36 | DECEMBER 26 • 2019
Arts&Life
the best of everything
A look back on what happened in the 2019 restaurant scene.
The Year That Was
W
onderful knives
and forks glim-
mer again in the
restaurant world for many
as we soon enter 2020 after
another wel-
come list of
successful din-
ing endeavors
in 2019 … And,
again, offer fer-
vent wishes for
their continu-
ance of this and
many more in the new year.
JANUARY … No better
way to begin a new year than
with good health as local
heart doctor and author Dr.
Joel Kahn goes into the fourth
year of his GreenSpace Café
in Ferndale … Sunday brunch
begins at new Station Square
in Troy … Siegel’
s Deli,
Commerce Township, wins
WDIV-TV Best Sandwich
in Metro Detroit contest …
Rick Therrien becomes sole
owner of Pickles & Rye, West
Bloomfield, with semi-retire-
ment of partner Linda Collins
… Immigrant success story by
Sunny Palaj at his Alfoccino
in Auburn Hills … Village
Palace in Orchard Village
also becomes a more seafood
restaurant … La Dolce Vita
retains its image as a hidden
dining gem in Detroit.
FEBRUARY …
Renovations by the new
Grand Tavern in Rochester
bring big wows at the former
Chili’
s locale … Chris Feasel,
general manager at Stage
Deli, West Bloomfield, and
Courtney Hill, now dining
room manager and server
at Pickles & Rye Deli, West
Bloomfield, are taken as
twins … George and Crissy
Kutlenios celebrate the fire
their Holly Hotel had 105
years ago … Joe Vicari opens
his newest Andiamo Italia in
Fenton … New Parthenon
is closed in Greektown
Detroit and site bought by
Jim Papas … Jersey Bagel
makes its appearance in West
Bloomfield … Buddy’
s Pizza
takes on a new investment
partner … Lobster Cantonese
is lauded again at Shangri-La
in West Bloomfield.
MARCH … More single
Sunday brunch dates are
made now also with Saturday
additions like 5th Tavern,
Bloomfield Hills … and
sister operation of Station
Square in Troy to follow …
Matt Prentice slated to be
back again in Clarkston at
Three Cats … Former Maria’
s
in West Bloomfield opens
again but with new name of
Nonna Maria’
s … Diamond
Jim Brady’
s Bistro in Novi,
lauded again with having
two executive chefs, Mary
Brady and Sharon Juergens
… Uptown Parthenon, West
Bloomfield, celebrates 20th
anniversary.
APRIL … Steven Lelli’
s
Inn on the Green observes
ninth anniversary with
addition of owner Mark
Larkin’
s sons Ari and
Michael … More than 30
years ago, talk of opening a
delicatessen in Ann Arbor
is recalled as Zingerman’
s
by Ari Weinzweig and Paul
Saginaw achieves even more
national note … Owner Mike
Chalhoub is his own executive
chef of Lebanese dishes while
enjoying family operation at
Southfield’
s Grape Leaves …
Vera Rizer, general manager
of Big Rock Chophouse,
Birmingham, is named to
Birmingham Bloomfield
Chamber of Commerce …
Bistro 82, Royal Oak, cele-
brates its fifth anniversary …
Outdoor dining makes bigger
noises of success.
MAY … Empire Kitchen
and Cocktails opens in
Detroit … Peter Ginopolis to
open Ginopolis Smokehouse
in Brighton … Second
anniversary of second Joe
Muer’
s Seafood opening in
Bloomfield Hills … Bacco,
Southfield, rated among best
Italian restaurants on 17th
anniversary … Grand Circus
Diner is opened on ground
floor of Detroit’
s Broderick
Tower.
JUNE … Three-year-old
Red Dunn Kitchen, Detroit,
also has movie house in
back for its dining customers
during summer months …
Elegant Cuisine, Detroit,
fetes 19th birthday serving
French-American food …
Stage Deli, West Bloomfield,
brings back meat loaf sand-
wich memories on challah
or lettuce … Siegel’
s Deli,
Commerce Township, by new
ownership, has second anni-
versary with delivery service
… Excitement with news that
two highly regarded execu-
tive chefs to open and run
elegant new Pernoi coming
in Birmingham … Pepino’
s
Danny Raskin
Senior Columnist
PHOTOS VIA FACEBOOK
Lamb from Empire Kitchen, mock
tuna salad from GreenSpace Cafe and
sushi from Adachi