raskin 75
th
an
the best of everything
niversary
A ‘Light’ In The
Restaurant Business
Danny Raskin
Senior Columnist
Big Rock
Chophouse’s
Norm LePage
set to open new
eatery in spring.
Norm and Bonnie LePage
Many folks have their own
ways of relaxing or enjoy-
ing changes of paces in life …
Whether it be playing golf or
maybe going on trips or whatev-
er … Norm LePage does his with
changing restaurant names and
opening new dining spots.
He changed his Eton Street
Station’s name to Big Rock
Chophouse 20 years ago …
Before that, he had opened Nifty
Norman’s, Norm’s Oyster Bar,
Norm’s Diner, Norman’s Union
Station, Squire’s Table, East Side
Mario’s, a couple of Salvatore
Scallopini’s, etc. … And today’s
Big Rock Chophouse, Griffin
Claw Brewing, The Reserve, Got
Rocks Diamond Crown Cigar
Lounge, etc.
Now it will be another restau-
rant … Lumen, slated to open
in early spring of 2018 by Norm,
wife, Bonnie, son Scott and his
wife, Susanne LePage … Norm
and family were picked by DTE
Energy after a nationwide search
by the energy giant to complete-
ly and solely run the restaurant
operation at their new setting
… It will anchor the beautiful
recently opened DTE Energy’s
Beacon Park on Cass and Grand
River, Detroit … Lumen means
light in Latin.
Celebrating its 20th anniver-
sary as Big Rock Chophouse,
Eton Street, Birmingham, menu
additions now include a small
plates section that features a
variety of smaller entrees like
Mediterranean Shrimp with arti-
chokes, spicy tomato, spinach
and lemon; Tuna Tartare with
red pepper, lemon, lime jalape-
no, wasabi and wonton; Parisian
Gnocchi with mushrooms, goat
cheese and spinach; petite filet
with red wine sauce; beef burger;
buffalo burger, etc.
Also, the new 15-ounce Cover
Crop Delmonico steak … Similar
to organic and grass-fed, Cover
Crop is the new healthy trend in
the meat business … Big Rock
is one of two local eateries now
with a Cover Crop menu … Also
big sellers on the Big Rock menu
are chilled whole artichoke with
citrus aioli, sautéed scallops with
peas and ricotta ravioli, etc.
Excellent general manager
Vera Rizer, Michigan Restaurant
Association’s 2016 Manager of
the Year, is still doing her won-
derful things in satisfying Big
Rock customers … Her knowl-
edge of food, wine and people
is greatly acknowledged … It
is beyond realization that Vera
was a bartender for Norm and
Bonnie at their Eaton Street res-
taurant back in 1984.
Yes, Norm and Bonnie have
other ways of relaxing, too …
Like recently returning from
Lebanon with friends Sameer
and Leila Eid of Birmingham’s
Phoenicia.
Has Norm stopped opening
new restaurants? … I think not
… In the fall, he’ll open a sec-
ond location of Griffin Claw in
Brian & Wendy Yaffa invite you to June’s for a relaxing
place to dine inside or enjoy dinner on our outside patio.
Rochester Hills.
He may not play golf, but
Norm sure hits a hole-in-one
every time he opens another res-
taurant or site.
REMEMBERING … Going to
Northwood Inn on Woodward
to hear songstress Nan Corrone
sing “My Yiddishe Mama” in
Italian … And Dancemaster Joe
Cornell (Cornella) standing and
yelling “That’s a my baby!” when
she finished.”
HAVE YOU EVER eaten a Bar-
Le-Duc sandwich? … You might
have as a youngster or even still
do today and never knew it had
such a fancy name … Many folks
still love theirs … but know it
only as a cream cheese and jelly
sandwich … Numerous enjoy
their Bar-Le-Duc on a toasted
English muffin, too … Hmm,
doesn’t sound bad.
REARVIEW MIRROR … With
mouth-watering memories of
when Harry Shepherd and Sol
Pitt owned Shep’s Delicatessen
across the street from Kosin’s
Clothes on Griswold … Where
waitress Shirley Kaufman regu-
larly brought me what seemed
like a whole loaf of rye bread
with my brisket of beef plate …
It was during lunch hour from
the Jewish News when our offices
were in the David Stott Building
… The rye bread was to “dunk” in
the luscious-tasting gravy with
the terrific brisket that I usually
devoured there … In years after,
when Sol had the deli at Alban’s
Bottle & Basket on Woodward
in Birmingham, he never forgot
and made sure that I had plenty
of rye bread for his exact same
gravy and yummy brisket of beef.
OLDIE BUT GOODIE …
Rabbi Friedman did a double
take. There in the restaurant,
clearly visible through the large
window, was the president of his
Orthodox congregation. And yes,
that was a bowl of clam chowder
the waitress was setting before
him.
As the rabbi watched in hor-
ror, the main dish, jumbo shrimp
wrapped in bacon was set down
next to it. Oblivious to the rabbi’s
disgusted look, the president ate
his way through his dinner.
When he left the restaurant,
the rabbi stopped him and said,
“You of all people, leader of the
congregation, supposed to be an
example — how could you eat
such treif!”
The president replied, “You
saw me eat the soup? And the
shrimp?”
“Yes and yes,” the rabbi replied.
“Then there is no problem,”
said the president. “I ate my food
under rabbinical supervision!”
CONGRATS … To Marissa
Fournier on her birthday … to
Suretta Saltz on her birthday …
To Fred Schott on his birthday …
To Lonnie and Gail Zimmerman
on their 45th anniversary.•
Danny’s email address is
dannyraskin2132@gmail.com.
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August 17 • 2017
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