THE BEST OF EV RY
A Nick Knack
Heroes Bar-BQ in Waterford lives up to family name.
F
olks like to talk about the infor-
mal neighborhood restaurant
they may have discovered, but
many "conveniently forget" where it is
located ... The dining spot is their own
little secret, or so they suppose.
Among those eateries whose location is
ultimately revealed, is Heroes Bar-BQ &
Brew on West Huron in Waterford, owned
by Tim Nick and sister Debbie Nick ...
Their sister Christi Nick, the competent
waitress so many people have enjoyed
through the years, has been at the restau-
rant since it opened
If that name "Nick" sounds familiar, it
is an offshoot of the family from Mitch's
Tavern, Highland House, Mitch's II,
Alexander's and E.G. Nick's ... The Nick is
shortened from Nicholas.
The building in which Heroes is
located was at one time the home of Rip's
Restaurant, which many people frequented
for its baby back ribs ... It is a seven-day-
a-week operation, open Monday-Thursday,
11-11; Friday, 11-midnight; Saturday, 3-11;
Sunday, 3-9 ... Dining room seating is 120
plus 65 in the lounge and 18 bar stools.
Since opening on August 1994, about
1,500,000 people have come through the
door at Heroes, whose sale of baby back
ribs numbers over 200,000 pounds, along
with almost 150,000 pounds of whitefish,
over 25,000 pounds of shrimp, almost
20,000 gallons of clam chowder, etc. ...
Best sellers on the menu are its broiled
whitefish, baby back ribs, Greek salads,
pastas and burgers.
Their Greek Pasta is not found at too
many, if any, local restaurants, with chick-
en, sliced garlic, fresh basil and oregano,
sun-dried tomatoes, hot pepper flakes,
sauteed with olive oil, white
wine and lemon juice, served
over linguini and garnished with
feta cheese and baked brie ...
Also Heroes' Blackjack Salmon,
dusted with Cajun spice and
blackened, topped with a Jack
Daniels bourbon sauce ... And
its Pecan Chicken Breast sim-
mered in a sweet honey mustard
sauce, topped with the pecans
and served over rice pilaf.
Lake Perch is not listed on the
menu, but served as a specialty
during the week.
Having time-honored family recogni-
tion and background is important in res-
taurant ownership ... but is only as good
as the restaurant itself ... Heroes carries
on the Nicholas (Nick) name with pride.
TWENTY YEARS AGO, he was a bus-
boy at Buddy's Pizza on Northwestern,
Farmington Hills ... Today, Marko Goulas
is the co-owner of his own restaurant with
Uncle Tom Goulas ... They are partners
in the 145-seat Honey Tree on 14 Mile,
east of Highway 5, by the United Artists
Commerce Theatre, Commerce Township.
Although it is part of Tom's eight-res-
taurant Honey Tree chain, this is the only
one with a menu deviation as well as
being licensed to serve beer and wine.
Saturday mornings, 9-1, is a well-
stocked breakfast buffet, including made-
to-order omelets, adults, $8.95, children
10 and under, $4.95 ... Saturday evening,
6-9, is a sumptuous dinner buffet with
top sirloin, lamb, chicken, pasta and Greek
favorites, adults, $13.95, youngsters 10 and
under, $6.95 ... Sundays 10-2, has fine
brunch selections, adults $9.95, kids 10
and under, $5.95 ... All are
eat as much as wanted.
While a busboy, Marko
never dreamed his even-
tual career would be as a
restaurateur ... He wanted
to be behind the scenes in
television sportscasting, like
sports editing ... Marko
played soccer as a child in
Greece and is today in an
eight-team league ... He and
Tom are also co-partners of
the Honey Tree in Somerset
Collection North's Food Court in Troy.
GOOD FRIENDS and business associ-
ates, Ron Forman and Al Winkler, are
together again ... Ron formerly owned
the Bread Basket Deli on Lincoln in Oak
Park and Al is present owner of the Bread
Basket Deli chain ... When Al soon opens
his next Bread Basket Deli on Telegraph,
just north of Huron in Waterford, Ron will
be its operator.
THEY FORGOT
THEIR appetites
listening to the stir-
ring talk of former
U.S. Sen. George
McGovern recently
at Temple Beth
El in Bloomfield
Township ... But
their pangs were
Rabbi Syme
later remembered
and four hungry
attendees, Rabbi Daniel and Jill Syme and
Barry and Sue Lepler, joined McGovern for
11 p.m. dinner at Matt Prentice's Northern
Lakes Seafood Company on Woodward,
Bloomfield Hills.
AMONG THE REASONS that Nathan
Hickling moved his Dairy Queen from
Robins Nest on Orchard Lake Road and
14 Mile to the Boardwalk Shopping Center
on Orchard Lake, south of 15 Mile, West
Bloomfield, was due to a big yearning on
the part of his customers ... They wanted
to enjoy the beautiful weather and now
have it at Dairy Queen's new location with
its informal outdoors patio.
QUESTION & ANSWER DEPT. ... "We
have heard different names for the restau-
rant that is supposed to have been the first
one in the United States. All the ones were
in New York. Do you know which one was
the first one?" ... Ernie and Sylvia Blocker.
[I don't know the name of the first res-
taurant, but to my knowledge, America's
first deluxe and upscale sit-down eatery
was back in 1838 when a Mr. Delmonico
opened Delmonico's on Pearl Street in New
York's lower Manhattan ... It prospered
from the start and flourished in various
locations, moving northward with the
social flow until 1923 when in Delmonico's
most luxurious headquarters on Fifth
Avenue and 44th streets it succumbed to
the ravages imposed by prohibition.]
CONGRATS ... To Lester Gold on his
60th birthday ... To Bonnie Nosanchuk
on her birthday ... To Carol Nosanchuk
on her 80th birthday ... To Jan Haskell on
her birthday ... To Betty Katzman on her
85th birthday ... To Jack and Jane Sweet
on their 67th anniversary ... To Steve and
Eileen Foon on their 30th anniversary ...
To Bruce and Maureen Levine on their
40th anniversary.
❑
Danny's e-mail address is
dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net.
20% OFF CATERING IF YOU BOOK BY AUGUST 31ST AT:
CROWNE PLAZA
Kathy Charnley
(248) 348-5000 ext. 624
COACH INSIGNIA
Samantha Sher
(313) 567-2622
SHIRAZ
Samantha McCrossin
(248) 646-0370 ext. 218
RADISSON
Florina Boyle or Donna Rosen
(248) 644- 1400
Matt
ent ce
AURANT
GROUP
June 24 . 2010
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