42 | MAY 6 • 2021 

A 

favorite neighborhood restaurant 
in Oak Park is off to a fresh start. 
Eddie’s Gourmet Restaurant 
& Bar adapted last year when Michigan’s 
pandemic safety order ended service inside 
restaurants and bars. Everything was going 
well with the carryout orders; 
then, a grill grease fire on 
Oct. 15 shuttered the place. 
Regular customers were 
afraid — especially because 
of the COVID pandemic 
— that they’
d never dine at 
Eddie’s again. When owner 
Eddie Hanna reopened on 
March 1, happiness reigned.
The tiny eatery near Lincoln Shopping 
Center looks better than before. The only 
components untouched during the exten-
sive renovation were large airy windows 
along two walls and the tiled floor. This 
refreshed Eddie’s features a new heating and 
cooling system, an added second entrance 
and a prettier decor. The improvements 
include new granite counters, burgundy-red 
seats and burgundy swirl pendant lights. 
However, Eddie’s remains a cozy space with 
18 counter-side seats, seven tabletops and 
two booths.
It’s reassuring to see the tried-and-true 
gourmet entrees back. Featuring top-qual-
ity meat, fish and poultry, the list includes 
Choice Steak Diane, Veal Picanti, Fresh 
Cold-Water Ruby Red Trout and Chicken 
Marsala. These popular dishes are known 
for their affordable prices compared to 
those at bigger and fancier restaurants.
The pasta selections, also gourmet 

with specialty sauces, include Fettuccine 
Morengo and Spaghetti Salmone. My favor-
ite is Palomino Vodka Pasta, ziti noodles 
in a creamy tomato sauce. Adding chicken 
or another protein makes for a wonderful 
entree. 
Two specialties unlisted on the menu 
— just ask for them — are Hawaiian fries 
(without pineapple) and tender Roma 
chicken bites. They’re saucy and shareable.

Eddie’s 
Gourmet

Esther 
Allweiss 
Ingber 
Contributing 
Writer

EDDIE’S GOURMET 
RESTAURANT & BAR
25920 Greenfield Road 
Oak Park, MI 48237 
(248) 968-4060 
eddiesgourmetmi.com 
$$$ out of $$$$$

Throughout its history of different owners 
and name changes, the unlikely fine dining 
spot also remains focused on simpler fare. 
There are items like hamburgers, Greek 
and Caesar salads, steak fries and omelets. 
Portions are generous. 
I’m a soup person who adores Eddie’s 
thick and creamy tomato bisque. This 
soup, and lemon rice, are always available, 
plus a rotating choice. The stuffed pepper 
soup from my recent visit had the expected 
ground beef, rice and peppers in a tasty, 
savory broth.
Something else fairly new to mention is 
Eddie’s liquor license. Now adults may order 
beer, wine and hard liquor drinks. 
The friendly man running the place is 
Eddie Hanna, an Iraqi-born Chaldean.
“I started here at 17 as a dishwasher and 
worked my way up,
” he said. Hanna’s original 
boss, Peter K, bumped up the ambitions of 
a former Biff’s counterside diner by putting 
gourmet dishes on his menu. After Peter K, 
the restaurant continued as Giorgio’s, for its 
then-proprietor. Hanna bought Giorgio’s in 
2003.
Family members working with Hanna are 
his wife, Wasa, who makes a dynamite pis-
tachio pie, and their cooking son, Brandon, 
one of the couple’s 21-year-old male triplets. 
The Eddie’s Gourmet staff provides energetic 
and efficient service from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. 
Monday-Saturday. 

YELP

YELP

YELP

NOSH
DINING AROUND THE D

