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Passion For Your Palate
Assaggi Bistro's unique creations have won a loyal following.
T
he growing reputation of down-
chops, duck, scallops, etc. ...
town Ferndale as a restaurant
Including seasonal dishes and,
mecca has become a popular sub-
when possible, the desires of its
ject among diners.
customers, like Moroccan duck
In its own unassuming way, one of the
legs, grilled eggplant, lentil
better eateries in this region goes about its
pancakes, house-made ricotta
daily business quietly reaching the goal it
and spinach ravioli, maple-
set out to achieve 13 years ago ... seeing
mustard salmon and also
customers return.
scallops ... Big fish sellers like
As a result, it has garnered a multitude
branzino and halibut are on a
of guests from near and far whose acco-
specials sheet.
lades continue to come.
Assaggi's own version of that
Honoring its 13th birthday, Assaggi
very popular San Francisco
Bistro on West Nine Mile Road with its
favorite, Cioppino, or fisherman's seafood
continuous theme of good presentations,
stew, combines mussels, shrimp, salmon
has joined a very select ring of successful
and monk fish in a tomato-based broth
restaurants.
with Israeli couscous, basil pesto and
Hard to imagine that in just 13 years,
grilled ciabatta ... Although quite different
Assaggi Bistro has grown in culinary
from the original West Coast concoction, it
stature from a little place in Troy dur-
achieves an individualistic taste within in
ing the late 1970s called
its own combination.
Mediterranean Kitchen ...
Assaggi Bistro having its
It was hidden away in a
own identity is important
small shopping center and
to George and Josie ... As
seated only 30 or 40 on
she puts it, "Assaggi has
one side and had a grocery
great passion and dedica-
store on another ... The
tion to be the best that we
cozy feeling was like dining
can be".
in somebody's wine cellar
READER MINI
or elaborate kitchen.
REVIEW ... From Jerry
George Gize had always
Selecchia .."We recently
George Gize a nd Josie
hoped to someday open
enjoyed the Happy Hour
Rotondo Knap p
a restaurant exactly like
from 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Assaggi, which, as fate
Monday-Friday in the bar
would deem, is the dream-come-true of
area at Ruth's Chris Steak House on Big
his continual visions.
Beaver Road in Troy.
The very clean Assaggi Bistro owned
"It is one of the best-kept secrets in
by George and his partner, Josie Rotondo
town, and is known as "Sizzle, Swizzle and
Knapp, seats around 60 in the main dining Swirl" with Ruth's Chris certainly serving
room and about 35 to 40 in the new West
up a good selection of food and drinks for
Room ... Both passing on comfortable
$7 per entree or per drink.
identities in Assaggi's continual quest for
Both I and Walt Makupson had the
customer satisfaction.
prime burger with fries, and we found it
In the 13 years that George and Josie
to be delicious, ample and very satisfying.
have been fulfilling the wishes of custom-
Bob Bean ate a steak sandwich with fries,
ers, it has seen almost 300,000 people
and is still raving about it. Mark Stein
come through the Assaggi door ... devour- enjoyed his tenderloin skewers, and the
ing deliciously prepared chicken, lamb
two ladies with us, Sandy Bean and Jackie
Stein, raved about their ahi
tuna. Mind you, everything
was just $7, including large
and delicious drinks"
AT THE RECENT annual
Girl Scout Cookie Gala, Prime
29's wonderful Executive Chef
Hai Ying evidently couldn't
make up her mind about
whether to create a dessert
cookie or appetizer cookie
... So she entered both and
walked away winning the
Judge's Award for each! ... The plaque is
displayed at Prime 29 Restaurant on 15
Mile, just east of Orchard Lake Road, West
Bloomfield.
HE HAS BEEN general manager and
maitre d' for over a year now at the fine
Mon Jin Lau Asian restaurant on 15 Mile
and Stephenson Highway, Troy, but Zoran
Smolcic has never forgotten his days at
Rugby Grille in Birmingham, Lelli's Inn
on Woodward in Detroit and Zinc in West
Bloomfield ... Give him one-day notice,
and he will make you a tableside Caesar
salad the way it should be prepared ...
bowl rubbed with garlic, etc.
NOW THAT IT has been discovered,
Cafe Rendezvous is another good break-
fast spot beginning to draw crowds for
its goodie fare .. The former site of Yossi's
Israeli Cuisine around the bend at Robins
Nest, north of 14 Mile, just east of Orchard
Lake Road, West Bloomfield, is attracting
those who also enjoy breakfast and lunch
fare at Sunrise Cafe and Zoe's House of
Pancakes, both on Orchard Lake Road.
YES, THAT WAS Gary Cochran
doing his usual visitations for carry-out
at Golden Phoenix in Sugar Tree, north
of 15 Mile, off Orchard Lake Road, West
Bloomfield ... The popular owner of
Beau Jack's on 15 Mile, west of Telegraph,
Bloomfield Township, doesn't serve
Chinese food, so had to buck the huge
amount of his customers with oodles of
hellos before finally able to leave.
ANOTHER NOTED name will join
the prestigious after-golf banquet panel at
the soon-to-come 2013 Hank Greenberg
Memorial Golf Invitational, Monday,
June 3, at Franklin Hills Country Club,
Farmington Hills.
Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated's
national sports columnist, will field ques-
tions thrown at him and famed baseball
manager Joe Torre by sportscaster-emcee
Jeremy Schaap and the audience.
If you haven't gotten your ticket yet,
contact Executive Director Dave Blatt
for golf and banquet or just the banquet
ducats ... (248) 592-9323 or email dblatt@
michiganjewishsports.org .
IRISH NATIONAL Television Station
RTE will soon film a documentary profile
on former localite David Syme's perma-
nent move to Ireland.
Dave will be here in another stirring
piano concert Thursday, May 16, 1:30
p.m., at Temple Israel, West Bloomfield ...
It'll be an all new concert that will include
classical, Gershwin and some Jewish tunes
... No "Clare De Lune" or "Rhapsody In
Blue"
OLDIE BUT GOODIE DEPT. ... As
soon as the Sabbath services had ended,
the little boy walked up to the rabbi and
said, "When I grow up, rabbi, I'm going to
give you lots of money"
The rabbi laughed and asked, "That's
really good to know, little man, but why do
you want to do this?"
"Because" replied the youngster, "my
dad says that you are the poorest rabbi we
have ever had
CONGRATS ... To Ilana Greenberg
on her birthday ... To Robert Sklar on
his birthday ...To Dharlene Norris on
her birthday ... To Florence Kasoff on
her birthday ... To Sheldon Girsh on his
birthday ... To Linda Serman on her 65th
birthday.
❑
Danny's email address is
dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net.
JOIN US FOR MOTHER'S DAY
Times may have changed, but Mom still
loves when we celebrate her special day.
Mother's Day Buffet: 10:30am-5pm Banquet Room,
$28.95, $14.95 kids 70-5 yrs, 4 and under free
Regular Menu: 12pm-9pm
Restaurant
54 May 2 • 2013
BLOOMFIELD TWP.
248-865-9300
andiamoitalia.com