THE BEST OF VERYTHNG Yo, Yossi's! Expanded restaurant menu, new supermarket venture highlight successful five years. F ew could have imagined that he would become so successful ... Even with his previous experi- ences as a restaurant owner and his astute acumen in the field. But Israeli native Yossi Benjamin is not your ordinary restaurateur ... The boss-gent of Yossi's in Robin's Nest Plaza, Orchard Lake Road, just north of 14 Mile, West Bloomfield, is into his fifth year on a note that continues lofty heights. Not only does his restaurant receive constant accolades for its preparations of authentic Mediterranean foods ... many of them hand-me-downs acquired over a lifetime ... and who can deny the authen- ticity when the boss himself has prospered so many years on the favored recipes? Born in Haifa, Yossi came here backed by years as owner of Indian, French and Israeli restaurants, coming to America when wife Lisette's employment was transferred to this country ... In the short time Yossi and Lisette have been here, their ambitions have brought them local dining entrepreneur note ... Not only as restaurant operation owners but the recent addition of a major step upward in the food industry ... Plus Yossi's restaurant, they now also own Yossi's Famous Food, with its own bright yellow and blue pack- aged Mediterranean products, 100 percent vegetarian and all vegan except baba ganoush, available in all seven Hiller's Markets and five Whole Foods Markets in this area (West Bloomfield, Troy, Rochester Hills and two in Ann Arbor) ... However, all was not peaches and roses for the Benjamins ... After coming here in 2001, Yossi's enterprising ways were met with resistance as many gave his new little restaurant only five months to live ... But 18 months passed and Yossi began to see the light of success ... With the cooperative help of his landlord Mike Robin, owner of Robin's Nest Plaza, he was able to combat the scourge of difficult times. Yossi opened in 2004 with a very limited menu ... Not even having fish listed until discover- ing that people in the United States enjoyed their fish ... So came the addition of tilapia, popular in Israel, served in a tomato-wine sauce or garlic butter sauce, both like prepared back home ... He hopes to soon add whitefish, as well ... Falafel, the chick pea or fava bean favorite continually held on to No. 1 ranking until the introduction at Yossi's of grilled bone- less chicken breast, the excellently mari- nated chicken grilled with a juicy elegant taste, which has pushed falafel into second place while taking over as the dining leader at Yossi's. Open six days a week, seating is for about 50, including a nine-seat counter Monday-Thursday, 11-9; Friday, 11-3; Saturday 5-11; Sundays reserved for pri- vately catered parties. Another new Yossi's dish that has gained much reordering acceptance are the quarter-size "Dutch Puff" pancakes, also known as poffertjes, in various interesting flavors ... Yossi's is still probably one of the very few, if any, restaurants that serves true Dutch family pancakes, also in a choice of flavors. In the five years since opening, Yossi's has sold more than a half-million falafel balls, over 60,000 pounds of chicken sha- warma, almost 100,000 pounds of horn- mus, around 60,000 portions of chicken shnitzel, etc. It might have been appar- ent after a while that the attainment of success by Yossi Benjamin would be only a matter of time ... Now, however, with the com- bination of Yossi's restaurant and Yossi's Famous Foods, it is even more evident that his upward climb to greater heights has only just begun. GOOD DINING DEAL is the Monday to Thursday 25th anniversary celebration dinner through October of Big Rock Chophouse, South Eton, Birmingham ... $25 for three-course dinners with a choice of of chophouse salad, chicken potsticker or butternut squash bisque; a choice of six-ounce filet, shrimp scampi, grilled salmon or pecan chicken; and for dessert, bumpy cake or pumpkin cheesecake ... Also 25 percent off bottled wines $100 or less. GOOD SERVER DEPT. ... Sabrina Must at Buddy's Pizza Northwestern, Farmington Hills, making mother and father, Moni and Joel Must, proud of her, along with the many customers Sabrina is pleasing with her pleasant congeniality and efficiency. A THREE - SEAT PATIO is now at Pepino's on Walled Lake Road, Walled Lake, with colored umbrellas and wrought iron furniture ... plus outside heater for cool evenings ... It was designed and built by Rick Sinkevics, landscape company owner son of Kathy and Ray Kwiecinsky, Pepino's co-owners with Kathy's sister, Carole Carson ... Pepino's, by the way, is now also available for afternoon events, 11-4:30, plus carryout during all regular hours. ANOTHER DINING OPERATION opens for Matt Prentice Restaurant Group, Lim rsaal n m alichm gent the se- co-nr i sandwich Hey! I for FREE! as his Deli Unique Novi swings open its doors to the public this month at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, onetime Sheraton ... General manager is Michael Prentice, Matt and Lisa Prentice's son, formerly one of the managers of Deli Unique West Bloomfield ... His previous post is now taken over by Jim Campau ... Michael and Matt's first charitable endeavor for the new deli was recently for Raymond James financial adviser Denise Dunn with gour- met sandwiches and salads plus gift cer- tificates to their new operation ... Denise's charity Euchre Tournament raised funds recently for the Down Syndrome Guild of Southeast Michigan. MAKING ROUNDS ... To Rugby Grille, Townsend Hotel, Birmingham, for Caesar salad ... To Caucus Club, West Congress, Detroit, for Dover Sole ... To Da Eduardo, Woodward, Detroit, for shrimp in sherry wine sauce ... To Sweet Lorraine's Greenfield, Southfield, for vegetarian meatloaf. THE FACES ON those preparing and putting out food for 19 attendees at the second seder night by Marshall and Dee Shapiro were so familiar ... They were cateress Modesta Devita, co-owner of the former Ristorante Di Modesta on Northwestern in Southfield, now Bacco, assisted by computer engineer Malek Taha, onetime server at Dimitri's of Southfield, and nine years at Di Modesta ... Everything was delicious. CONGRATS ... To Arthur Smith on his 90th birthday... To Louise Abrams on her birthday ... To Sam and Dorothy Essick on their 61st anniversary ... To Mark and Frank Klinger on their 50th anniversary. ❑ Danny's e-mail address is dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net. r (Of equal or lesser value) With the purchase of 2 fountain beverages. One coupon per person Meet me at 'Vineyards... Buy one get one free with over 85 different choices... Nothing else even compares.... ti Not valid with any other offer or promo expires 10/15/09 YARDS r The Detroit News 248.855-9463 1 Order online: www.VineyardDeli.com I I! No NE EN EN Ns 1.1 32418 Northwestern Hwy. between Middlebelt & 14 Mile INE NE Es EN mu =I NE 1.• Weekday Dinner Hours 4.7 pm — ® we October 1 . 2009 a 47