in all's fare

Amazing Tastes

,„
lidlulah's adds more sophistication to the Birmingham scene.

,..1040 01.11111111

,0

EXPERIENCE

Raising the bar for
custom homebuilding
and fine renovations...

Organization

complete personalization • home renovations

custom build on your lots or ours • design services

SALES OFFICE (248) 851-6400

3200 LEGACY COURT WEST BLOOMFIELD MICHIGAN 48323
(248) 626 3150 FRANKELHOMES.COM

-

cr

HOUSOKI
OPPONIUMITY

P 6 •

JULY 2010 •

JN platinum

WRITTEN BY DAVID MOSS I PHOTOGRAPHY BY JERRY ZOLYNSKY

Entering Tallulah's Wine Bar &
Bistro in Birmingham, we remarked
about the atmosphere and people-
watching potential. The lively crowd
looked like it had just stepped out of
an ad for Ralph Lauren Polo.
Reservations here are a must, as
the restaurant accommodates 65, so
we made ours a couple of weeks in
advance. Once seated, we admired
the preserved grape vine adorning
the wall above us, the neutral cream
walls and ceiling and the potted herbs
on each table. The restaurant has the
look and feel of a Napa Valley cafe.
Our waitress appeared quickly and
was as bubbly as fine champagne,
flashing an ever-present smile. I
mentioned several wines from the
list, and she suggested going with the
Brys Estate Cabernet Franc (Traverse
City), which had a nice young fruit
forward finish. Wine is reasonably
priced here, with as many bottles in
the $40 range as in the $80 range. A
nice selection is also available by the
glass.
We began our meal with a shared
grilled artichoke appetizer. The ten-
der meaty parts were divine, with a
pronounced olive oil flavor, and the
paired rosemary aioli dipping sauce
was delicious.
The menu entrees focus on
Michigan products, farm-raised
meats, organic produce and simple
preparation. The end result: multiple
flavors and textures to please your
taste buds.
Our entree choices included tender
roasted veal from the specials menu,
topped with crispy fried onions and
served with an asparagus puree and
seasonal vegetables. The flavor profile

was amazing. Our other choice was
a whole trout, lightly seasoned with
herbs and lemon and served with
crispy pancetta and a salad of water-
cress, ruby red grapefruit and fennel.
The salad was refreshing and delicious
and complemented the texture and
tastes of the fish.
Other menu entrees include
roasted chicken, with grilled Savoy
cabbage and baby sweet potatoes,
and a mouth-watering hangar steak,
served with heirloom mushrooms and
redskin mashed potatoes. Some pastas
round out the menu, including sweet
potato gnocchi with sage, brown but-
ter, chestnuts and butternut squash.
There are a few desserts to choose
from, including two versions of the
classic ice cream float: "21 Float" is
made with Samuel Smith Oatmeal
Stout and vanilla ice cream. "Under
21 Float" substitutes Faygo Root Beer
in place of the stout. Our choice was
a slice of homemade apple pie topped
with vanilla ice cream — a simple
pleasure that's hard to beat.

TALLULAH WINE BAR

155 S. Bates St.
Birmingham
(248) 731-7066: tallulanwilie.com

HOURS:
Serving Dinner ---
Monday-Saturday at 5 p.m. (regular
menu)
Sunday at 4 p.m. (Sunday supper
menu, and reaular menu)

Appetizers: $8
Main Courses: $15-$20

