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The Chef At Le Chef
Her authentic northern Lebanese cuisine is a unique, tasty treat.
T
hose who have eaten the food of
northern Lebanon were skeptical
when told that a truly authentic
Lebanese restaurant had opened in the
northwest suburbs of Detroit.
After all, dining on what is considered
to be one of the finest cuisine styles in the
Middle East, and a distinct treat, is not
something that comes along every day.
But now celebrating its third anniver-
sary, the enlarged-by-necessity Le Chef
Bistro off Northwestern Highway, south of
14 Mile, Farmington Hills at the huge sign
directing folks to Home Depot and Sam's
Club ... has easily won over the skeptics.
That they have returned time and again
is much evidence of their firm belief that
Le Chef is definitely the real thing.
Especially so when discovering that
the dishes boggling the imagination were
freshly made from recipes brought here
from Lebanon by Executive Chef Malaki
Bitar, who owns the bistro with son
Edward Bitar and her on-premises work-
ing husband, Fernand.
They include
numerous
delights not
available any-
where in this
region ... and
possibly not at
too many such
restaurants
around the
country.
Executive Chef/
Dishes like
Co-Partner Malaki
Fatti Laban
Biter
(sauteed egg-
plants, chick-
peas, toasted
bread, yogurt and pine nuts); Kafta B.
Tahini (tahini kafta steak); Bulgur Fourre
(bulgur stuffed peppers and zucchini);
Fourre Aubergine (bulgur-stuffed egg-
plants with tomato sauce); Vegan Kibbie
(sauteed Swiss chard-stuffed potato on
-
sauteed onions) ... And,
of course, the wonderful
Shanklish (dried cheese, spicy
and made in-house, served
with onions, tomatoes and
olive oil), etc.
Every dish served at Le Chef
seems unique in its own way
while staying true to family
tradition.
The selections, too, of veg-
etarian dishes from traditional
recipes are large, with the taste
of each enhanced by the sig-
nificance of proper timing.
Northern Lebanese cuisine is an ethnic
dining adventure enjoyed the world over
... and even more when available with
true authenticity.
People who go to Le Chef are amazed at
the presentations.
True to its legitimacy, Lebanese meals
are rarely served in courses ... Rather, all
are presented at the same time ... Among
the important part of the Lebanese diet are
small plates called Mezze, where numer-
ous dishes are served at the same time as
either appetizers or as a meal.
It is notable that someone highly
steeped in true Lebanese cooking is
behind the food at Le Chef Bistro ... Her
presentations and varieties are priceless ...
So much so that numerous visitors here
who ask where to get authentic Lebanese
food are told about Le Chef.
Now that seating has been expanded with
addition of the space next door, accommo-
dations have increased to 215 in the dining
room with its veritable sea of white linen
tablecloths, plus 10 stools at the expanded
full-service bar and a 20-seater outdoor
patio that includes a gazebo.
The utter freshness of properly pre-
pared authentic Lebanese food made
from scratch at Le Chef is a huge asset ...
This is a matter of much pride for expert
Lebanese owner/chefs like Malaki Bitar,
who uses fresh premium-cut
meat, fresh produce, fresh
spices, etc.
It is open, Monday-
Thursday, 11-10; Friday, 11-11,
Saturday, 12-11 and Sunday,
12-9. Le Chef Bistro presents
an authentic Lebanese dining
adventure that is well worth its
wide and hearty acclaim.
MANY MEMORIES were
revived for the more than 600
people who were at the recent
25th anniversary gala for
Detroit's Rattlesnake Club that opened in
1988 to become an iconic award-winning
restaurant.
The club in all its splendor overlooks the
Detroit River in historic Stroh River Place
on River Place Drive.
People like Sally Soberman and Dulcie
Rosenfeld, who recall attending the pre-
opening of Rattlesnake Club back in 1988
with their husbands ... Sally with the late
Nate Soberman and Dulcie with hubby,
Norman.
So many people looked around and
smiled ... Keri and Don Cohen, the per-
fect couple ... Neil Rubin and wife, Marcy
Hayes ... Don Shumaker, Mike and Judy
Layne, Howard and Wendy Hertz ... Sweet
Mary Lou Zieve with her secret on staying
so young looking ... Morris Margulies,
Ron Hoffman and son Tyler, Carolyn
Krieger-Cohen, Alison Schwartz, Chuck
Bennett wearing his ever-present straw hat
... Molly Abraham, Mike Loewenstein ...
Al Sebastian, one of Mike Hitch's years-ago
Little Caesars head honchos, etc., etc.
Two types of beers and wines galore
... Stroh's beer, of course ... and Purple
Gang pilsner ... passed hors d'oeuvres
plus plenty of food at stations everywhere
... main dining room, outside Garden
Terrace, atrium ... More than 50 items
from various types of oysters and shrimps
to crab cakes, gazpacho soup, lake perch,
steak, grilled beef, short ribs, lobster mac
and cheese, grilled salmon, etc. ... even
pastrami-cured salmon.
Live musical entertainment both inside
and outside ... a delightful evening for
all as Rattlesnake Club honored its 25th
anniversary with a sizeable donation to
Gleaners Community Food Bank that cer-
tainly went to buy a lot of food for many
needy hungry people ... A truly wonderful
gesture indeed.
WHAT MIGHT POSSIBLY be the first
restaurant of its kind in this area has been
quietly open three years in Novi's Fountain
Walk shopping center off 12 Mile, just west
of Novi Road.
Indo Fusion restaurant, serving Goan
cuisine of exotic dishes from Goa on the
west coast of India, has the influence of
Hindu dining with its numerous vegetable
dishes, though not very spicy ... Seating at
the small, Indo Fusion restaurant is only
for about 65.
OLDIE BUT GOODIE DEPT. ... Her
grandson and his wife are coming to visit
her for the first time. So she is giving him
the directions to her flat over the phone.
"You come to the front door of the Wonder
World apartments. I am in No. 32 on the
15th floor" she says.
At the front door, you will see a big
panel of buttons. With your elbow, hit my
doorbell".
"Grandma, that sounds easy, but why
am I hitting the button with my elbow?"
"You're coming empty-handed?"
CONGRATS ... To Sydney Geller on
his 75th birthday ... To Alan Borsen on
his birthday ... To Henry Abrams on his
birthday ... To Melvin Seffinger on his
85th birthday ... To David Elbinger on
his 75th birthday ... To Morris "Bud"
and Muriel "Murt" Sherbow on their 70th
anniversary.
❑
Danny's email address is
dannyraskin@stocglobalmet
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