FOOD

FOODIE

Coco Fairfield's

By Esther Allweiss Ingber

hen I heard of a diner in
Berkley called Coco Fair-
field's, I couldn't help but
smile, thinking of a silly game I
once played on Facebook. People
were asked to combine the name
of their first pet with the street they
grew up on to learn their so-called
"stripper name."
Martin Miller said his wife Nicole
Miller heard the same game ex-
plained on the radio and — voila! —
Coco Fairfield with an apostrophe
was attached to their first restaurant
venture. Open since August, the
interior includes intersecting street
signs with each name.
Coco Fairfield's continues a series
of restaurants occupying the same
mid-block storefront on 12 Mile
Road. According to Martin, the
earlier tenants were Hoggers, a
barbecue joint; Nippon Grille, for
Japanese and other Asian; Rizzo's,
offering Italian, and the original
restaurant, Top Notch, from the
early 1940s.
Nicole handles the business end
at Coco Fairfield's while Martin, a
veteran of several local restaurants,
does some cooking. Primarily, it is
Chef Dana Fulton who executes reci-
pes the Millers developed.
Having their own place solved
a problem for the couple because
"my wife doesn't eat wheat, flour or
sugar, and I eat terrible said Martin
cheerfully."It was kind of hard for us
to find places to eat."
Both breakfast and lunch are
available Tuesday through Sunday,
from 7 a.m.-3 p.m.; just flip the pa-
per menu for each option.
Martin takes pride that"there isn't
any Bisquick in our pancakes. Every-
thing we serve here is made from
scratch and never frozen."
I can attest to the pleasure of
spreading my toast with fresh-
tasting cherry jam — produced by
Doodle's Sugarbush in Blanchard,
Mich. — instead of opening a com-
mercially made jam packet.
My daughter Julie and I both or-
dered omelets during a recent visit.
Hers, featuring vegetables, included
mushrooms, bell pepper, tomato,
onion and spinach for $7. She added
cheese for another $1. I had basi-
cally the same thing under Create
Your Own, which allows five options
for $8, but substituted meat for one
vegetable. The omelets contained
no discernable salt. We both liked
the fresh flavors and plate presenta-
tion alongside crunchy, perfectly
browned hash browns. I feel the

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1) 1.4"

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MARCH 27-29

COUTURE BRIDAL & EVENING

TRUNK SHOW

708 N. OLD WOODWARD AVE.

I BIRMINGHAM I MI 1 48009 1 248.723.4300 I ROMASPOSA.COM

188 3520

30 April 2014

I RED THREAD

omelet portions aren't large enough
to share.
Additional breakfast choices in-
clude pastrami hash, a tofu scram-
ble with veggies and waffle served
with an optional compote topping
— cinnamon apple, blueberry or
strawberry.
Many guests come in for crab
cakes Benedict, a house specialty
served on Sundays only. Poached
eggs with Hollandaise sauce top
house-made, jumbo-lump crab
cakes rather than traditional English
muffins.
On the lunch side,"our quinoa
salad is unique and getting more
popular;' Martin said.
For their deli sandwiches, he
purchases nitrate-free meats from a
local supplier of U.S. Foods. Vegetar-
ian chili and tomato basil are daily
soup choices, joined by a rotating
third. Many like the chicken tortilla.
I found out why Martin said Coco
Fairfield's has "one of the best club
sandwiches you'll ever try." The
turkey, bacon, avocado, lettuce and
tomato, plus mayo, come on toasted
sourdough bread. Another time
I'll try the grilled cheese sandwich,
featuring tomato, onion, black olives
and avocado.
Listed specials here have included
savory waffle, veggie quesadilla,
open-faced tuna melt with avocado
and pretzel bun sliders.
I'm in love with a special drink:
chocolate-covered strawberry latte.
Zingerman's supplies coffee bever-
ages.
Coco Fairfield's narrow dining
room is homey yet funky, sparked
with the color aubergine (eggplant).
Alongside booths is a wall of clocks,
ranging from old-timey to modern.
Spoons and forks are draped
artfully over light bulbs, making
for a fun decor. After Nicole saw
similar silverware chandeliers in a
catalogue, Martin went ahead and
"made 10 for cheaper than they
wanted for one."
"Every day is filled with awesome!"
says a sign inside Coco Fairfield's.
Here, 'Vs true. ..,

COCO FAIRFIELD'S
2959 W. 12 Mile Road
Berkley, MI 48072
(248) 399-2626
www.cocofairfields.com
$$ out of $$$$$

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