raskin

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Center Stage

Danny Raskin

Senior Columnist

Stage Deli

continues to

impress in West

Bloomfi eld.

The Goldbergs: Jolie, Steve and Ian.

Many years ago, much time
before it opened, numerous
people were already hearing a
rumor that Max Asnas would
be opening a delicatessen here
in the somewhat likeness of
his world-famous Stage Deli
in New York … The gossip,
although not completely true,
was indeed partly correct when
it was learned that in 1962 a
localite would definitely soon
open a Stage Deli in this area …
but not Max Asnas.
How Jack Goldberg, a former
delicatessen worker here, got
that exalted New York name
has always been a mystery to
many … After his deli stints
working at numerous Jewish
delicatessens locally amid other
employment ventures … and a
vision of someday opening their
own deli … he and wife, Harriet,
had taken over the former loca-
tion of Liberman’s Delicatessen
and opened their Stage Deli
on Nine Mile Road in Oak Park
… And later a second, named
Stage & Co. that was subse-
quently also retitled Stage Deli,
at its present location on the
Boardwalk, Orchard Lake Road,
West Bloomfield.
Today, 56 years later, Stage
Deli, Orchard Lake Road, West
Bloomfield, is under the owner-
ship and guidance of their son,
Steven Goldberg, his son Ian,
its full-time manager, daughter
Jolie, its part-time manager,
and son Perry, until recently
full-time kitchen manager …
plus General Manager Christine

“Chris” Feasel, who 33 years
ago began as a Stage waitress
… Executive Chef Jesse Sanchez
for 25 years … waitperson
Sandra “Sandy” Clayton for 26
years, etc. … All have more than
maintained Stage Deli’s own
identity of today … with delica-
tessens in West Bloomfield and
limited offerings of Stage signa-
ture items in the food court at
Troy’s Somerset Mall on West
Big Beaver Road.
Stage Deli in West
Bloomfield, flagship of the
two, had already attained a
national reputation with much
major recognition … and is
many times the scene of show
business celebrities … perhaps
being in one of the Stage’s
framed wall hangings.
Also, a completely separate
room in West Bloomfield with
three large refrigerated glass
cases for untold numbers of
home-cooked carry-out deli-
cacy selections, including many
original recipes from Harriet’s
head and golden hands …
stuffed cabbage, both regu-
lar and veggie chopped liver,
cheese blintzes, gefilte fish,
pickled herring, potato latkes,
etc., etc., etc. … most of the
goodies made in house.
It is amazing, too, that
about two-thirds of the West
Bloomfield business is at din-
ner time … including an untold
amount of fish delivered to
Stage’s back door six days a
week … The dinner attendance
alone would no doubt bring

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smiles to the faces of many res-
taurant owners.
Seating in the West
Bloomfield dining room is 160,
plus an outdoor patio for 40
more.
Having and maintaining its
own identity was no doubt dif-
ficult at times … But the Stage
Deli of today has truly earned
its own fine legendary reputa-
tion … Yes, Jack and Harriet
… along with many others …
would smilingly so agree that
their son Steve and grandchil-
dren Ian and Jolie, have done a
wonderful job.
WINNERS AT THE RECENT
12th Annual JCC Michigan-
Florida Reunion & Golf Classic
were ... Men’s 9-hole team, Phil
Elkus, Al Shaw and Miriam
Shaw ... 18-hole team, Stuart
Young, Mike Boyer, Steve
Bentin ... Women’s 18-hole
team, Ellen Minkin, Nancy
Norris, Beth Gursky and Julie
Chaiken ... Men’ s closest to the
pin, Tom Norris … Women’s
cloest to the pin, Alene Farber.
WORD IS THAT the original
recipes used by the Tyner fam-
ily have been obtained for the
tribute evening honoring the
former Checker Bar-B-Q spots
... June 4, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. ... at
Steven Lelli’s Inn On The Green,
12 Mile between Halsted and
Haggerty, Farmington Hills.
NEW INNOVATIONS with
takeover at Siegel’s Deli, 15
Mile, just west of Haggerty,
Commerce Township, include
those delicious baking selec-

tions of Vicky Vushaj, mother of
owners Edison and Elvis Vushaj
... Siegel’s manager/waitress’
homemade strudels, knishes,
coffee cake, etc., are big win-
ners ... plus Vicki’s popular own
Greek Spinach Pie.
DON’T KNOW if Aretha
Franklin will be at Beans
& Cornbread’s first annual
Kentucky Derby shindig,
Saturday, May 5, 4 to 7 p.m.
... But if she is, count on her
ordering its Mac & Cheese ...
and maybe a Waldorf Salad,
too... “How about that for soul
food,” says B&C’s owner, Patrick
Coleman ... Plenty of mint
juleps and bourbon cocktails
plus a live disc jockey ... Beans
& Cornbread is in Southfield’s
Sunset Strip, Northwestern,
between 12 Mile and Inkster.
OLDIE BUT GOODIE ...
Two men went into a diner
and sat down at the counter.
They ordered two sodas, took
sandwiches out of their packs
and started to eat them. The
owner saw what was going on
and approached them. “You
can’t eat your own sandwiches
in here,” he said. The two men
stopped, looked at each other,
and then swapped their sand-
wiches.
CONGRATS ... To David
Sachs on his birthday ... To Julia
Abrams on her birthday ...To
Adele Goldstein on her 93rd
birthday. •

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

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May 3 • 2018

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