raskin 75

th

an

the best of everything

niversary

Glory To
Loya Organic

Danny Raskin

Senior Columnist

Pakistani

restaurant

quietly

celebrates

fi ve years in

business.

Moiz Habib

Many ethnic restaurants
consider themselves as serving
food in the cultures of particu-
lar areas of the world, but have
actually coupled more varied
styles in accordance with much
of today’s dining ways of life.
Somewhat like Loya Organic
on Orchard Lake Road, in the
small shopping center, north
side of Lone Pine and south of
Pontiac Trail … celebrating its
fifth anniversary in a quiet sort
of way … among numerous cus-
tomers who would rather keep
it as their own little satisfactory
culinary secret.
By diversifying its cuisine
presentations, a desired pur-
pose is attained with tasteful
results.
Loya Organic is noted as a
Pakistani restaurant … with
authentic offerings from a
culture including items that
cannot be obtained elsewhere
in this region … Such as BBQ
Chargha of chicken or steak,
garnished with onions, spices
and yogurt or one-day notice
for Spicy Chicken Karahi and
non-spicy Chicken Cream
Stew, etc. … to go along with
the Pakistani menu favorite of
chicken chili kebob … Even the
time-honored, ages-old truly
authentic Pakistani Flourless
Date Pudding dessert made for
her son’s restaurant by owner
Moiz Habib’s mother, Zakia
Habib … and traditional honey-
baked baklava with walnuts or
pistachios.

Many of the favorite dishes
may sound familiar, but most
have Pakistani touches …
Mediterranean delights like
tawook salad, fattoush salad
with Himalayan raisins, fat-
toush salmon steak, hummus
with chicken or lamb, etc. …
American lamb chops, Scottish
salmon, grass-fed prime-cut
8-ounce steak, etc. … Plus good-
ies for the youngsters, grilled
cheddar cheese sandwiches,
chicken burger with fries and
lasagna layered with cheesy
tomato sauce.
Habib is also his own chef on
many of the dishes even though
born in Columbus, Ohio, going
to Canada and then America to
learn finance at business school
prior to becoming a successful
restaurateur … In Loya Organic,
though, he has achieved his
hidden true lifelong ambition.
Honoring its fifth anniver-
sary, dine-in patrons during
the month of December will
be given Zakia Habib’s deli-
cious Date Pudding at no extra
charge.
Loya Organic presently seats
only 37 with seven-day hours of
Sunday-Thursday 11:30-9 p.m.,
Friday and Saturday 11:30-10
p.m.
Restaurants that honestly
present diversified cultures in
dining for all taste pleasures
and necessities are today much
in demand … Loya Organic may
be small, but so tall in culinary
expression … with its own iden-

tity.
Loya in Pakistani means
“glory” … and Loya Organic
certainly presents that in varied
ethnic dining satisfaction.
SINCE 1993 WHEN opening
it in Grosse Pointe as Andiamo
Trattoria, Joe Vicari and Joe
Serventi were the locale’s part-
ners only at this location with
Servanti operating the site for
them …. Now that his children
have come of age to help dad
in the restaurant, JS asked
Vicari to sell him the eatery …
In further cementing of their
friendship, Joe Vicari agreed
and helped his longtime friend
in the transition … The Grosse
Pointe location’s name is now
changed to Trattoria Serventi.
FAVORITE RESTAURANT
of Yesteryears … From Jerry
Naftaly … “Another favorite of
mine was Victoria Station on
Northwestern Highway. Four
real train boxcars and caboose
uniquely seating 210 and a bar.
It included old locomotive pho-
tos and references to London,
England. Menu items were
limited and included dishes like
the boxcar cart salad bar that
was included with every din-
ner. Another had prime rib of
beef in several size cuts, burg-
ers and a lone non-beef item.
Victoria Shrimp was part of
another platform. Mushrooms,
baked potatoes, beverages and
the station master’s desserts
filled out the others. I took my
Chicago cousin Michelle Geller

for dinner in 1976 and we both
had the filet. She also loved the
ambiance of the train boxcars.”
THIS COMING MARCH,
George Lukaj will be able to say
his small group of restaurants
got bigger … He will open eat-
ery No. 5 at the more than 200-
seat former Papa Vino locale on
Coolidge, south of Maple, Troy
… George’s locales are pres-
ently Georges, West Bloomfield;
5th Tavern, Bloomfield Hills;
Village Palace, West Bloomfield;
and Grand Tavern, Rochester
Hills … The name will be JAG
& Co. Kitchen Bar, serving cui-
sine somewhat like that of 5th
Tavern.
OLDIE BUT GOODIE
(Another version) … A lady gets
on the bus with her baby and
as she sits down, a fellow in
back of her says, “I’ve seen a lot
of babies in my time, but that’s
the ugliest one I’ve ever seen!”
She is shocked and angry and
starts to cry. A man standing up
asks her what was the matter.
She said that the fellow insulted
her. The man says, “I wouldn’t
let him get away with it. Give
him a piece of your mind. I’ll
hold your monkey for you.”
CONGRATS … To Marilyn
Frommer on her 79th birthday
… To Dr. Glen Gardner on his
birthday … To Ernie Solomon
on his birthday … To Adria
Brown on her birthday. •

Danny’s email address is
dannyraskin2132@gmail.com.

NEW YEARS EVE

CHEERS TO THE PAST TOAST TO THE FUTURE

DINNER RESERVATIONS AVAILABLE . 4:00PM-6:30PM / 8:30PM-11:00PM

*Executive Chef Howard Barnes will feature a limited dinner menu along with NYE specials

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT FROM VOCALIST JOANNE ROACH & LIVE PIANO . 9PM-1AM

complimentary champagne toast(s) at midnight

ORCHARD LAKE RD. WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI 48322 | PRIME29STEAKHOUSE.COM

CALL FOR RESERVATIONS | 248.737.7463

jn

December 14 • 2017

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