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Happy 20th, Rocky!

Rocky's of Northville has pleased palates for two decades.

H

e may not have known it at the
time, but when Dave Dubbs hired
that 13-year-old youngster to
wash dishes and pans at the Dubbs Country
Kitchen owned by Dave and wife, Bertha,
on 10 Mile and Greenfield, Oak Park, he
was getting someone who one day would be
listed among this regioris finest chefs and
restaurateurs.
The youth had given up his newspaper
route to work for Dave and, when his broiler
man left, persuaded Dave to give him the
job ... He stayed on in various capacities for
more than eight years.
Chuck "Rocky" Rachwitz is celebrat-
ing the 20th anniversary of his Rocky's of
Northville restaurant
on Seven Mile between
Haggerty and Northville
roads, where Rocky still
receives advance notice to
prepare things he learned
while working at Dubbs
... matzah ball soup, beef
flanken, etc.
Rocky
Rocky's culinary road
Rachwitz
includes many years with
the late Chuck Muer
(Bloomfield Charley's,
Pontchartrain Hotel, Sundog, etc.) ... even-
tually becoming Chuck's regional executive
chef.
The 20 years have been fruitful ones for
him and his staff ... serving almost 3 million
people who enjoyed the more than 450,000
pounds of bread, about 190,000 pounds of
beef tenderloin, over 300,000 pounds of
whitefish, around 33,000 gallons of black
bean soup, etc., among bestseller items
that include filet mignon, Maryland crab
cakes made with jumbo lump crabmeat,
lake perch, braised short ribs, sea scallops
Rockefeller, etc.
Rocky's is a seven-day-a-week restaurant
... Lunch: Monday-Saturday, 11-4; Dinner:

Monday-Thursday, 4-9, Friday-
Saturday 4-10; Sunday, 1-9 ...
Seating in the main dining room
is 275 plus 50 in the new Kodiak
Room with 17 stools at the bar.
Those heads and trophies in
the Kodiak Room, named after
the lobby-showcased huge black
bear he and good friend Master
Chef Milos Cihelka bagged while
hunting together, has its own
menu, with an extensive list of
appetizers that includes numer-
ous seafood selections and entree items from
sea swimmers, pasta and chicken dishes ...
Also a raw bar.
Since venison must be certified, none of
those from their sporting hunts are served at
Rocky's ... Their venison is from a farm in
Colorado.
One of the dining features at Rocky's is its
Tuesday night four-course dinner for two
(appetizer, soup, entree, dessert) plus a bottle
of wine ... $49.95.
In the 20 years, much can be said about
the longevity of employees as its general
manager, John Campbell, and others who
have been there more than 18 years.
Back in 1976, Rocky was a line cook at
what was known as Northville Charley's
owned by the C.A. Muer Corporation, and
today is its owner ... Celebrating a 20th
anniversary speaks a multitude of words
by itself ... So does the food and service at
Rocky's of Northville.
EXECUTIVE CHEF/PARTNER Jimmy
Stepp at Fox Grill, Woodward, Birmingham,
is fast becoming noted for his dining cre-
ations ... like premises-made prime rib
meatloaf with a bone in it, among other din-
ing concoctions ... And the new elegant but
casual look is enhanced by the smiles of rec-
ognized waitress Carol Dressler, who worked
more than 15 years with Ron Forman at the
Bread Basket Deli in Oak Park, and host-

ess, West Bloomfield localite
Kimmie Zultak.
Fox Grill also joins the large-
growing Cioppino (fish stew)
parade of the San Francisco
class.
READER MINI REVIEW ...
From Dennis Silber ... "A visit to
Chops Restaurant and Bar here
in Boca Raton, among other
steakhouses we can choose
from, is many times for a special
occasion. Its ambience implies
comfort and special event. On a recent such
occasion, I was allowed to select a restaurant
to celebrate my birthday with friends, mostly
Detroiters.
We went to Chops where steaks are the
full variety. Our group ordered a little bit of
almost everything. I had the prime New York
strip sirloin and Debbie ordered the filet
chateaubriand Bearnaise. The big hits of the
dinner were the triple-cut porterhouse lamb
chops and twin medallions of filet mignon.
We enjoyed the new feature at Chops
that consisted of each steak, plus appetizers
such as its signature Chops Salad, escargot
served in a puff pastry and French onion
soup. In addition, side dishes of corn mash,
sauteed mushrooms, sauteed spinach and
hash brown potatoes were passed around
the table. The third course ended with warm
Valrhona chocolate cake and ice cream, and
New York cheesecake with strawberries:'
THE FINE DOCUMENTARY film, Two
Minds, that is receiving huge plaudits and is
scheduled to be shown here on Sunday, Feb.
10, at the Maple Theater, 15 Mile, Bloomfield
Township, was inspired by Tina Klein, who
struggled with bipolar disorder for many
years before passing on years back.
It is co-written and co-directed by her
sister Lisa Klein and Lisa's husband, Doug
Blush, both former Detroiters ... Tina and
Lisa's mother was the late Jackie Klein, super

person and wonderful columnist for the
Eccentric Newspapers.
Patrons here of Two Minds will be localites
Monni and Joel Must, whose late daughter
Miya, had bipolar disorder ... Monni and
daughter Sabrina are in the film, which has
been playing festivals throughout the coun-
try and will be released on DVD in May.
SNOWBIRDS AND former
Michiganders, almost 100 Detroiter mem-
bers of the Ballenlsles Country Club in Palm
Beach Gardens, Fla., will have their third
"Motor City Revival"-themed togetherness,
Sunday, Jan. 27, at the Ballenlsles C.C. ...
Dinner will include Michigan favorites like
Faygo pop, Coney Island hot dogs, Sanders
hot fudge, etc. ... Members only may attend.
OLDIE BUT GOODIE DEPT. ... The
couple won $20 million in the lottery and
immediately went out to begin a life of living
in luxury. They bought a luxurious mansion,
surrounded themselves with all the mate-
rial wealth imaginable and decided to hire a
butler.
One day, they instructed the butler to set
up a dinner for four because they were invit-
ing their friends, the Cohens, over for dinner
and they were going out for the day.
Returning that evening, they found the
table set for six and asked the butler why
six places were set when they specifically
instructed him to set the table for four.
"The Cohens called:' said the butler, and
said that they were bringing the bagels.
CONGRATS ... To Marilyn Rubin
on her 75th birthday ... To Dr. Stuart
Kirschenbaum on his 68th birthday ... To
Harry Gottesman on his 66th birthday ...
To Mitchell Goldstein on his 63rd birthday
... To Howard Levin on his 70th birthday
... Correction: It's Helene, not Helen, and
Daniel Lublin's 63rd anniversary

❑

Danny's email address is
dannyraskin®sbcglobal.net.

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January 24 • 2013

JN