Arts & Entertai ment THE BE ST OF EVERY Signature Sauces Creative chef at the Lakes Bar & Grille in Commerce stirs up his own innovations. C ooking passion is an expression sauteed in a lemon butter that smile of dining satisfaction on used by numerous youthful chefs, has become one of the Lakes' faces of their customers. but not many hold it with efforts bestsellers, etc. READER MINI CRITIQUE that extend into their kitchen presenta- About Chef Michael's sauces, ... "For my sister Ruby's ninth tions. he favors creating his own for birthday, my family went to the When one appears on the dining scene, their freshness and taste that Melting Pot in Troy, where a especially at a neighborhood restaurant, Michael feels make so much welcoming, outside atmosphere the striking revelation of his or her being difference in the goodness is created by year-round twin- there is with high welcome. of his kitchen presentations kling lights in the bushes. The This is what so many people are finding ... One of the dinner entrees, inside is very modern and chic Danny Raskin out after visiting the Lakes Bar & Grille Blackberry Chicken, chicken and you are able to see inside Senior Columnist the wine room with its fun- on Union Lake Road, north of Commerce sauteed with blackberry sauce, Road, Commerce Township. saturated with blackberry looking three-feet tall bottles of Yet, if you asked Chef Michael Mason brandy and flamed ($13.95), champagne. what he likes to make, he might tell you has met with great response. "We were promptly seated and quickly hamburgers — with the present usual The bevy of first-rate food from a small given drinks and menus. The first course burger craze being like a challenge to kitchen only about 500 square feet is more was cheese fondue for which we ordered him ... One of his burger specialties for proof that a good chef doesn't necessarily a rich original Swiss cheese fondue and example (not on the menu), is stuffed with need added elbow room in which to zest- a strong, spicy 'fiesta" fondue with a tasty cheese, sauteed mushrooms and onions fully ply his trade. blend of Mexican cheeses and fresh jala- and his own steak sauce. Seating at the Lakes is around 92 at penos. I loved dipping fresh green apples But the former Cordon Bleu student at seven-day-a-week hours ... Monday, 4-11; in the cheese. Western University Culinary Institute in Tuesday, 11:30-10; Wednesday through "Next came a perfectly dressed salad Portland, Ore., and Sunday, 11:30-11 course, and I must say that the Melting onetime student of ... Dining specials Pot's Caesar dressing is among the better Certified Master Chef include at least two dressings that I have tasted. Kevin Gronkowski at daily, wood-grilled "Next came the main course, scallops Schoolcraft College swordfish in a lemon and shrimp with vegetables and six sauces has an even greater ginger marinade, in a tangy, citrus mojo bouillon fondue. passion for mak- numerous crusted My favorite part of this course was putting ing items that have tilapia dishes, etc. Green Goddess dressing in mushroom become huge favor- An ever-growing caps, then leaving them in the pot for sev- ites of the Lakes' respect has been eral minutes to make stuffed mushrooms. Lakes Bar & Grille's chef Michael customers. quickly garnered by "Saving the best for last, we indulged Mason and owner Henry "Hank" Locks As examples, din- the Lakes Bar & Grille, in chocolate fondue. Of course, we had to ner entrees like the whose chef and own- order two. We had a white chocolate creme lamb chops special stuffed with roasted ers take much pride in their operation ... brulee fondue and a turtle fondue. Each garlic and tomato with his own sauce, This accompanied by good taste, good ser- dish comes with a heaping plate of cheese- which he prefers using ($22.95), or his vice and reasonable prices make for a res- cake, brownies, strawberries, bananas, version of Surf and Turf not found at taurant's total package of joyful acceptance. pound cake and Rice Krispies treats. I left other restaurants, steak bits and macaroni The former Commerce Grille was taken the restaurant too full to move, yet still topped with a 2-ounce lobster tail ($14.95) over this past August by Henry "Hank" savoring the last taste" ... Emma Kellman ... Accolades are huge for Michael's perch and Irene Lock, whose own passion is the [Emma is 12 years old, in the seventh ANDIAMO NOVI THEATRE JANUARY 26-30 "It's far and away the best mentalist show I've ever seen." °Ross Wetzsteon, Village Voice ''42705 Grand River Ave. Novi, MI 48375 1 248.348.4448 gz.z4,- 114 40 , NOVI THEATRE January 20 2011 andiamo Iheatre.com "NOT TO BE MISSED" -ABC News grade at Orchard Lake Middle School in West Bloomfield ... She and Ruby are the daughters of Beth and Edward Kellman] IN RECESSION YEARS, the wafer- thin profit margins that nourished many Detroit area restaurants during good times is squeezed even thinner ... What has saved restaurateurs in previous poor periods is that dining out has come a long way from being a luxury ... Since the days when only one-third of the consumer's food dollar was spent on meals away from home, restaurants have claimed a good share of these expenditures ... Dining out has become a way of life ... Bear with the restaurants of today who are making every attempt to hold their own ... Better times will surely come ... They always do. QUESTION & ANSWER DEPT. ... "I am told that another Darbys is think- ing of opening again? How many Darbys restaurants were there? ... Shirlee Klavens Pomerantz [I don't know of another opening. Only other one that I can think of opened back in 1978 on Pontiac Trail in Walled Lake but wasn't the same kind of Darbys that burned down in 1968. Also it had an apostrophe between the y and s, such as Darby's.] CONGRATS ... To Goldie Pritz Fogelman on her 90th birthday ... To Fonda Schwartz on her birthday ... To Seymour Rosen on his 81st birthday ... To Daniel "Danny" and Yetta Weintraub on their 57th anniversary ... To Edward "Eddie" and Susan "Suzie" Radner on their 52nd anniversary ... To Marvin and Hilda Shlain on their 66th anniversary ...To Avery and Marilyn Warnick on their 54th anniversary. Danny's e-mail address is dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net.