'Arts & Entertainmer,

BEST OF

Vi- TR'l THING

Show Chef

Dining at Zazios' giant "Chef's Table" is like being part of a live TV cooking show.

M

uch has been written about it,
occasion, he gives a guest a
but in some instances, a wrong
souvenir apron to put on and
conception may have been
help in his cooking process
taken ... Especially by people who pos-
... The Chef's Table menu is
sibly never enjoyed the experience, only
changed monthly, featuring
heard about it, and likened it as being very food from various regions of
popular, but done before at charity affairs
Italy ...Without the wine, com-
... I have been to these very fine events and plete five-course is $65; with
can understand why.
wine, $95.
However, the Chef's Table at Zazios on
This puts Zazios into another
Woodward and Maple, Birmingham, is as
dining element, offering a
different as a cheese sandwich and a ham-
choice of two ways to have din-
burger except that both are between two
ner ... Chef's Table or from the
pieces of bread ... The only thing they may regular menu ... Seating in the stadium-
have in common is that a cooking show is
style Chef's Table is set up for 12 at stools
put on in front of an audience ... But while
and 12 at individual tables ... The entire
Zazios is with one chef, the others have
restaurant capacity is 205, with 7-day-a-
about 10 or 12 chefs working at separate
week hours ... Monday-Thursday, 5-10;
tables strewn about the ballroom.
Friday and Saturday, 5-11; and Sunday,
No portable stoves
11-3 family style
at Zazios, as Executive
brunch and 3-8 dinner.
Chef Matt Schellig is
Even seeing Zazios'
surrounded by more
two standard kitch-
than 100 pots and pans
ens is interesting ...
while standing behind
Downstairs the prep
a large stove with eight
kitchen and upstairs
burners on which he
where people can sit on
prepares elaborate
the outside looking into
five-course dinners
a large open kitchen
with superb match-
with gleaming steel tile
ing wines ... It is also
Zazios' GM Fadi Achour and
where chefs are at work
Executive Chef Matt Schellig
nothing like a typical
putting on their own
"chefs table" set in
show.
one corner in back of
Matt comes from
or next to a sink in the restaurant ... Matt
executive chef posts at Duet, Shiraz and
works behind a built-in, state-of-the-art
A Matter of Taste ... Popular General
kitchen surrounded by six large flat TV
Manager Fadi Achour was GM when
screen monitors showing every detail of
Frank Taylor opened former Seldom Blues
the meal being prepared for consump-
and a highly regarded food and beverage
tion by attendees ... While cooking, Chef
director at the Novi Hilton Hotel, Westin
Matt explains what, why and how as well
Southfield Hotel and Greenfield Village.
as where the ingredients come from ... On
Best regular menu sellers at Zazios

Serving the community since 1952
Complete catering for all your special occasions
Delicious food ,excellent service
Award winning veggie chopped liver

include a pasta dish not found
QUESTION & ANSWER DEPT. ... "I
elsewhere, agnolotti, little ravi- always get a chill and a big thrill when I
oli filled with truffled cheese,
see that sign when I come into Las Vegas.
sauteed asparagus and truffled I'm told that it was thought up and donat-
cream, half-order $10, full
ed by a big member of the Mafia. Who was
order $19 ... Also excellent rib- it? ... Milt Keman
eye steak with grilled onions,
[Don't believe it Milt ... The "Welcome
gnocchi, cremini mushrooms
To Fabulous Las Vegas" diamond-shaped
and roasted garlic, $32.
sign with seven silver dollars on it was
Not to forget the seafood at
created by commercial designer Betty
Zazios ... particularly Matt's
Willis in 1959 ... She was 35 years old then
Zuppa Di Pesce, Cioppino with and retired at 77.]
fish, shrimp prawns, scallops,
MAIL DEPT. ... "Good to see that busi-
mussels and calamari in a garlicky tomato
ness is definitely picking up in the Detroit
broth, $28, and Chicken Alfredo, hand-
area. Our Cappucino Man has served on
made ravioli filled with organic chicken,
the set of the TV show Detroit 1 8 7 eight
half-order $10, full $18, and menu changes times, and the film industry has been a
due to dietary or allergies, etc.
tremendous boon to my business in a very
In Italian, the word Sazios, before
challenging economy" ... Elliot Lewkow
replacing the beginning S with Z, means
A PROUD GRANDMOTHER is Donna
happily full ... The many dining experi-
Bassin,"kvelling" over granddaughter
ences at the beautifully decorated Zazios
Elizabeth Bassin being production man-
signify a most happy adventure in cuisine
ager for the new Lisa Kudrow produced
enjoyment.
show on NBC, Who Do You Think You Are?
DANDY DINING DEAL ... One week
Fridays at 8 p.m.... Elizabeth is the daugh-
only, Thursday to Thursday, March 3
ter of former localites Craig and Randee
through March 10 ... Large, 12-ounce
Bassin.
Fresh Broiled Lake Trout ... Lunch or
CONGRATS ... To Jeffrey Sherbow
Dinner ... Includes baked sweet potato
on his 59th birthday ... To Eugene
fries or baked onion rings, broccoli and
Friedman on his 64th birthday ... To
wild rice, $9.95 ... RJ's American Grille,
Sandy Hermanoff on her birthday ... To
Northwestern Hwy., south of 14 Mile,
Franklin Ellias on his 68th birthday ... To
Farmington Hills.
Roslyn Kaufman on her 91st birthday ...
THERE WERE STORIES galore about To Matthew Raskin on his 24th birthday
Sam Boesky and his former Darbys
... To Paula Weiser on her birthday ... To
Restaurant ... One of them was a big
Susan Klau on her birthday ... To Maxine
favorite ... Sam had been held up twice
Burnstine on her birthday ... To Brenda
in one night ... Two burglars came first,
Strausz on her birthday ... To Suzi Wiener
cleaned him out, and when another two
on her birthday ... To Myron Gruskin on
guys showed up for the same purpose,
his 80th birthday.
Sam said, "Sorry, fellows, you're too
late!"
Danny's e-mail is dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net .

VINEYARDS

MARKETPLACE

-

-

• For your IhOihe
or oflie'v

We

shio)Vnionwide
Delivei available

Family of Brands

Bloom's

rt

248-855-9463

jewishcatering.corn

» Complete Corporate
and Home Catering
» Trays
» Roll up sandwiches
» Hot & Cold Hor D'Oeuvres
» Entree's Breakfast
» Box lunches

MO-055446Z

Serving the community for 35 years

248-737-8088 • xvwxy.NibblesAndNuts.com

32418 Northwestern Highway • Between Middlebelt and 14 mile road

34

March 3 • 2011