36 | DECEMBER 31 • 2020
Keto Cheesecake Tart, a Cafe offering and Vegan cookie dough bars.
Michigan and Michigan State
University … give much to
tailgate dining delight by people
like Kathy and Mark Morley of
Pepino’s.
OCTOBER … Wonder
Bar is remembered … Bacco
and Casa Pernoi birthdays are
celebrated as one with differ-
ent concepts but one owner,
Luciano Del Signore … Bacco
in Southfield and Casa Pernoi
in Birmingham … Joe Vicari to
open five more restaurants …
Sid Newman of Star Deli recalls
his days in Siberia to America
…Clam Shop is remembered
… Berman’s has national repu-
tation … Rumor gains speed on
sale of Uptown Parthenon.
NOVEMBER … Belmont
Lounge is remembered …
Eckner’s Chop House is remem-
bered … Otus Supply restau-
rant closes in March because
of COVID and reopens in
September with music again
… Former waitress Francis
Kellerman tells of rude custom-
ers … Better Health Market &
Cafe by Handelman family has
14 locatons now with more than
10,000 items in Novi alone.
DECEMBER … Rumor
is true with sale of Uptown
Parthenon to Tom Goulas
of Honey Tree Greek dining
repute … Name changed from
Triple Nickle to Birmingham
Pub with new ownership of Joe
Vicari … Owner Ben Kasle said
to have created chopped sirloin
from ground steak corners at
his Berman’s Chop House …
Mort Meisner’s book a winner.
Wishes to all for a very
healthy New Year, hopeful that
COVID-19 will go away soon
and we’ll be back to much
happiness, healthy and normal
living.
Danny’s email address is
dannyraskin2132@gmail.com.
FACEBOOK
SEPTEMBER:
Gold Cup Room
OCTOBER:
Bacco
NOVEMBER:
Better Health
PHOTOS COURTESY BETTER HEALTH FACEBOOK
LOVABLE CAT LADY; JIMMY
AND BOB; WEDDING
WARS; A DUTCH SURPRISE
Call Me Kat, a new comedy
series, premieres on Fox
on Jan. 3 at 8:30 p.m. The
second episode will air at
its regular time (Jan. 7, 9:00
p.m.). Mayim Bialik, 44 (The
Big Bang Theory), stars as an
unmarried and not success-
ful 39-year-old woman who
sinks her life savings into a
cat café (much to her moth-
er’s chagrin). Complications
ensue when her old crush,
Max (played by Cheyenne
Jackson), takes a job in a
piano bar near the café. Jim
Parsons, who played Bialik’s
husband on Big Bang, is an
executive producer of Call
Me Kat. He is gay in real life,
as is Cheyenne Jackson.
They were asked how they
“faked” being romantically
interested in Bialik. Parsons
gave a great answer:
Everybody loves Mayim. She
is easy to love. Jackson sec-
onded this answer.
Last September, the docu-
mentary Jimmy Carter: Rock
and Roll President got a brief
theater run. It begins stream-
ing on CNN on Jan. 3. Carter,
now 96, likes rock and roll,
which he made clear even
before he became president
in 1977. Many popular musi-
cians are his friends, includ-
ing Bob Dylan, 79, Willie
Nelson and Gregg Allman.
Dylan rarely gives interviews,
but he movingly talks in this
film about how he and Carter
hit it off during their very first
meeting in 1974. They have
remained good friends and
along the way they both won
Nobel Prizes.
The Groom’s Sister, a
comedy film, was released
to video-on-demand services
on Dec. 17 without much
advance publicity. Most critics
didn’t like it and only three
important media outlets
reviewed it (two gave thumbs’
down and one liked it). Still,
I’m bringing it to your atten-
tion because several critics
have noted it is trying to be A
Big Fat Jewish Wedding and
maybe it’s soothing to watch
a “very Jewish” comedy now.
Alicia Silverstone, 44, plays
Audrey, the (Jewish) sister of
the groom (played by Jake
Hoffman, 39. He’s Dustin’s
son). Audrey intensely dis-
likes the bride, a sexy but
vain French Jewish model
who wants to be a pop star.
They frequently clash during
the lavish, three-day “event
wedding.” The supporting
cast includes the late Mark
Blum as Audrey’s father,
Belgian Jewish actor Ronald
Guttman, 68, as the father
of the bride, and Michael
Bernardi, 36, the son of the
late Herschel Bernardi, as
an Israeli rabbi “imported” to
preside over the nuptials.
It’s great to find out that
somebody with a big part
in two acclaimed HBO
series is Jewish. Dutch
actor Michiel Huisman, 39,
makes me happy this week.
If you watched The Game
of Thrones, you certain-
ly know him — he played
Daario Naharis, a “hot”
mercenary leader who allies
with Danerys, “the Dragon
Queen,” and becomes her
lover. Huisman also played
Alex, the boyfriend of the
title character in The Flight
Attendant. Here’s the Jewish
411 on Huisman: his mother
is Jewish; it’s unclear if his
father is Jewish; and his
brother, a retired pro soccer
player, told a Dutch sports
site: I am Jewish as far as
faith is concerned. Friday is
therefore a real family day.
NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST
ARTS&LIFE
CELEBRITY JEWS
FOX
Mayim Bialik
in Call Me Kat
continued from page 35