■ all ' s fare
Westward Ho!
A classic burger invades West Bloomfield.
BY ANNABEL COHEN I PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANGIE BAAN
Seemingly out of the blue, West Bloomfield's popular, boisterous (read "loud") Zinc Brasserie
closed its doors temporarily in September and reopened almost immediately as the Redcoat
Tavern, the second location of the famous Royal Oak burger joint that originated in 1972.
What's interesting is that just days before Zinc was to become redefined, I dined there.
I ordered the Redcoat Tavern burger. I kept thinking how nice it was to eat this renowned
sandwich in such a nice atmosphere. And with the shaky economy, I thought that for $10-
$15, without the long waits, why go elsewhere? I guess the owners had the same idea.
Other than the sign change and some minor decor rework, the restaurant still feels and
looks Zinc-esque. The narrow, crowded bar and the "big room" are nearly identical. The spe-
cials menu and wine list are printed daily on Zinc paper and in the Zinc style.
The place is still loud, but I was happy to be at my old Zinc again, and on a Sunday now
What else is different is the crowd. Whole families feel welcome, wearing jeans and baseball
caps.
The menu is mostly old Redcoat, with great big burgers and two-dozen topping choices
(including the award-winning Brasserie, with Gruyere, caramelized onions, watercress and
Dijon), tall stacks of lighter-than-air onion rings, sandwiches, shepherd's pie and prime rib.
There are Zinc offerings, too, including the beloved Salade Rustique, with roasted beets,
watercress and feta cheese. Our group's burgers (we all got them — burnt onions on mine)
were predictably delicious and messy. I took home half since I couldn't stop eating the onion
rings.
Then there's the extensive wine and beer list. Hard to beat.
The new Redcoat doesn't have the cozy, timeworn atmosphere of the Royal Oak Redcoat.
It doesn't have much atmosphere at all. But that's OK. It's about the food. And it's open late,
unusual in these parts and another plus.
Redcoat Tavern
6745 Orchard Lake Road
West Bloomfield, Ml 48322-3414
(248) 865-0500
Monday-Saturday.
11 a.m.-1:45 a.m.
Sunday, noon-midnight
Burgers: $6.95 and up
Entrees and Entree Salads:
$12-$20
Desserts: $5.25
P 6 •
JANUARY 2010 •
JN platinum