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A Father-Son Tradition etc.

Beau Jack's celebrates 38 years of quality food and service.

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OTPOURRI
The three- to four-year "smoke"
that has hovered about the north-
west corner of Telegraph and Maple roads
has now turned into "fire" reality with
word that Walgreens pharmacy may take
over the space of Hogan's restaurant.
A private meeting was recently held of
all property owners on the corner, inform-
ing them about Walgreens and a proposed
site plan of the area ... Developers have
approached local businesses, including
Beau Jack's restaurant, to ask if they would
like to sell ... Gary Cochran told them that
Beau Jack's was absolutely not for sale and
said that several others also said no, not
for any price.
Regarding Beau Jack's restaurant, by
the way, this year will be number 38 for
an operation of which there never has
been enough words to extol its fine infor-
mal dining virtues ... Since it originally
opened in 1976, following the 10 years as
a Westerner Beef Buffet,
Beau Jack's has thoroughly
maintained a distinct qual-
ity with reasonable prices as
a memorable credo always
maintained by the late Jack
Cochran and his son Gary.
It is notable that in all
those 38 years, even follow-
ing Jack's death, Gary has
not once deviated from this
high principle that has con- Gary Cochran
tinually been documented
as a most honorable father-and-son
achievement.
While celebrating the restaurant's 38th
anniversary, Gary is somewhat like the fel-
low who thinks he can fly and jumps out
a window, and after a companion yells,
"How are you doing," the fellow hollers
back, "So far, so good"
Gary never blows his own horn and
always takes each day as it comes ... even
trying to catch complaints before they

may be made ... watching and
inspecting food as it goes out,
many times also standing near-
by observing how a new server
attends to his or her job with
or without Gary's insistence of
them having smiles, politeness
and efficiency.
IN ANSWER TO THE
many who have asked, Ron
Asmar, owner of the Vineyards
on Northwestern Highway,
Farmington Hills, says "Our
closing is only temporary. We expect to
open again within 30 days. A serious
kitchen problem requires major repairs"
... In the meantime, Nibbles & Nuts at
Vineyards is still open ... Although the
front door is locked, it can be reached by
calling (248) 737-8088.
POWERS THAT be at Detroit Seafood
Market, Randolph, Detroit, are seemingly
never sleeping while dreaming of ways to
keep customers banging down
the doors with offers to keep
things humming at the popular
restaurant ... All-you-can-eat
crab legs on Wednesdays 4-10
p.m. ($30), lobster dinner for
two plus bottle of wine on
Thursdays ($69), bottle of wine
with prix fix dinner for two on
Monday ($69), etc.
THE WONDERFUL sushi
of Mon Jin Lau, over 50 items,
is also obtainable at all three
Plum Markets, Bloomfield Township, West
Bloomfield and Ann Arbor ... plus Nino
Salvaggio markets in Troy and Clinton
Township ... The sushi is made fresh daily
at the markets by Mon Jin Lau sushi chefs.
NEW LUNCH DEAL at the Whitney,
Woodward, Detroit, has been met with
popular acceptance ... The three-course
prix fixe lunch includes soup, salad, choice
of four entrees and dessert, with one of the
featured entrees changed each day ($25).

The Whitney being open
seven nights a week makes it
one of the few options open on
a Sunday evening.
It is admirable that a
fine dining venture like the
Whitney does not allow itself
to be taken for granted, con-
stantly presenting good activi-
ties like wine dinners, after-
noon teas, Sunday brunches,
lunch and dinner features, etc.,
that cannot be easily forgotten
because of their consistent goodness and
quality activity.
Chalk up this constant effervescence to
dynamic never-sleeping ownership and
management.
TABLESIDE PREPARATION has
become a big feature at Prime 29, 15
Mile east of Orchard Lake Road, West
Bloomfield ... 18-ounce filet mignon,
tomahawk steak, Caesar salad, bronzini
fish and Dover sole ... Brings back memo-
ries of yesteryears at many fine dining
restaurants.
Presently doing all the tableside work-
ings is new General Manager Stoli Liti,
formerly of Bacco Ristorante, Southfield.
THIS IS THE SECOND location of
the recently opened Original House of
Pancakes at the former site of Sero's, R
Family Dining, etc., Northwestern, north
of 12 Mile, Southfield ... The other is in
Clinton Township ... Owner Alex Yfantidis
formerly had the Grecian Palace in Tel-12
Mall, 10 Mile and Telegraph, Southfield,
and Unicorn Grill in Royal Oak ... It is not
affiliated with any other pancake house.
QUESTION & ANSWER DEPT....
"Have you heard anything about the
Caucus Club reopening again? We sure did
love the place, the food and its history" ...

Ernest and Annabelle Slaven.
[No, but I sure hope it is true. I certainly
don't count out Mary Belloni opening
again somewhere. The closing of the res-

CUSTOMER
PRIME 29
APPRECIATION MONTH

STEAKS • SEAFOOD • COCKTAILS

ALL FEBRUARY I SUNDAY THRU THURSDAY

Enjoy A
4 Course Meal For $35

taurant in the Penobscot Building was a sad
and shocking blow. Caucus Club was a won-
derful one-of-a-kind dining institution.]
THE BASEBALL CELEBRITY appear-
ances continue as Tony La Russa, 33-year
major league manager who this year
enters the National Baseball Hall of
Fame and is presently special assistant to
Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, will
receive the 2014 Hank Greenberg Lifetime
Achievement Award ... The annual Hank
Greenberg Memorial Golf Invitational and
Celebrity Sports Panel Banquet is Monday,
June 9, at Franklin Hills Country Club,
Farmington Hills.
HE LOVES TO cook and make custom-
ers happy doing his chef chores after 2
p.m. at Roma Cafe on Riopelle, Detroit ...
But in the morning, Chef Mark Cardellio
does something else in bringing happiness
to many ... This is when he also wears the
hat of a defense attorney ... and sees big
smiles as the judge tells Mark and his cli-
ent, "Not guilty:'
OLDIE BUT GOODIE DEPT.... One
night, a burglar broke into a home and
heard a voice say, "Jesus is watching you!"
while he rummaged through the desk.
He replied, "Who said that?!"
Once again he heard the same thing,
"Jesus is watching you!"
The robber looked around the room
only to see a parrot. He asked the parrot
what its name was. The parrot replied,
"Cornelius"
"What kind of name is that?" asked the
burglar. "Who names a parrot that?"
The parrot replied, "The same person
who named that German shepherd behind
you Jesus!"
CONGRATS ... To David Syme on his
birthday ... To Burton Freedman on his
birthday ... To Newton "Newry" and Ilene
Levin on their 66th anniversary.

❑

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

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*Vegan Options Available
*Prix Fixe Menu with Choices

Great Wine &
Cocktail Specials

"Li mited Time Offer

38

February 20 • 2014

JN

For Reservations I 248.73.PRIME (77463) I prime29steakhouse.com I 6545 Orchard Lake Rd. West Bloomfield, MI 48322