April 18 • 2019 69
jn
Danny Raskin
Senior Columnist
The Open Air
W
ith spring weather comes the
opening of outdoor patios at
restaurants … Many new addi-
tions now include more than just the Sunday
fare go-get-and-gobble trips.
Along with the adding of outdoor Saturday
brunches at restaurants now come the con-
stant moves to both Saturdays and Sundays
… like Station Square in Troy and Fifth
Tavern in Bloomfield, among others … Who
knows? … Maybe the terminology for them
someday will be “weekend brunches.
”
The opening of Sunday brunches them-
selves have also taken a huge turn toward
more of them being featured … A free-stand-
ing restaurant would be foolish to open today
without an outdoor patio unless it may be
within a hotel or other such buildings where
it was humanly impossible … Even the new
Empire Kitchen in Downtown Detroit has
wisely opened with another section with all
brunch choices on Saturdays and Sundays
until 3 p.m. … Both days are sitdown only
with varied price selections from
the menu … No walk-around
choices … Picks after 3 p.m. are
only from a dinner menu.
And what about those eateries
that have flourished for many
years without outdoor dining like
Village Palace in Orchard Lake
Village? … It has been there more
than 30 years with word soon to
come that it may modernize itself
to have outdoor dining and with
a surprise selection from which to
choose.
There are reasons why outdoor
dining keeps coming up and definite reasons
why it is here to stay as it has been for many
years … and also constant alterations that
produce many thoughts of continuous chang-
ing by regular standbys … Also, the many
much varied styles of arrangements, presen-
tations, looks and continuous improvement.
BE WARY OF RESTAURANT openings
that may not have happened yet … Receiving
such aggravation is unnecessary by perhaps
just a phone call … This has occurred much
too often especially by some first-time restau-
rant owners who listen to others and sudden-
ly stop for re-dos … most times unnecessary
… or additions that may not be needed …
especially with purchases of old edifices
where work is not required.
OAK PARK HIGH 1969 graduating class
has its 50th reunion date set for Saturday, July
6, 7 p.m. at the Troy Marriott Hotel … For
more information, call Ken Korotkin at (248)
258-4936 or email him at kenk@getkig.com.
REAR VIEW MIRROR … The won-
derful former Rina’
s Pizzeria-Restaurant on
Schaefer, corner of Chalfonte … owned by
sisters Ann Conte and Rina Tonon … with
Ann’
s hubby, Enzo, and Rina’
s Adriano both
doing the Italian cooking … Adriano has
passed on and Rina today has continued to
run their magnificent Café Cortina on 10
Mile, east of Orchard Lake Road, Farmington
Hills, with its great authentic Italian cuisine
… as one of America’
s most beautiful year-
after-year award-winning outdoor dining
experiences.
DATES OF CLOSING for renovations by
Pickles & Rye Deli, Orchard Lake Road, West
Bloomfield, will be May 27-30 … Open with
its new look on Friday, May 31.
WHEN WAS THE last time you heard a
waitperson say, “Have a good day.
”
TO THOSE WHO HAVE asked, and there
are many, ingredients of the Tuscan vegan
pizza at Buddy’
s Pizza are vegan cheese, can-
nellini beans, red onion, parsley, oregano,
roasted garlic … served on its multi-grain
crust with tomato basil sauce and extra virgin
olive oil.
OLDIE BUT GOODIE … Israel’
s econ-
omy was in bad shape with inflation getting
higher, and its Knesset held a special session
to come up with a solution … After several
hours of talk without progress, one member
stands up and says, “
Quiet, everyone. I’
ve got
the solution to all our problems. We’
ll declare
war on the United States.
”
All the Knesset members start shouting at
once. “You’
re nuts! That’
s crazy!”
“Hear me out,
” he says. “We declare war.
We lose. The United States does what it
always does when it defeats a country. It
rebuilds everything, our highways, airports,
shipping ports, schools, hospitals, factories,
and loans us money and sends us food aid.
Our problems would be over.
”
“Sure,
” says another minister, “
that’
s if we
lose. But what if we win?”
CONGRATS … To Bruce Gale on his
birthday … To Ed Radner on his birthday …
To Keri Cohen on her birthday … to Verna
Cole on her birthday … To Fern “Pudgy”
Kahn on her 83rd birthday … to Jerry and
Rose Light on their 65th anniversary. ■
Danny’
s email address is
dannyraskin2132@gmail.com.
Try an outdoor
weekend brunch
at many area
eateries.
raskin
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(248) 855-0007
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