raskin

the best of everything

Happy 3rd to 5th Tavern

Upscale yet
casual dining
at its best.

Danny Raskin

Senior Columnist

He had passed it many times
and often wondered why the build-
ing, the former site of Mountain
Jack’s and Rio Bravo, was still
vacant … George Lucaj then sup-
posed that maybe the location was
too valuable to let go for more than
he would want to pay … After all,
thought George, the building had
been vacant for 10 years … Two
chains had occupied the space,
Mountain Jack’s for 23 years and
Rio Bravo for another two … Each
able to meet just about any cost to
assure their own locations.
As it turned out, the price being
asked for such a valued locale,
across the street from a high-traffic
Cosco on South Telegraph Road,
just north of Square Lake Road,
in Bloomfield Hills, was not out of
the question … as might otherwise
have been thought.
So George took over the place
… and with his two partners at
the new site, brothers Jerry and
Luis Sanchez, it became the first
5th Tavern, so-named because
of becom-
ing the fifth
restaurant in
George’s din-
ing affiliations.
The build-
ing was com-
pletely gutted
and remod-
eled to their
specifications
… and, like a

chameleon, was transformed into
an upscale but casual edifice with
a tile floor throughout the bar and
dining rooms, dark brown wood
beams with light wood accents,
brown leather stitched booths
and dark wood tables, and stone
accents on sector corners.
Since opening, 5th Tavern, with
such a striking exterior and inte-
rior look of elegance, has become a
well-regarded restaurant … noted
for its soft touches of interior and
exterior class, excellent food, ser-
vice and low prices.
Few restaurants would be
able to match the results they’ve
achieved in three years of opera-
tion … Each week going through
300 pounds of beef, 500 pounds of
salmon, 200 pounds of whitefish,
3,000 burgers, about 1,000 pounds
of nachos, 100 dozen eggs, etc. …
numbers that would make most
restaurant owners drool with envy.
Best sellers at 5th Tavern are
many, but most noted among
them are the cedar salmon oven-
roasted on a cedar plank, parme-
san-covered Skate fish, tender
baby-back ribs prepared slowly
and tender flat-iron steak topped
off with an Asiago basil and garlic
crust, among other menu items.
A prime rib special, $17.95,
is featured every Saturday and
Sunday … and each Tuesday
evening, a Taste of Mexico fiesta
menu is also served … New spe-
cials are featured nightly … Hours

are Monday through Thursday, 11
a.m.-11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday,
11 a.m.-midnight.; and Sunday,
10 a.m.-10 p.m. … Brunches are
Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and
Sunday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Seating is for about 250 in the
dining rooms, 50 in a well-appoint-
ed bar with dark granite counter
tops and neat-looking appoint-
ments, and around 50 in a newly
constructed outdoor patio … A
private room with its own bar for
up to 100 is also used many times
on Saturday evenings or whenever
there’s a need to accommodate the
crowds who have discovered 5th
Tavern.
The third anniversary brings out
many favorable comments usu-
ally reserved for those restaurants
that have much more longevity …
The dining experience of its cast of
leaders can account for the posi-
tive reception.
LOCALITE HONOREES for the
11th annual JCC Michigan-Florida
Reunion Dinner, Golf Classic and
Games will be Milt and Eunice
Ring … Date is Tuesday, March
14, at Indian Spring Country Club,
Boynton Beach, Fla … Proceeds
go to camp scholarships, children
with special needs and program-
ming for youngsters at JCC … Last
year’s honorees, Earl and Renee
Ishbia, will be this year’s chair
folks … For info and tickets, call
dinner heads Mort Plotnick, (248)
219-8469, or Geta Richman, (561)

272-5917.
OLDIE BUT GOODIE … Dov is
an out-of-work actor who finally
gets a lead looking for an “actor
needed to play ape” at the zoo.
Zookeepers say they can no longer
afford to import an ape to replace
their ape, Betsy, who had passed
on. Dov is given the job and enjoys
all the attention. After a couple of
days, he becomes a popular attrac-
tion at the zoo.
When showing off to a group
of kids on a school field trip, Dov
starts swinging about on the
vines with great agility. Then his
hand slips, and he goes flying over
into the neighboring lion’s den.
Recovering from his fall, Dov lifts
his head to see the lion approach-
ing. Terrified, he backs up, covers
his eyes and screams at the top of
his lungs, “Shema Yisroel Adonai
Eloheinu Adonai Echad!”
The lion opens its powerful jaws
and roars, “Baruch shem k’vod mal-
chuso l’olam v’ed!”
“Hush, you fools!” a panda bear
mutters from a third cage. “You’ll
get us all fired!”
CONGRATS … To Dr. Leonard
Aronowitz on his birthday … To
Fern Adelstein on her birthday …
To Jeremy Brand on his birthday
… To Dennis and Debbie Silber on
their 56th anniversary. •

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

George Lukaj, Jerry Sanchez and Luis Sanchez

CLOSE OUT SALE!

CONGREGATION B’NAI MOSHE

DAILY SERVICES
Monday – Friday Morning 7 a.m.
Sunday Morning 9 a.m.

MUST MOVE ALL INVENTORY

Complimentary Breakfast Served Daily

Monday – Sunday Evenings 5 p.m.

ALL THINGS
JUDAICA

CALL NOW

"WELCOME HOME"

Congregation
B’nai Moshe

6800 Drake Road
West Bloomfi eld, MI 48322

Tradition!
Tradition!

"MJDJB3/FMTPOt
www.traditiontradition.com Celebrating 26 Years!!

(248) 788-0600
www.bnaimoshe.org

SHABBAT SERVICES
Friday Evenings Mincha, Kabbalat Shabbat and Ma’ariv 5 p.m.
Saturday Morning 9 a.m.

Babysitting 9:15-11:45 a.m.

Saturday Afternoon, February 25 – 5:45 p.m.
Saturday Afternoon, March 4 – 6 p.m.

MINI MINYAN
2nd Shabbat of Each Month 10-10:30 a.m.

Children ages birth to pre-K with a family member

JOIN U
S
MARC
H

11 TH !

2159120

2152460

jn

February 23 • 2017

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