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