raskin 75
th
an
the best of everything
niversary
Star Power
Danny Raskin
Senior Columnist
At 20, Beans
& Cornbread
attracts the A-list.
Patrick Coleman
Sorry, Jim Caldwell … Owner
Patrick Coleman would pre-
fer passing you his good food
more than a football … So your
being a frequent visitor to Pat’s
much-talked-about Beans &
Cornbread soul food restaurant
will only continue to bring you,
the Detroit Lions head coach,
some of the best soul vittles to
be had in in this region … and
to many traveling entertainers
appearing here who rate it very
high among the nation’s top
soul food eateries.
However, Jim, you’ll continue
to regularly see your quarter-
back Matthew Stafford there
to play catch with along with
many other Detroit Lions foot-
ball players.
Beans & Cornbread in the
Sunset Strip on Northwestern
Highway, between 12 Mile and
Inkster, Southfield, is quietly
going about its 20th year piling
up awards, certificates of excel-
lence and words of distinction
from regular customers like
Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin,
Lawrence Fishburne, Stevie
Wonder, Tommy Hearns, etc.,
among the untold others who
speak volumes of wonderful
words about its food … This
month, Pat will cater an event
for Aretha in Ft. Wayne, Ind.,
sending 3,000 pieces of chicken,
cornbread dressing, green
beans, the mac & cheese she
loves so much, potato salad,
upside-down cakes, cornbread
and sweet potato muffins to
be gobbled up by 1,200 people
... B&C’s yearly output of those
luscious sweet potato muf-
fins, salmon for its delicious
croquettes, collard greens,
gumbo, etc., is tremendous ...
Since opening in 1997, B&C
has served more than 327,600
pounds of tender baby back
ribs, 1.7 million pounds of
chicken wings, 2,680 pounds of
catfish, etc.
Its fried chicken has been
noted to be the best this side
of the Mason-Dixon Line ...
and easily among Beans &
Cornbread’s best sellers with
catfish, collard greens, mac &
cheese, etc. ... It is said that if
all its cornbread was placed
together, the connection would
extend as far as Memphis, Tenn.
Pat has been chosen as a
national spokesperson for
Lawry’s Seasoned Salt because
of that company’s heads being
so impressed with B&C’s food …
and its food truck, called “Soul
Roll,” has been booking catering
for company luncheons, count-
less events, etc., at various areas
with much laudable satisfaction.
Sheila Landis continues to
warble at the restaurant during
brunch on Sundays, noon to 2
p.m. … She is also a fine song-
writer and has her own record
label, Shelan.
Pat has gone from upscale
cuisine wearing a tuxedo while
general manager years ago at
Sebastian’s in Troy ... to maybe
tux garb only when events
might call for it as dining room
manager of Forte for the late
Chuck Muer in Birmingham ...
and smart business casual at
Beans & Cornbread ... If you are
among those who ask how the
moniker of Beans & Cornbread
was concocted ... That was
the 1940 name of a jazz jump
song by Louis Jordan and the
Tympany Five.
MAIL DEPT. ... “I heartily
recommend the new Taste of
Asia restaurant in the 12 Mile
and Halsted Shopping Center.
It is open for lunch and dinner
and closed on Mondays. It has
a full Chinese menu, noodle
dishes and sushi. We love the
gyoza (chicken dumpling) and
fried shrimp appetizers. The
spicy red curry noodles earned
a thumbs-up. Fans of the for-
mer How Kow Inn note that the
egg rolls and wonton soup taste
exactly the same as theirs did.
Most main courses are under
$20, and Taste of Asia is also
vegetarian-friendly with a won-
derful staff.” ... Beverly Feldheim.
REMEMBERING WHEN
... Les Gruber opened his and
brother Sam’s original London
Chop House, Detroit, he was a
stickler on dress code and had
many necessary suit jackets
available for those who came
not wearing one … A customer
loved the food and ambiance so
much that he bought an expen-
sive jacket at Capper & Capper
on Washington Boulevard to
wear only at the London Chop
House ... Les forgot to tell all
his employees not to touch that
classy-looking jacket hanging
in the check room, and it was
given to another customer ...
who didn’t return it when he
left ... and never came back.
TRY NOT TO “bum rap”
a restaurant shortly after it
opens ... Many of the world’s
finest executive chefs attest
to encountering kitchen and
staff problems then ... Some
folks might say that the eatery
should not have opened yet, but
how are you to correct prob-
lems if you don’t know what
they are?
OLDIE BUT GOODIE ...
When the restaurant waitress
brought him the soup du jour,
the English gentleman was a bit
shocked.
“Good heavens,” he said.
“What is this?”
“Why, it’s bean soup,” she
replied.
“I don’t care what it’s been,”
he replied. “What is it now?”
CONGRATS ... To Susan
Citron on her 60th birthday
... To Doug Goldberg on his
65th birthday ... To Harvey
Goldsmith on his birthday … To
Paul and Lee Blizman on their
50th anniversary. •
Danny’s email address is
dannyraskin2132@gmail.com.
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September 7 • 2017
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