Fressing With Fishman Uncorked! 5 ophisticated but laid back. Upscale, yet casual. That's the dynamic contrast uncorked at BOTTLZ in Novi (31260 Wakefield Drive), which opened earlier this year to acclaimed reviews, spotlighting not only an impressive menu, but also an awe-inspiring selection of wines and craft beers. The aptly named restaurant in the former clubhouse of the Maples of Novi golf course fea- tures more than 100 wines and more than 40 choices of beer, many of them Michigan-made. While their grill menu focuses on comfort — think garlic fries, sriracha-soaked Ryan wings and daily-featured tacos Fishman — their dinner menu features some truly elegant appetizers and entrees. Start with the duck arancini or braised beef tips before you sink your teeth into filet, Ahi tuna, or one of their weekly chef's specials or daily chef's pastas. Owner Rick Jaster drew my attention to two of their most popular and mouthwa- tering dishes. Their barramundi is caught off the coast of Australia and flown in fresh daily, then served pan-seared with a fonti- na cheese herb risotto and braised greens. The slow-braised lamb shank falls off the bone and is complemented by scal- lopped potatoes, fennel and a mint creme fraiche. Gluten-free? Or at least think you should be? Two-thirds of the menu is gluten-free, and there are a number of vegetarian options available. Chef Tom Batayeh says if you've got allergies his team is happy to create something just for you. Don't miss EVENTZ nights each Wednesday at BOTTLZ, which feature themed wine tastings, beer tastings, spirit tastings and chef's classes helmed by Batayeh who also pairs the night's featured drink with entrees to match. NEW MENUS Worth revisiting are the redeveloped menus at Ale Mary's & Tom's Oyster Bar in Royal Oak, where executive chef Norman Fenton is making big moves after coming on board this summer. Some of the highlights include Ale Mary's new homemade duck sausage served with French lentils and the new foie gras steamed clams served with an onion bru- 46 November 5 • 2015 lee and prosciutto at Tom's. Fair warning — I don't think either is kosher. PLANS FOR SOUTH CORKTOWN Plans for Detroit's SoCo District were made public last week and feature mixed- use commercial and retail spaces, includ- ing a design studio, residential lofts and new restaurant concepts as the old Fire Department Ladder House No. 12 and adjacent buildings are redeveloped in South Corktown. Slow's co-owner Phil Cooley is one of the partners on the project that features a space developed for use by pop-up restaurants. A for- mer commercial building will also be developed into a new restaurant with Cooley at the helm, with plans to open by next summer. GREEK HISTORY There's more to Greek culture than the food, and if you're a history buff you'll want to check out the new exhibit at the Hellenic Museum of Michigan (67 E. Kirby in Detroit), which features the sto- ries of Greek Jews in World War II and explores the role Greece played in the fight against Hitler. MAZEL TOV TO ... Josh Kaplan and Tarrah Evans on their engagement. Justin Friedman and Dani Deveson on their engagement. Jeff Friedman and Samantha Kellman on their wedding and Samantha's early success on the new Jillian Michael's show Sweat Inc. on Spike TV, which airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. Jonathan H. Schwartz of Seyburn Kahn PC, named to the Michigan Lawyers Weekly Up & Coming Lawyers Class of 2015. Brenda Rosenberg, who will be hon- ored at the AJC Community Leadership Award Dinner on Nov. 11 at the Townsend Hotel. Tickets are available at ajcdetroit.org. Brittany Turner on passing the New York bar exam. And happy birthday to Kyle Zwiren, Steve Migliore, Mari Barnett, Rabbi Levi Shemtov and Kari Alterman. * Got a tip for Ryan? Email him at ryan@thefishmangroup.com . Harry's Detroit Bar BEST PLACE TO WATCH LIONS According to Thrillist.com , Harry's Detroit Bar (2482 Clifford St.) is the best place to watch a Lions' game in the city. "Not only does Harry's host plenty of pregaming fans before they hop on a free shuttle to nearby Lions, Red Wing, or Tigers games, it's also the home bar for the Detroit City Football Club:' according to Thillist. "Any bar that accommodates around 300-500 obsessed minor league soccer fans before games is a bar for hardcore sports fans. Most of America doesn't even know we have major league soccer! The food and drink also help keep peo- ple loyal: cocktails are made with fresh juice and herbs, the fried pickles are beloved and the burger meat is ground in-house (get the Baconater with two Angus steak burgers)." 3IGALORA POP-UP Bigalora will launch a pop-up in Shinola in Midtown Detroit this week, offering six wrapped-and-ready cold sandwiches in a display case at the store's sales terminals. Bigalora, head- ed by Bacco's Luciano DelSignore, will follow that up with a Bigalora pizza and grab-and-go inside the Detroit Medical Center in December or January. Meanwhile, Bigalora's expan- sion to the McNamara Terminal at Detroit Metropolitan Airport is slated to debut by Thanksgiving. DETROIT POLICE & FIRE CHILI COOKOFF On Nov. 7, teams from Detroit fire and police departments will enter their best chili recipe, and participants will have the opportunity to sample and vote for Detroit's Best First-Responder Chili Champion 2015. The event starts at noon at Casey's Pub at 1830 Michigan Ave. The entrance fee is a $10 donation per person at the door. All proceeds from the event go to support the Detroit Firemen's Benevolent Fund and the Detroit Police Benefit and Protective Association. .:AT CAFE The Ferndale Cat Shelter will open a new feline-friendly Internet cafe at 821 Livernois Ave. in November. Dubbed the Catfe Lounge, it will double as an adoption center, "providing feline lov- ers with a spot to become attached to a potential pet while sipping coffee or enjoying a sandwich:' reports Eater Detroit. NEW PIZZA DELIVERY Domino's is launching a new delivery vehicle, the DXP (Delivery Expert), a specially designed and built pizza deliv- ery vehicle (including oven). The DXP is the brainchild of former GM R&D executive Kenneth R. Baker, Michigan- based Roush Enterprises and Domino's. "The Domino's DXP is the first pur- pose-built vehicle aimed at revolution- izing pizza delivery:' said Russell Weiner, president of Domino's USA. "This innovation allows drivers to do their jobs with greater ease and efficiency, and demonstrates that Domino's is abso- lutely fanatical about making perfect Domino's DXP deliveries:' The vehicles will soon be seen in the Detroit area.