 FEBRUARY 13 • 2020 | 61

the best of everything
Raskin

It’
s still “come as you are” to 
enjoy the smokehouse bistro.

C.A.Y.A. Gets 
New Owners

W

hen it was set to 
open, people were 
told that the new 
restaurant’
s name would be 
C.A.Y.A. … or Come As You 
Are … and prob-
ably said things 
like, “If they think 
I’
m getting out 
of the bathtub, 
they have another 
think coming!” 
… But owners 
then, Executive 
Chef Jeff Rose and his business 
partners, Richard and Rachel 

Mandell, put them at ease … 
that it was the name of their new 
smokehouse.
Jeff and Rachel each had 
enjoyed 25 years in the dining 
game, and this was like a ful-
filled dream … when opening 
on South Commerce Road at 
Pontiac Trail in Walled Lake.
Jeff was once a dishwasher 
before dining stints at Tribute, 
Iridescence, Big Rock, Roast and 
Toast … Rachel’
s great love for 
food and restaurant design was 
realized.
Now that their dreams have 
come true in a big way …
and after hours and hours of 
training, Damian Knight is his 
own full-time general man-
ager and owner with his wife, 
Dianna Knight, and sister Jami 
and brother-in-law Brandon 
Blanchard, their own silent 
ownership dreams no doubt 
have also come true, as its new 
owners.
“We immediately fell in love 
with C.A.Y.A.
’
s amazing menu 
after our first visit and are excit-
ed to have taken over the restau-
rant,
” Damian Knight said. “We 

have some new ideas we will be 
implementing and look forward 
to continuing to enhance our 
customers’
 dining experiences.
”
Most of the highly popular 
dinner and brunch menus at 
C.A.Y.A. have remained the 
same with very small changes … 
Their smokehouse bistro now 
offers French fries and jumbo 
chicken wings … served with 
choices of two side items instead 
of as a la carte … Customers can 
now choose from corn bread, 
mac & cheese, French fries, fried 
Brussel sprouts, mashed pota-
toes, roasted broccoli, collard 
greens, fried sweet potatoes, 
baked beans with or without 
bacon, onion rings, creamy slaw 
or pickled vegetables.
“We want to offer our cus-
tomers a better value with our 
smoked entrees and they are 
now included as the side items 
for a complete meal,
” Knight 
said.
C.A.Y.A. seats 85 with 14 bar 
stools and three cocktail tables 
that are also open for happy 
hours and dinner Tuesdays 
through Thursdays, 4:30-10 

p.m., Friday and Saturday, 4:30-
11 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.-9 p.m. 
… Closed Mondays … Brunch 
is both Saturdays and Sundays, 
10 a.m.-3 p.m. 
It was a terrific winner for Jeff 
and Rachel … and has already 
become a big dining success for 
its new owners.
GREAT TO SEE that Dr. 
Steve Hutchinson, one-third 
partner in Pepino’
s Restaurant, 
is inducted into the Professional 
Football Hall of Fame … Steve 
was at University of Michigan 
and played 12 seasons in the 
NFL with Seattle, Minnesota and 
Tennessee. 
OLDIES BUT GOODIES 
… Years back, comics per-
forming in New York’
s Catskill 
Mountains tried these out on 
customers … “Waiter, what 
is this fly doing in my soup?” 
“Looks like the backstroke, sir” 
… or “Waiter, there is a fly in the 
butter.
” “Yes, sir, it is a butterfly!” 
CONGRATS … To Jackie 
Headapohl on her birthday. 

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

Danny Raskin
Senior Columnist

C.A.Y.A. FACEBOOK

Job Description:
- Day to day bookkeeping
- Oversee AP/AR
- Answer phone calls and emails
- Follow up with vendors/customers
- 
Take care of business forms, appli-
cations and administrative tasks
- Track business data

Job Requirements:
- 
Past bookkeeping and office 
experience
- 
Knowledge in QuickBooks and 
Microsoft Excel
- Excellent communication skills
- Strong ability to multi task
- Precise attention to detail 

This financially rewarding and mentally stimulating job is ideal for an
experienced and capable multi tasker who can efficiently see through
many administrative aspects of a fast paced, growing business

Please send resume including experience, past jobs, and references to Office@tcfaw.com


Job Opportunity: 

Full time position available at Oak Park business for Office Administrator/Bookkeeper.
32906 Middlebelt Rd (at 14 Mile)
(248) 855-0007

Please see our menu at 
www.johnnypomodoros.com

DAIRY TRAY
FRUIT TRAY
MEAT TRAY

Johnny Pomodoro’
s is your ONE STOP SHOP 

for all of your needs!

CANDY & NUT TRAY
MARTY'S COOKIES

Delivery Available
Shiva Trays, Deli Nosh Dairy and Deli Trays, Marty’
s Cookie Trays, Johnny’
s Signature Fruit & Veggie Trays

CALL JOHNNY’S FOR TRADITIONAL AND NON-TRADITIONAL SHIVA TRAYS. 

