Arts & Entertainment

THE BEST OF EVERYTHING

Jack Of All Trades

Since 1975, Beau Jack's is the place for delicious variety.

I

t has been 34 years since reopening
with a new name and totally new
concept than its original operation.
But since the change, Beau Jack's Food
& Spirits, named after Jack Cochran, its
late co-owner with son Gary, has enjoyed a
highly admirable existence.
Jack originally opened Westerner Beef
Buffet on Michigan Avenue in Dearborn
during the late '60s and moved to the "too
far away:' people said, site of today on
Maple, just west of Telegraph, Bloomfield
Township ... After closing down in 1974,
it reopened in 1975 as Beau Jack's Food &
Spirits and has far exceeded all expecta-
tions in becoming one of Metropolitan
Detroit's leading restaurant operations.
Three graciously appointed rooms seat
around 175, with a piano bar presenting
keyboard tickling on Thursday, Friday and
Saturday evenings.
Open seven days a week from 11:30,
Sunday 4-9, Beau Jack's is widely known
for its fine entrees from the broiled
whitefish (served on a sizzling platter sur-
rounded by homemade duchess potatoes)
to barbecued ribs to steaks and chops
(like the broiled Angus N.Y. strip steak
topped with sauteed mushrooms), filet,
lamb chops, honey-mustard chicken, veal
picatta, linguine, etc.
The Beau Jack hamburger selection is
among a listed rarity with more than 20
toppings at no extra charge, a Piedmontese
beef low-fat hamburger, fresh Angus beef
burger, turkey burger, etc. ... all told, more
than 10 different styles ... And this by a
restaurant that had opened initially with
only two hamburgers on the menu.
Even the salads are choice, along with
the many dining specialties, burgers,

Cat

Matt
rent c

R ESTAURANT
GROUP

.MaTTRENTICERG.COM

34

December 31 • 2009

soups, etc. that have brought
Beau Jack's a highly commend-
able reputation as the kind of
neighborhood restaurant that is
so greatly welcomed just about
anywhere in the United States.
DANDY DINING DEAL
... Beginning Friday, Jan. 1 ...
at Golden Phoenix, Sugar Tree
Plaza, Orchard Lake Road, North
of 15 Mile, West Bloomfield ...
Introduction of the wonderful-
tasting new Chinese dining sen-
sation ... Shanghai Charlie's Chow Chow
... Good-sized shrimp, sliced chicken
breast, soft Shanghai noodles, water chest-
nuts, napa (Chinese cabbage), onions,
carrots, soup (egg drop, wonton or hot and
sour), egg roll, ice cream dessert (choice of
six selections), fortune cookie and hot tea
... $11.95 ... No coupons or special offers.
GOOD WAITRESS DEPT. ... At
Redcoat Tavern, Woodward, Royal Oak
... Amanda "Mandy" Walden, an 11-year
veteran at the acclaimed house of ham-
burgers, etc. ... Professional efficiency
with smiling politeness and fast service
that point out good experienced waitper-
sons.
HERE'S ANOTHER one from the
old Lindy's New York menu ... Customer,
"There's a bird in my soup" ... "That's all
right, sir. It's Bird's Nest Soup:'
QUESTION & ANSWER DEPT.
... "Is there a correct way to hold a wine
glass? I see people who look like they
know what they are doing hold them in so
many different ways ... Helene Cousins
(I want to say that whatever is most
comfortable is best, but the more accepted
way to get the wine's full flavor, is to

hold the glass by the stem,
between forefinger and
thumb, not by the bowl.]
MAKING ROUNDS
... To Blue Nile, Ferndale, for
authentic Ethiopian Honey
Wine ... To Hung Hua,
Farmington Hills, for Peking
Duck ... To Mon Jin Lau, E.
Maple, Troy, for seared sea
scallops ... To the Grill, Ritz
Carlton Dearborn, for salmon
... To Fiddler, Orchard Lake
Road, West Bloomfield, for Beef Stroganoff
... To Opus One, Lamed, Detroit, for
crab salad with fried green tomatoes ...
To New Seoul Gardens, Northwestern
Highway, Southfield, for beef barbecued
on a table-top grill or Kimchi, the staple
food of Korea ... To Samurai Steak House,
Haggerty, West Bloomfield, for sushi and
hibachi in separate rooms next to each
other ... To Kruse & Muer on Wilshire,
Troy, for Tommy Bahama crab cakes.
AS WE SOON SAY adieu to another
year, welcoming in 2010 will be filled with
hopes for rays of sunshine, however small,
in economic conditions ... Some bright-
ness has already begun to shine through
with restaurants opening and slated to
open instead of only hearing about closings
... New places like R.j!s American Grill in
Farmington Hills, Oliverio's on Benstein,
Walled Lake, a second Gateway Deli of Troy,
another Leo's Coney Island on Northwestern
Highway, Southfield, a new Ram's Horn
on Orchard Lake Road, Farmington Hills,
the upscale and elegant but low-priced
Mykonos Greek Taverna, working feverishly
to soon open in Farmington Hills, and oth-
ers are hearty signs of better days on the

way ... We wish them much luck and hope
that they are omens of more dining happi-
ness to come.
MAIL DEPT. ... "Harry's new job is
with the U.S. Department of Energy, so
we will be moving again, from one coast
to another, Seattle, Wash., to Washington,
D.C. He earned several certifications in
home energy and one in HVAC (Heating,
Ventilation and Air Conditioning). These
have tied in with the home energy audit
business we had in New York in the early
'90s and his engineering degrees. Harry
will be writing up the new codes and stan-
dards for energy efficiency on residential
property for the United States:'
Karin Indig.
REMEMBERING WHEN DEPT.
... "I remember having Frankie Valli,
in Detroit at Pine Knob years ago with
his group, the Four Seasons, over to the
house for a barbecue and since already
having seen his show the night before, it
was planned to simply drop him off at the
theater in time for his performance that
night. However, we ended up going to see
the wonderful show again and loving it
even more than we did the first time.
"Before leaving town, Frankie expressed
a strong desire to play in Detroit again,
which he did, but at that time never
dreamed that someday there would also
be a traveling troupe of Jersey Boys depict-
ing the life story of him and the Four
Seasons, now at the Fisher Theatre' ...
Jackie Kallen
CONGRATS ... To Sol Lesnick on his
91st birthday. II

Danny's e-mail address is

dannyraskin@sbcglobaLnet.

cial

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