OCTOBER 29 • 2020 | 45 T he walls were paneled in heavy wood … The chairs and bar stools comfortable … the steaks and chops generous. The crowds of people who came to Berman’ s Chop House were big- time athletes, newspaper men and women, vis- iting celebrities and many sales- men … A sort of New York’ s Toots Shor’ s. Through the years, Berman’ s had built a nation- al reputation on steaks and chops, which were about 85 percent of the business. At one time, it had two coolers filled with about 10,000 pounds of aging U.S. prime beef … Its strip sirloins and tenderloins were cut after 14 to 18 days. Berman’ s steaks came in six convenient sizes … A large sirloin and a big tenderloin, a bigger sirloin and tenderloin, a club steak and a ground sir- loin steak. Its lamb chops averaged three ribs each and were almost as thick … It also featured thick cuts of roast prime ribs, trout, whitefish and frog legs … The cot- tage-fried potatoes were par- ticularly good. The kitchen at Berman’ s was another point of interest … During the dinner hour, there were at least seven men in the tiny open kitchen … It was a lesson in efficiency to watch them work … They hardly had room to turn around, but they got every- thing done. Plus the food … espe- cially the steaks … a sort of floor show went on … Folks laughed at the fellow chop- ping cottage fries from an above site … as a cigarette dangled from his mouth with the long ash never falling on the dishes. When Harry Berman orig- inally owned it, the consider- ation was only that his restau- rant was just another good steak house … But after being bought by Ben Kasle, whose family owned Kasle Steel, those words were changed consid- erably … Legend has it that Ben discovered the corners of the steaks were being cut and tossed away … He is said to have immediately brought in a large cutter/chopper and began saving those corners … which caused a dining sensation when placed on the menu as Chopped Sirloins … coupled with an ultra-array of very thin cottage-fried potatoes … Talk was of changing the name from Berman’ s to Benny’ s, but that was short-lived and Berman’ s stayed in all its glory … Between its wonderful steaks, lamb chops, chopped sirloins and fantastic cottage fries, among a luscious array of food, it became a big favorite. There never again was another Berman’ s. DID YOU KNOW DEPT. … That there still is a Ginopolis’ Bar-BQ even though the one on 12 Mile in Farmington Hills is closed? …It was opened by one of the two brothers … Peter is serving them at his Ginopolis’ in nearby Brighton. OLDIE BUT GOODIES SHORTIES … Patient: “I have a ringing in my ears” … Doctor, “Don’ t answer!” … Q: Why don’ t some Jewish moth- ers drink? … A: Alcohol inter- feres with their suffering. CONGRATS …… To Amy Wechsler on her birthday … To Jeanette Olson on her birthday … To Melissa Litvin on her birthday … To Jerry Olson on his 85th birthday … To Herb and Audrey Saperstein on their 64th anni- versary. Danny’s email address is dannyraskin2132@gmail.com. RASKIN THE BEST OF EVERYTHING Danny Raskin Senior Columnist A Tribute to Berman’s Chop House EBAY Contact Larry Al l an can’ t enj oy j ewel ry i f i t’ s si tti ng i n your safe deposi t box. Sel l or borrow on i t for i mmedi ate cash. We deal i n j ewel ry, watches, di amonds and coi ns. A Service to Private Owners, Banks & Estates 248-644-8565 Coins & Jewelry Subscribe Today! Get The Detroit Jewish News print edition delivered to your door every week for less than $2 per issue. Stay in the know with all things Jewish... thejewishnews.com/subscription