bob Bisgeier, tried but readily admits to
being overmatched ... He is an accom-
plished accountant, not a restaurant man,
although his knowledge of numbers is
extremely important in the eatery busi-
ness ... But being thrust into the dining
ownership game without previous expe-
rience is precarious to say the least ...
Being a good accountant, which Bisgeier
has proven, with keen knowledge of pay-
roll, tax preparations, buying and overall
business consulting, is worlds different
from being a restaurant owner.
Regarding the youthful new owners,
Dina Kalis and Paul Demaj, each has res-
taurant experience, both as employees and
owners ... and with hard work so neces-
sary in operating a restaurant, they should
bring back to newly-named D'Pauli's
Family Dining the success it once enjoyed
with much the same selection but more
innovations and lower prices.

DANDY DINING DEAL
... 12-ounce true ground sir-
loin, with mushroom gravy,
minestrone soup or salad,
potatoes, vegetable and pasta
with meat or marinara sauce
... $11.95, at Sposita's Italian
Ristorante, 14 Mile, east
of Farmington Road, West
Bloomfield.
BROTHER
TOGETHERNESS joins the
fight for environment protection as their
the Bosco lounge, Woodward, Ferndale,
and Magic Bag next door promote indoor
smoke-free atmospheres .... Both Daniel
and Jeremy Haberman own the Bosco
while Jeremy also has Magic Bag ...
Brother Dan, general counsel, too, for both
venues, and Jeremy have hopes that their
nitery leadership will get further stop-
smoking action from Lansing ... Both the
Bosco and Magic Bag have comfortable
outdoor smoking areas.
GOOD SERVER DEPT. ...
Kristie Kohler, days at Buddy's Pizza,
Northwestern Hwy, Farmington Hills ...
Smiling and pleasant personality to go
with gracious and helpful efficiency.
MAKING ROUNDS ... To The
Rhapsody, Northline, Southgate, for Steak
Budapest ... To Webber's, Jackson Road,
Ann Arbor, for Swordfish Tapanade ... To
Pegasus, Monroe, Detroit, for lamb chops
... To Little Italy, Hutton Road, Northville,
for veal picante.
HE WANTED TO become a nutrition-
ist ... Even after graduating high school
and yearning to attend pre-med school
... Health goodness was always a big
thing with him ... But Ron Asmar and his
Chaldean family left Iraq in the middle of

the night and came to America in 1968
... When he and his dad bought Murray's
Drugs on Wyoming and Tireman, Detroit,
it was the closest that Ron could get to his
dream.
Now 41 years later, following dabbles in
nutrition, he has come out with a Flaxseed
Health Bar, on sale at his Vineyards
Marketplace, Northwestern Hwy.,
Farmington Hills ... Flaxseed is known
as a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids
available in helping fight types of cancer,
heart attacks, high cholesterol, arthritis,
etc. ... Ron is also giving folks, at no
charge, small plastic containers of ground
flaxseed to put on their soups, salads,
cereal, etc., to take home or when dining at
Vineyards
"If I can't be a full-fledged nutritionist:'
says Ron, "at least I can help people stay
healthy."
THAT BEAMING smile on her face
is for Carol Frank's first hole-in-one and
something she can truly brag about ...
Her excitement came on the links with
hubby Jerry Frank, Avery Shapiro and
Larry Farber ... Carol smacked her ace
using a seven-iron on the 122-yard eighth
hole at Farmington Hills Golf Club.
ERRATA, TYPO, Etc. Dept. ... You are
correct, Barry Wenst ... Regarding the Ben
Weinstock bar mitzvah item, Handleman
Hall is located in Temple Beth El, where
the reception was held, not Temple Israel
... Thanks for catching it.
CONTRATS ... To Roanne Katzman on
her 69th birthday ... To Mollie Yarsick on
her 17th birthday ... To David and Gloria
Leader on their 55th anniversary.

❑

Danny's e-mail address is

dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net .

A.14

1414

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

151879D

July 16

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2009

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