arts & life the b e s t o f e ve r y t h i n g Family Jewel Mandaloun Bistro brings authentic Lebanese dining wonders. E thnic dining treasures of the world are ing out the family-owned and operated dining culinary jewels that often bring savory experience is their daughter, general manager/ joy to many appreciative aficionados … co-owner Melissa Bitar, whose efficiency and Among the priceless gems are the exotic dishes of smiling hostess greetings are delightful. Lebanon. Roasted stuffed lamb by Milake is superb, In the talented hands of gastronomic masters, elegantly prepared and presented on brown Lebanese dining indeed enjoys a lofty rank. rice, with toppings of nuts and raisins … As are When Milake Bitar and her family formerly her stuffed zucchini and eggplant dishes, both opened Le Chef, she was given kudos galore on filled with rice and ground beef in fresh tomato her Northern Lebanese cooking style’s authentic sauce … Other Northern Lebanese preparations Danny Raskin tastes and presentations … However, circum- by Milake and Fernand including authentic Senior Columnist stances perhaps may have prevented more mujadara, lentil beans and rice topped with than a short existence at the former Le Chef in fried onions, and burgul cracked wheat, onions Farmington Hills. and green peppers in a fresh tomato sauce, beef ribs grilled So it was with thankful welcome of dining fame that the with barbecue sauce and delicious Lebanese grape leaves, traditional presentations of authentic fine Lebanese din- etc., are but samples of so much outstanding goodness. ing had been continued by Milake Bitar and her daughter, Very few, if any, Northern Lebanese restaurants serve the Michelle … They recently celebrated the first anniversary of excellent Moghrabiyeh (couscous balls simmered in chicken the opening of their authentic Mandaloun Lebanese Bistro broth) … and specialty items not listed on the menu during on Telegraph and 12½ Mile in Bingham Farms, previous site the week, such as Lebanese meatballs and Lebanese Alfredo of the former Shiraz restaurant … The address change was pasta with chicken. highly welcomed and instantly became that of a destina- Mandaloun is open seven days weekly … Monday- tion restaurant because of its true Northern Thursday, 11-10; Friday, 11-11, Saturday Lebanese dishes that have so few equals. 4-11, Sunday 4-10 … Seating in the main Mandaloun Bistro, like the family’s former dining room is 150, along with 33 in the Le Chef, is much like a restaurant that might lounge including eight bar stools. have begun around 150 years ago, with reci- Consuming Northern Lebanese food pes so difficult to beat … Especially in the as prepared by Milake Bitar at the family- hands of Milake, whose treatment of those owned and operated Mandaloun is a truly formularies, passed down for generations, elegant authentic culinary adventure … are hardly equaled … 31 appetizers from One not to be missed by ethnic dining which to select … 24 vegetarian items … enthusiasts. Excellent authentic Lebanese entrees from PERMANENT PRESENCE NOW Northern Lebanon, including dishes seldom of Executive Chef John Somerville, for- seen anywhere in this region along with spe- mer chef du cuisine at the closed Lark cialties from Milake’s golden-touch hands. restaurant, undoubtedly zooms high the Milake Bitar’s Lebanese cooking delights dining prestige of Steven Lelli’s Inn on the are like magic … They are so excellently Green, 12 Mile, Farmington Hills … Even Milake Bitar and daughter prepared in the true authentic culinary ways Melissa Bitar loftier now than before in both Italian that genuine Lebanese cooking offers … and American cuisine presentations … The Northern Lebanese presentations by The cooking prowess of 6-foot-4-inch executive chef/co-owner Milake and husband, assistant chef Executive Chef Somerville towers high in distinctive recog- and butcher, Fernand, are among the finest Lebanese dishes nition with uncanny cooking talent that has brought him to be found … to say nothing of her abilities in preparing numerous recognized plaudits … James Beard Award twice dining delights from other countries as well … And round- with nominations as best chef in the Great Lakes area, noted "UY WORTH OF GIFT CARDS AND GET A #OMPLIMENTARY GIFT CARD FOR YOURSELF * Danny’s email address is dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net. OPEN 24 HOURS 10% Senior Citizen Discount Kids Eat Free Monday /FF 7INE 7EDNESDAY as among top chefs in the Midwest region, and so much more. Big news, too, is that he has also brought a number of those fantastic Lark recipes, such as its nationally known Rack of Lamb Genghis Khan, brushed with a hoisin sauce marinade, Dover sole, etc. … The acquisition of John has people still talking about Steven Lelli’s Inn owner, Mark Zarkin, being full of surprises … Maybe someday Mark will also add his own delicious long noodles, carrots, dill, etc. chicken noodle soup to the fine Steven Lelli’s Inn menu. WHILE REMINISCING with his noted brother, 74-year- old Howie Kirschenbaum, who performed here recently with Vocal Group Hall of Fame recording artists Jay and the Americans, Dr. Stuart Kirschenbaum and he recalled when they shared a bedroom together as youngsters in New York … When going to New York restaurants with their grandfa- ther, Jake “Spunky” Weiss, they had always wondered why they never sat by a window or visible table … It had been many years since Gramps was a gangland tough guy, but “he still hadn’t forgotten his teachings,” recalled Stuart, who remembers he and Howie also eating in restaurant kitchens with him long before it became stylish. Years before, their Grandpa Jake had also been one of the owners of Cafe de Paris in New York, with Billy Rose and his wife Fanny “Funny Girl” Brice. Dr. Kirschenbaum is a former Michigan boxing commis- sioner and past president of the Michigan Jewish Sports Hall of Fame wing of the Michigan Jewish Sports Foundation, whose annual Hank Greenberg Golf invitational is Monday, June 13, at Franklin Hills Country Club in Farmington Hills. OLDIE BUT GOODIE DEPT. … Joe sees a tailor shop named Cohen and O’Reilly and goes in telling the little Jewish tailor how impressed he is that he and his Irish part- ner, often at each other’s throats in the little town, had come together like this. The little Jewish man seems unmoved. “You’re surprised?” he asks. “Well, here’s another surprise for you. I’m O’Reilly!” CONGRATS … To Gertrude Matz on her birthday … To Fonda Schwartz on her birthday … To Jason Shain on his birthday … To Monica Fabio on her birthday … To Adrienne Lenhoff on her birthday … To William Nosanchuk on his 91st birthday …To Daniel and Yetta Weintraub on their 62nd anniversary. 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