Arts & Entertainment THE BEST OF EVERYTHING Pure Joy For Eyes And Palate Yotsuba strikes a beautiful harmony between sushi and surroundings. I t has been said many times that if ambience could be eaten, one would be hard-pressed to find a better meal. This would positively be true about Yotsuba in Robin's Nest Center, Orchard Lake Road north of 14 Mile, West Bloomfield ... The interior is that beauti- ful ... So much so, in fact, that it is one of the most striking restaurants of its kind in Michigan. The elegant hand-made fea- tures include two tatami rooms with wells for 20 and 12 pairs of feet, respectively, an outstanding horseshoe-shaped sushi bar with 20 _ stools and an ele- Owner Ann Lin gant dining room seating 100 ... Entrance is into a beautiful sea of blond wood enhanced by a lovely crystal chandelier. But all this would be for naught if they weren't likewise accompanied by authentic Japanese sushi and sashimi with their highly accepted touches of innovative satisfaction as Yotsuba of West Bloomfield celebrates its fifth anniversary ... Entering number six is done with continued good- ness. When Yotsuba of West Bloomfield opened on Nov. 19, 2004, it was the second owned by Aim Lin, whose Ann Arbor location honored its eighth anniversary on Washtenaw and Hogback this past October. Among the fresh goodness that more than 208,000 people have enjoyed at Yotsuba of West Bloomfield, its best- seller has been the delicious Firecracker Roll (shrimp tempura, avocado with spicy crab meat salad, etc.), of which 52,000 orders of eight pieces have been served ... High, too, on the list of top requests is the popular Spider Roll (five pieces of soft-shell crab, crab salad and lettuce) with its 26,000 orders. Although fish and seafood are the big things in Japanese sushi and sashimi dining, true vegetarians are not forgotten at Yotsuba ... Selections like cucumber roll with or without sesame seeds and rice, avocado with rice, colorful sweet potato tempura roll, asparagus tempura roll, marinated seaweed salad, etc. Japanese sushi and sashimi dining has achieved a popularity status that ranks among the more wanted ethnic cuisines ... Among the most popular is ordering a la carte where diners receive combi- nations like tuna, flounder, yellow-tail salmon, etc. and gorge themselves with lavish delight ... or they tell their desires to Ann and she'll think up something ... In fact, among her greatest loves is creat- ing new and different dishes that other Japanese restaurants do not have ... And very popular is the selection of appetiz- ers like sashimi jalapeno of tuna, salmon and flounder with garlic sauce, salmon kama, crab seafood balls, minced scallops, shrimp and seaweed skewer, tuna tataki, salmon tartare, whitefish and vegetable tempura, etc. ... In fact, Yotsuba's appe- tizer choices number almost 35. Yotsuba of West Bloomfield is open for lunch and dinner seven days ... Monday- Thursday, 11:30-10; Friday and Saturday, 11:30-11; Sunday, noon-9:30. Sushi prepared and served with excellence is an exquisite display of Japanese traditions ... and to many a much- awaited dining experience Yotsuba provides much enhancement to sushi's natural beauty with tastes and textures that bring out many essences in their important character- istics ... Ann's Yotsuba in West Bloomfield stands tall in its lofty stature as a wonderful authentic Japanese restaurant. WITH A CHANGE in publisher of her fine book America's Great Delis: Recipes and Traditions from Coast to Coast [Sellers Publishing] by former Detroiter Sheryll Bellman, comes a new attractive cover and lower price, now $18.95 instead of $35 ... Also varied information has been changed plus a few minor recipes as it focuses on many of the most well-loved delicatessens across the country, including histories and recipes behind Zingerman's in Ann Arbor and the former Darbys and Boesky's in Detroit. Just the mention of Darbys and Boesky's bring back fond memories for many because they were unbeatable as delis and restaurants ... Both had informal styles and food that untold numbers of deli operations have tried to emulate but never could. "I love my memories of dining in Detroit;' writes Sheryll, who lived in down- town Detroit while a virus researcher for Parke-Davis in 1966-76. "The superb food, service and all-around environment at London Chop House, Joe Muer's and Lelli's [on Woodward] were among the best ever, and to this day, I have seldom found any that equaled them. They were the best!" Sheryll's next book coming out this fall will be America's Little Italys: Recipes and Traditions from Coast to Coast. SPEAKING OF DELICATESSENS from yesteryears, there could hypothetically be a Pebble Creek Deli what with a couple of the owners of former favorites living at the West Bloomfield condominium complex ... Bernie Litt, former boss of Billy's on Livernois, Detroit ... and Sam Lerman, retired head honcho of Ben & George in Livonia ... Betcha both can still proficiently cut corned beef and pastrami by hand ... I wouldn't be too surprised if other delicatessen countermen or dish- washers, etc., also live at Pebble Creek. THE WAY THINGS have been shaping up, tickets will undoubtedly go fast for this year's 20th annual Hank Greenberg Memorial Golf Invitational, Monday, June 21, sponsored by the Michigan Jewish Sports Foundation at prestigious Oakland Hills Country Club, Bloomfield Township ... Celebrities galore will be golfing on Oakland Hills' North and South courses, attending the always stupendous awards banquet dinner with its wonderful panel of sports superstars, etc ... For reserva- tions or information on packages or sponsorship, call MJSF Executive Director David Blatt at (248) 592-9323 or e-mail michiganjewishsports.org ... Available sponsorships also include tickets ... Proceeds benefit prostate cancer charities and the MJSF Genetic Cancer Screening Fund. CONGRATS ... To Jay Grant on his 88th birthday. ❑ Danny's e-mail address is dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net. 2O OFF' THE FOOD PORTION OF YOUR BANQUET CATERED EVENT vNic ST BE BOOKED IN 11 DT POSFI Bl FRID 51. APRIL 30TII — ER DOES NOT APPLY 1'0 TEMPLE iSR Crowne Plaza — 248-248-5000 ext.624 Radisson — 248-646-7900 Coach Insignia — 313-567-2622 Shiraz Gardens — 248-646-0370 ext.218 Off Premise & Kosher Catering — 248-646-0370 ext.402 litiatite*- -0 rentice RESTAURANT GROUP Visit www.CateringByMatt.com for details WWW.INIATTPREN'TICERG.COM FOLLOW US ON 50 April '15 • 2010 facebook timithar 248.646.0370