April 11 • 2019 53
jn

Danny Raskin
Senior Columnist

raskin
the best of everything

Year No. 5 for Bistro 82
W

hen a restaurant is still drawing 
new faces going into its fifth 
year, you know that it must have 
been doing something right … Five years in 
the dining business is considered by many 
as the coveted amount of time agreed upon 
and ultimate emblem of its success.
Bistro 82, owned by Aaron F. Belen 
on the southeast corner of Lafayette and 
Fourth, Royal Oak, has reached that pinna-
cle in celebrating its fifth anniversary.
Noted, among other items, for its excel-
lent taste stylings of French onion soup 
dumpling appetizers … plus steak frites, 
free range organic brick chicken, salmon 
succotash, roasted mushrooms, an excellent 
filet, etc., among many choice menu selec-
tions that include numerous French influ-
ences … Bistro 82 is seeing both new and 
old customers … Its dedication to the ulti-
mate in elegant cuisine has never wavered 
in those five years.
Much credit must go to Executive Chef 
Derik Watson, whose pan-roasted cobia and 
beignets, among numerous new dishes like 
Scallops Carpaccio, pasta Bolognese and 
Seafood Melange, etc., are highly received.
Doing its own baking from start to fin-
ish, including breads and pastries, gives 
Bistro 82 added touches of choice … As 
do the intimacy and style of an interior 
photographer based in France whose 
works are well noted.
Seating at Bistro 82 numbers 163, with 
18 stools at its bar … Hours are Tuesday 
through Thursday, 4-10 p.m., Friday and 
Saturday, 4-11 p.m., Sunday, 4-9 p.m.
To celebrate a successful fifth anniversary 

with so dedicated a degree of well-noted 
dining consistency is something to be proud 
of … To see the smiles of constantly return-
ing guests is a blessing … Aaron F. Belen 
and his staff are seeing them all.
THINGS PEOPLE HATE and love … 
They rarely go back to restaurants too dark 
to read the menu … And they love servers 
who flash that little flashlight in helping 
customers scan the bill of fare.
MAIL DEPT. … From Jon Mandel … 
Does the cook at the Golden Bowl Chinese 
Restaurant in Oak Park know that it may 
be against the liking of health officials for 
him to smoke while cooking? And does 
anyone know where I can get information 
about Infants Service Group? I am Eleanor 
Riseman’
s grandnephew and would love to 
know about her and the organization’
s his-
tory. Call me at (248) 250-3788 or email me 
at jmandel91@gmail.com.
BIG FARCE IS THAT any woman who 
throws a successful dinner party or man 
who can grill many steaks to perfection on 
a barbecue grill have all the necessary tal-
ents to open a restaurant … The restaurant 
business has many sides to it and cooking is 
just a part of it … Ask the man or woman 
who owns one … or did.
REMINDER DEPT. …The newly 
named 29th Annual Hank Greenberg 
Memorial Golf and Tennis Invitational 
looks en route to a sellout … The event 
on Monday, June 3, will have breakfast 
and registration at 9 a.m. … Golf begins 
at 11 a.m. … Tennis is from 1-4 p.m. 
at Franklin Country Club … Dinner 
and sports panel will include baseball 

hall-of-famer Jack Morris plus Detroit 
Pistons announcer George Blaha with 
emcee ESPN’
s Jeremy Schaap … Call Sari 
Cicurel, executive director, Michigan 
Jewish Sports Foundation office, (248) 
592-9323 or email scicurel@
michiganjewishsports.org for info.
OLDIE BUT GOODIE … The gen-
tleman’
s dog had passed away. He was so 
attached to it that he went to his rabbi and 
asked if the rabbi would say Kaddish for 
his dog. 
The rabbi said, “No, we only say Kaddish 
for humans, no animals. However, there is 
a new congregation two blocks down the 
street from here. You could ask them if they 
will bless your dog.
” 
The man thanked the rabbi and said, “Do 
you suppose they would also accept my 
donation of $75,000?” 
The rabbi said, “Hold it! Come back! You 
didn’
t tell me the dog was Jewish!”
CONGRATS … To Betty Ellias on her 
birthday … To Elizabeth Applebaum on 
her birthday … To Marvin Chessler on his 
birthday … To Irving Waldman on his 29th 
birthday. ■

Danny’
s email address is 

dannyraskin2132@gmail.com.

The French-
infl
 uenced 
restaurant is still 
drawing new 
customers.

Aaron F. Belen

FOOD PHOTOS VIA BISTRO 82’
S FACEBOOK PAGE

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