arts & life

fressing
with fishman

Zack Sklar's Growing Empire

Z

ack Sklar is a busy guy. The intrepid
young chef and his Peas & Carrots
Hospitality now have four restau-
rants open in Metro Detroit, another in
Chicago and Birmingham's Arthur Avenue
set to throw open its
doors Dec. 1.
Tack on his busy cater-
ing operation where it all
started, and you have to
wonder how he managed
to successfully bring his
spin on French bistro
fare to Old Woodward
Ryan
with Au Cuchon,
Fishman
which opened in late
September.
If you haven't been, you're in for a treat.
Though small, the space manages to cap-
ture the open feeling of a Parisian market,
replete with wooden benches and the
smell of freshly baked croissants emanat-
ing from the pastry kitchen in the back
of the restaurant — which now supplies
the baked goods and buns for all of Sklar's
projects.
Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, the
menu pairs some French classics (think frog legs) with
more American fare reminiscent of what you'll find on the
menu at Sklar's Social Kitchen and Bar in Birmingham.
Try the oversized chopped salad or the classic wedge,
served with a slice of their thick-cut house bacon in a
vanilla bourbon glaze. This isn't your microwave's bacon
... In fact, it's so unique they've made it an appetizer, and
Executive Chef Mark Barbarich tells me it's the most in-
demand item on the menu.
The entrees offer something for everyone — from a
cheeseburger or roast chicken to the classically French
dish skate meuniere. The chickpea crepe with ratatouille
is an interesting spin on falafel with the consistency of
a latke and flavor notes akin to the Indian dish palak
pakora.
Au Cuchon will share an interior wall, kitchen and
patio space with Arthur Avenue when it opens next
month.

SHORT TAKES
The 2015 Eater Awards are out, and if you take the foodie
website's word for it, then head to Republic (1942 Grand
River, Detroit), their choice for restaurant of the year.
Check out the complete list of restaurants honored by
their local editors at www.detroit.eater.com .
You can partner with Team Schostak Family
Restaurants to give back by purchasing gift cards at any
Detroit-area Applebee's through Dec. 31. For every $50
in gift cards purchased, they'll donate a mystery gift card
worth as much as $25 to Gleaners Community Food
Bank.

A QUICK KVETCH FOR EMAGINE
When the Michigan-based chain took over the flailing
Birmingham Palladium, it made major renovations and
upgrades — cleaning up a theater that had certainly seen
better days. With fancier seats and food came higher tick-

{BISTRO82i

RESERVATIONS

248.542.0082

www.bistro82.com

401 S. Lafayette Ave.
Royal Oak, MI

et prices and an environment
perhaps more suited for suc-
cess, given the neighborhood.
The decision was also made to
ban unaccompanied children
and teens without an adult or a
membership, but after enough
haranguing from the ACLU,
the theater has disappointingly
buckled and backtracked.
Parents can now dump their
kids at the theater so long as
they sign a code of conduct,
taking responsibility for the
"cost of physical damages" their
children may cause. Given the
high price of a membership,
or even a single night's tickets,
I'd hope you wouldn't have
to worry about unsupervised
teens that would even consider
doing physical damage to the
theater — it's why the initial
policy made so much sense.
There are two theaters in
Birmingham and many more
within the radius of just a few
miles. If you want to charge for an upscale experience,
maintain one. In the meantime, I'll stick with what I can
watch at home.

MAZEL TOV TO ...
Amanda Fleischman and Josh Kellerman on their wed-
ding.
Kari Alterman on joining the William Davidson
Foundation in Troy as a senior program officer.
The Jewish War Veterans of Michigan, who have settled
in at their new home at the Holocaust Memorial Center.
Happy birthday to Marc Shechter, Marty Maddin, Layne
Sakwa, Aaron Belen, Sam Chyette, Alison Orley, Lauren
Surnow, Nia Kepes, Howard Tapper, Tony Eisenberg,
Sandy Nelson, Alyssa Endelman (Happy 40th!), Andi
Wolfe and my future father-in-law, Stewart Shifman. *

Got a tip for Ryan? Email him at ryan@thefishmangroup.com .

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24234 Orchard Lake Rd., N.E. corner of 10 Mile • 476-1377
Open 7 Days a week for lunch & dinner

November 26 2015

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