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May 10, 2012 - Image 50

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
The Detroit Jewish News, 2012-05-10

Disclaimer: Computer generated plain text may have errors. Read more about this.

arts & entertainment >> the best of everything

Elegant, Home-Cooked Delights

For true northern Lebanese specialties, hit Northwestern Highway!

M

any people back home in their
most evident French influ-
native lands continue to stick to ences.
ethnic ways of dining ... Like in
Many of the dining items,
Lebanon, where drinks are rarely served
like stuffed lamb, grape leaves,
without the accompaniment of food selec-
stuffed cabbage, baked kibbe,
tion from its wide range of dishes.
stuffed eggplant, stuffed zuc-
However, this is not the reason why Le
chini, etc., may sound familiar,
Chef Bistro, which soon celebrates its sec-
but the tastes take on different
ond anniversary (May 14) off Northwestern palate-pleasing ... Even those
Highway south of 14 Mile, on a road
culinary items on the vegetar-
leading to Sam's Club and Home Depot,
ian listing, including bulgur
Farmington Hills, recently received the
with tomatoes, mujadara,
liquor license it had been pursuing.
hindbi (dandelion greens), etc.
It was mainly obtained as a convenience
... As well as a wonderful veg-
for the numerous customers who requested etarian platter that takes in five mounds of
the fine Lebanese wines along with favorite delicious delicacies.
libations ... As for the food offerings, it is
And the various Lebanese pastries made
a very authentic array ... Like three differ-
on the premises by Milaki are magnificent
ent presentations of arak, the "Greek ouzo"
... Her lovely baklava without honey satu-
of Lebanon, Lebanese beer
ration is choice ... The
Almaza, etc. ... Five of the
Lebanese rice pud-
six Lebanese wines are
ding, too, is superb,
from the country's Bekaa
topped with almonds
Valley region.
and pistachio nuts
The food is still of No.
and covered with rose
1 importance at Le Chef,
water.
which in its two years serv-
Combine these
ing home-cooked Lebanese
many items from a
dishes at this location has
menu that takes in
received customers far
moghrabiya, couscous,
exceeding its expectations
lamb shank, lamb
... In that short time,
chops, etc., and you
Seated are Milaki and Fernand
about.40,000 people have
have ethnic dining
Bitar, joined by son Edward.
come through its doors to
among the finest.
enjoy the excellent north-
The Bitar family
ern Lebanese food prepared by co-owner/
formerly owned a successful Lebanese
chef Milaki Bitar, while husband, Fernand,
restaurant in Sterling Heights and decided
does the on-premises butchering and chef-
upon a more upscale dining operation with
ing at the restaurant along with Milaki's
food that Milaki has an apparent gift for
excellent, very authentic Old World prepara- making from scratch and her novel prepa-
tions ... Their son, co-owner Edward Bitar, rations that are considered without equal
is also Le Chef's general manager/chef.
Milaki grew up in the dining business
As a family-owned-and-operated res-
back home in Lebanon, where her family
taurant, Le Chef has taken its place among owned a fine restaurant that offered Milaki
the finest ethnic restaurants in this region
the opportunities for many hours of watch-
because of the Lebanese home-cooking
ful learning, which she combined with her
deliciousness of various dishes that were
own inventive ways.
brought here from Lebanon, with their
Le Chef is open Monday-Thursday 11-10;

.

Now oyen

rime is cominj

32729 Northwestern Highway Farmington Hills

50

May 10 • 2012

Friday, 11-11, Saturday, noon-11;
Sunday, noon-9 ... Dining room
seating capacity is 105, with
another 25 seats on its outdoor
patio.
Not too many people know
where to get very good true
Lebanese food, but are learning
and coming back for more at Le
Chef, where the authentic tastes
are so noticeably elegant.
READER MINI REVIEW ...
From Susan Sherbow . . . "After
several visits to the Rusty Bucket
Restaurant and Tavern on Woodward in
Bloomfield Hills, my husband, Mark, and
daughter Rachel found this family restau-
rant to have a sophisticated atmosphere
with a cozy feel and pleasant servers.
"We enjoyed the consistently tasty food
choices with each visit. Rachel loved the
served-by-the-pound wings with tamarind
barbeque sauce that we shared. The salads
are fresh and plentiful. The beer-battered cod
sandwich that I had with a light and crispy
batter is very tasty and better than most, not
just a quick mix of mayo and relish.
"Mark's marinated yellow-fin tuna with
wasabi mayo, had a wonderful fresh Asian
flavor. Rachel's hand-made burger was
perfectly grilled, charred on the outside and
juicy inside. We plan to try some of their
main plates in the future, as well as the
pizza:'
MANY FOLKS WILL remember Fadi
Athour from his days as general manager
of Seldom Blues (now Joe Muer Seafood)
when it opened in Detroit's Renaissance
Center and Zazios in Birmingham ...
Before those, the new GM of Prime 29
Steak House, slated to open May 29 on the
former site of 7 Bar & Grill, Orchard Lake
Road and 15 Mile, West Bloomfield, had
been food and beverage director at the Novi
Hilton Hotel, Westin Southfield Hotel and
Greenfield Village in Dearborn.
MAIL DEPT. . "I noticed in your
column recently about someone ask-

ing where to get kosher Southern-fried
chicken. The best place for that is Unique
Kosher Carryout owned by Rita Jerome on
Greenfield north of 10 Mile. Another option
is Dave's Gourmet Burgers on Lincoln east
of Greenfield. My favorite of the two is
Unique." ... Hedy Jacobson
QUESTION & ANSWER DEPT. ...
"Wasn't there a Cheesecake Factory at the
old Tally Hall years ago? Do you know
whether it was the same as the ones today
where we just love to eat when out of
town?" ... Alicia and Mert Gordon
[I remember Oscar and Evelyn Overton
selling cheesecakes wholesale to local eater-
ies here before leaving for California and
servicing restaurants and hotels in four
states from their plant there ...They came
back here years later to help their nephew
Ron Rich and Ben Siegel, whose Cheesecake
Factory at Tally Hall served almost 60 dif-
ferent kinds of cheesecakes. But I don't
recall it ever being a restaurant.]
LAST YEAR, IT was baseball Hall of
Famer Frank Robinson who was in the
group at the Hank Greenberg Memorial
Golf Invitational ... This year, the 2012
event, Monday, June 4, will have baseball
Hall of Fame honoree Lou Brock swinging
his golf club with Buddy's Robert Jacobs
and Wes Pikula and Larry Becker ... Since
golfing this year necessitates the addi-
tion of another site with Franklin Hills
Country Club a sell-out, nearby Knollwood
Country Club has pitched in to take on the
overflow ...The Michigan Jewish Sports
Foundation's always-wonderful banquet
and sports star-studded question-and-
answer session will be held at Franklin
Hills.
CONGRATS ... To Dave Sachs on his
61st birthday ... To Wendy Spiro on her
birthday ... To Art Dubin on his 47th
birthday ... To Patti Kahn on her 50th
birthday ... To Dr. Sam Talmer on his 65th
birthday. ❑

Danny's email is dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net .

• Open Mother's Day for Brunch
from 10am til 3pm and Dinner
from 5pm until 1 Opm
Reservations are mandatory
(all (248)254-3840

•Private Events and Reservations now being ao:epted
•Catering Director - Terry Kliza
at (248)254-3840

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