FOOD GITTLEMAN CONSTRUCTION inc FOODIE Gastronomy By Esther Allweiss Ingber OD de. CUSTOM RENOVATION NO INTERRUPTIONS! Refresh your home with an expert remodel or expansion. Gittleman Construction delivers enhancements that add value, comfort and style to your home - on time, in budget and without chaotic disruptions to your home life. Kitchens • Bathrooms • Basements • Additions 30+ years of quality & professional craftsmanship. For a complimentary in-home — consultation Call: 248-538-5400 or visit Gittleman.net to view our portfolio. A CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL rchard La ot www.orchardlakeanimalhospital.com animal hospital Orchard Lake Animal Hospital has been providing high-quality veterinary care to the West Bloomfield community for over 40 years. 1i• Full-Service Veterinary Care ■ Dogs - Cats - Pocket Pets • Surgical and Dental Facility i; In-Hospital Laboratory and X-ray i; Complete Pharmacy 248-682-4617 4300 Orchard Lake Road Across from Crosswinds Mall AI& Our Hours Monday & Thursday 8:00 - 7:00 Tuesday, Wednesday, & Friday 8:00 - 6:00 Saturday 8:30 - 2:00 Keep your company top of mind with our readers. !ADVERTISE WITH US! CALL 248.351.5107 ' 7ou'll check your winter woes at the door entering tranquil . Gastronomy, A Modern Ameri- can Bistro, on the ground floor of Southfield's 17-story Baker Tilly Building. Yes, finding the place is a little tricky, even with the high-rise's name clearly marked on top. I took 11 Mile Road and turned on Corporate Drive, east of Lahser. Others drive through the sprawling Towne Center complex off Evergreen. Just keep looking up! Gastronomy has a fresh, green setting. Walls, pendant lights and patterned carpeting and upholstery all feature that color.The cherrywood chairs and tables provide contrast. I liked the tiny white lights on ceiling- hugging branch fixtures and giant food murals by David Lamarand Photography. They're opposite the wall with wood-framed windows. The dining room, banquet space and Gastro Bar accommodate up to 250 guests. "Green"also reflects the culinary di- rection of Gastronomy's crack cooking team, anchored by Jonathon Aceves and Brandon Zarb, chefs de cuisine; Shannon Kellett, garde manger chef; and Emily Davis, executive pastry chef. They've all been on staff and influenc- ing the menu since the Epicurean Restaurant Group opened Gastrono- my in August 2012. Chris Salazar is the bistro's general manager/sommelier. Gastronomy takes pride in being a "true scratch kitchen,"serving house- made menu items. "Food from local suppliers is used as much as possible," said Brigette Gos- sett, assistant general manager."We change the menu as often as needed:" Adventurous diners might want to try the"degustation menu or chef's tasting:' Gastronomy's culinary brigade will custom-create a proportionately sized dinner menu of six to 16 courses for a table, exploring "the bounty of sea- sonal flavors present in the kitchen:' The culinary tour is available nightly, but only Friday and Saturday require reservations. Come by 6:30 p.m. for 12-16 courses; otherwise, 8 p.m. is fine. The beautifully arranged Grassroots entrees feature complex, creative flavors. Grilled Cider-Glazed Wild Salmon, for example, includes warm quinoa, green apple horseradish salad and curvy endive, and Braised Rabbit Pappardelle comes with winter mush- rooms, forester sauce, fig, brandy and huckleberry toast. Among the featured soups, the A Modern American Bistro most popular is Great Lakes Walleye Chowder. It's very flavorful and tasty, but I wished my serving had included bites of fish. I had chowder as part of a clever dining concept, the American Lunch Box. The $16 meal includes choices for soup, salad, main dish, side and dessert. Reminiscent of a Japanese Bento Box with its various compart- ments, all five courses come to table in a wide white dish with depressions to hold each item. It doesn't work out very well here, though. People tend to eat their soup first, which results in a cooled-off entree. My chicken enchi- lada in mole sauce had tasty, well- defined flavors, but was stone cold when I tried it; the same held true for my co-diner's Baker Tilly (313) Grilled Cheese. My suggestion is to serve the soup first, and then bring out the rest of the meal. That's the Japanese style, and it makes sense. Pastry chef Davis gets kudos for her delectable Red Velvet Cupcake and crunchy-topped brownie. Compli- mentary warm naan bread with a ver- sion of tzatziki sauce is a nice touch. Ground Breakers (appetizers) at Gastronomy include Halibut Sashimi, Steak Tartare and Brie Brulee. Non- meat-eaters can dine well here, too. The Cold Kitchen section of- fers a Compressed Apple Salad of grapes, celery, raisins, blue cheese and walnuts in yogurt dressing. The Contemporary Beet Salad is basically a delicious Greek salad that needed more "candy stripe beets:' Gastronomy celebrates the ethnic diversity of the United States with specialties from rotating regions of the world. Selections currently rep- resenting Northern Europe include Arctic Salt-Cured Duck and two styles of venison. Open daily except Sunday, Gastron- omy carries an extensive selection of wine, including several Michigan vin- tages. The Pub menu fills in the gap between lunch and dinner. Service is excellent here. GASTRONOMY 1 TOWNE SQUARE SOUTHFIELD, MI 48076 (248) 864-4410 THEEPICUREANGROUP.COM/ GASTRONOMY $$$ 1/2 out of $$$$$ Visit theJEWISHNEWS.com 28 March 2013 I RED MAD www.redthreadmagazine.com