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A Boring Breakfast? Never!
The Breakfast Club gives you a unique choice every day of the year.
W
hen mother had her daughter
make scrambled eggs, she may
have started her little 2-year-
old offspring's career in the restaurant
business.
Today, that small tot is the owner of
three Breakfast Club dining spots that have
gained immense popularity for uncanny
innovative styles of breakfast and lunches.
Having lunch, too, is not widely recog-
nized because of the restaurant's name,
though items available but not on the
menu include crab cakes, chicken gumbo,
chicken asparagus crepes, chicken pot pie
... Plus menu items like prime rib French
dip, California chicken melt, meatball sub,
tuna melt, Reuben, Cuban panini, etc.
Three locations now for restaurant
operations that have become dining rages
... Haggerty north of Maple in the Meijer
parking lot, Commerce Township ... 10
Mile east of Haggerty, Farmington Hills ...
John R between 12 and 13 Mile, Madison
Heights.
Many folks will
remember owner Penny
White when she was at
Dimitri's of Southfield,
downstairs on Southfield
Road and 10 Mile, as
a waitress, bartender
and general manager
Penny White
... Then came stints at
Excalibur, Restaurant
Duglass, Trattoria Bruschetta, etc.
Prior to becoming an excellent restau-
rant owner in her own right, Penny also
went to Eastern Michigan University for
hotel and restaurant management and
taught HRM at both Schoolcraft College
and Eastern.
Although continually working at various
shifts, Penny always did love breakfasts
and felt that few restaurants made them
properly ... plus many had the same bor-
ing restaurant offerings.
Thus came her thought of the Breakfast
Club concept where Penny's various inno-
vations could be offered along with stan-
dards to make for an overly
... And this she certainly has
enjoyable early dining experi-
accomplished ... More so, too,
ence.
with hours that also take in
Specialties like the one from
lunch.
Penny's aunt Lynn Howes of
From a 2-year-old tyke mak-
oven-baked French toast, using
ing scrambled eggs to Penny
Texas toast topped with rasp-
someday becoming a breakfast
berries, strawberries, blueber-
and lunch restaurant entrepre-
ries, streusel cinnamon roll and
neur extraordinaire, her mom,
croissant, which has become
Beverly Heater, probably says,
Danny Raskin
one of Breakfast Club's bestsell-
Senior Columnist "I knew all the time that she
ers, or the breakfast quesadilla
would."
of Mexican sausages, eggs and
IN THE AMERICAN
roasted red peppers.
Express Executive Travel magazine of
Customers can even have their own egg
November/December, son Scott Raskin
white omelet or scrambled egg whites any
may not follow in pop's journalistic ways
way they want ... Also, breakfast enchi-
but as CEO of Mindjet, based in San
ladas of corn tortillas stuffed with eggs,
Francisco, he reveals his love of food
onions and peppers topped with ranchero
there to writer Robert
sauce and avocado sour cream ... or a
Strohmeyer:
crab-asparagus-hollandaise omelet ...
"Tor me, Kokkari is
and if you like apples, you'll love the Apple
an incredible place, says
Stuffed French Toast made of Texas toast
Raskin. 'It's probably
sauteed with apple pie apples, cinnamon
the best Mediterranean
and sugar plus a side of fruit.
restaurant in the city.'
Revolving daily specials, too, that folks
[Kokkari is rated among
will rarely see elsewhere ... 14 different
San Francisco's top res-
Scott Raskin
blintzes; 14 Tex-Mex preparations; eggs
taurants.]
benedict 10 different ways; 14 kinds of
"Another consistently
omelets; seven scrambles; 38 styles of pan- outstanding destination for lunch or din-
cakes; 24 types of French toast, 16 waffles
ner," he says, 'is Boulevard. [Chef Nancy
styles, etc. ... and a regular Kids Korner
Oakes has a James Beard Foundation
menu breakfast or lunch.
Award as the best chef in California.]
All three Breakfast Clubs are open seven
"'San Francisco has so many excellent
days, 7 a.m.-2:30 p.m. ... Commerce
dim sum places. We've got high-end, tour-
Township is the largest with seating for
ist places like Yank Sing, but deep in the
120; Farmington Hills, 80, and Madison
heart of Chinatown, where you feel like
Heights, 50.
you've stepped into another world, we've
Penny's first Breakfast Club was original- got Great Eastern. Then there's something
ly in Clawson before moving to Madison
in between, which is City View.'
Heights ... Then came the Commerce and
"'Pressed to choose a favorite, he says, 'If
Farmington Hills locations with partner
someone's coming into town and they want
Jill Scarborough ... Her manager at the
to really feel that side of San Francisco and
Commerce locale, Phil Ostach, was Penny's
get some truly Hong Kong-style food, and
boss years back at the Ramada Inn on
you really want a great time, go to Great
Telegraph in Southfield ... He was her bar
Eastern:
manager and she a cocktail waitress.
"When it comes to dinner on the town,
Penny always wanted something differ-
Scott Raskin loves the endless options the
ent ... a breakfast operation like no other
city provides, but quickly surfaces a few
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favorites that represent distinct archetypes
in San Francisco dining.
"'If I'm doing something a little more
formal, where I want to grab a cocktail
and have a business conversation over a
meal, I like to go to Bix, Raskin says. 'It's
old school. It's kind of 1920s — they have
jazz playing every night — and it's unique.
It's not like going into any restaurant off
of Market Street or California. The lobster
spaghetti is out of this world, or go for the
truffle cheeseburger:
"For visitors leaning toward something a
little more neighborly, Raskin recommends
A-16, an eatery in San Francisco's Marina
District known for its Italian cuisine. [16's
menu is like a culinary tour of southern
Italy.]
"Another favorite of Raskin's is Cafe des
Amis, a sophisticated yet casual French
bistro on Union Street, where Parisian culi-
nary art meets seasonal California cuisine
- MAIL DEPT. ... "We finally -got to Mike
Binder's Coney Dog on Sunset Boulevard
in Hollywood, Calif. There we were, four
former Detroiters, Sid and Jackie Weinberg,
Elizabeth Bassin and me, her proud grand-
mother.
"Do I have to tell you how we over-
indulged!? Between the hot dogs with the
Coney Island chili, the Faygo pop and the
Sanders Hot Fudge sundaes, we were in
paradise.
"He has captured all the best features of
the Lafayette Coney Island. From the mem-
orabilia of pictures of Detroit to Al Kaline's
Detroit Tiger uniform to the white tile on
the walls. What a day of reminiscing!" ...
Donna Bassin, Westlake Village, Calif.
SUPER PIANIST David Syme will be
in town tickling the keys at Birmingham
Temple in Farmington Hills, Sunday, Dec.
19, 2-3 p.m.... General admission $15,
MacGroup members $10.
CONGRATS ... To Helen "Jake" Fried on
her birthday. I I
Danny's email is dannyraskin@sbcglobalmet.
MICHI N'S
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