April 17th, 2014 | The Jewish News

The only restaurant experience
that the late philanthropist Morris
“Morrie” Fenkell had was providing
food for eateries from the Fenkell
Packing Co. that he and his brothers had
at Eastern Market years ago … or having
lunch with his employees as chairman of
the board at Liberty State Bank & Trust in
Hamtramck, later purchased by Huntington
Bank … or dining out with wife, Sybil.
But the restaurant blood continues to
flow in the veins of their grandson, Aaron
Belen, whose Bistro 82 recently opened on
Lafayette and Fourth in Royal Oak.
Morrie’s business sense,
too, in a big way, has obviously
embedded itself within
31-year-old Aaron, whose
entrepreneurial mind also
includes his buying and owning
the building his restaurant
is in.
The son of Lisa Fenkell,
Birmingham, and Dr. Steven
Belen, West Bloomfield,
Aaron certainly proves that
age is no barrier when it
comes to smartness and
ambition.
The former Sangria restaurant is now
unrecognizable with the new elegant decor
appointments that include soft gray painted
walls that look somewhat like a sea of aluminum
in this easily multimillion-dollar
renovation … Upstairs is the luxuriously
furnished Sabrage upscale lounge with
dancing and well-stocked bar, open Friday
and Saturday evenings only, 9-2.
Director of Operations Scott Sadoff,
whose parents, Beth and Edward Sadoff,
live in West Bloomfield, brings a dining
mangement track record from Ocean Prime
and P.F. Chang’s China Bistro.
Bistro 82’s executive chef, Derik
Watson, comes after working with Takashi
Yagihashi at the former Tribute, with Don
Yamauchi at Iridescence in Motor City
Casino and from Rugby Grille
… His expertise brings to Bistro
82 a delightful bevy of culinary
styles including many with a
French influence.
RESTAURANTS HE HAS
owned have received numerous
awards in his many years of
dining possessions, but Norm
LePage, co-owner with Ken and
Mary Nicholson of Big Rock
Chophouse, Birmingham, can
look with even greater favor on
receipt of its latest accolade … Being one
of 12 receiving the Achievement
of Excellence Award at the 2014
American Culinary Federation
(ACF) Central Region
Conference held in St. Louis.
Only three other dining
establishments in Michigan
have ever been given the highly
prestigious ACF Achievement
of Excellence Award … Detroit
Athletic Club, 2012, Iridescence
in Motor City Casino, 2011, and
Kellogg Hotel, East Lansing, in
2002 … Quite a huge honor for
Big Rock Chophouse.
AMONG INTERIOR CHANGES being
made at Beau’s Restaurant, former Beau
Jack’s, under new ownership on 15 Mile at
Telegraph, Bloomfield Township, will be a
108-inch-wide wood-fired grill where most
proteins (seafood, chicken, steak) will be
cooked … Plans are also to dedicate a grill
space for Churrasco-style skewers.
DANDY DINING DEAL … One of the
better restaurant eating buys around, usually
for five days twice a month, is the big
favorite Petite Special complete dinner at
Sposita’s Italian Ristorante, 14 Mile east
of Farmington Road, West Bloomfield
… Six-ounce petite filet, antipasto tray,
minestrone soup, tossed salad, side of spaghetti,
potato, vegetable and bread basket
… $21.95 … No coupons or other offers
… Next one is Monday-Friday,
April 21-25, 4 p.m. to closing.
MAIL DEPT. … “Where can
I get good stuffed peppers with
a lot of meat and little rice? I
used to get them at Esquire
Delicatessen in Southfield,
years ago. The large peppers
were delicious” … Sarah
Glokstein.
(Those stuffed peppers made
by the Jewish women in Harry
Weiss’ Esquire Deli kitchen in
Harvard row were terrific. Maybe when
Shirlee Bloom opens at Meyer Cohen’s
Prime 10 in Southfield after Passover, she
might eventually have them or will make
them to order.)
WHAT WAS TO BE just a “tide-over”
offer during the terrible weather, has
turned into a “Give us that deal all the
time” sort of thing … So the five-course
meal with 18 combination choices …
$11.95 … will continue all seven days a
week from 4 p.m. to closing … egg roll,
soup, chicken-fried or white rice, entree
and tea … Seven styles of chicken (General
Tso, almond, cashew, etc.), pepper steak,
Mongolian beef, sweet & sour shrimp, etc.
…. Golden Phoenix Chinese restaurant,
Orchard Lake Road, north of 15 Mile, Sugar
Tree Plaza, West Bloomfield.
GOOD WAITRESS DEPT. … Senada
Suknaj … Smiling, personable, graciously
efficient and customer-satisfaction oriented
… at Georges Family Restaurant, West
Bloomfield.
IT’S BEEN CONFIRMED that Jim
Leyland, former Detroit Tigers manager,
will be here to see his friend Tony La Russa
get the 2014 Hank Greenberg Memorial
Lifetime Achievement Award … at the 24th
Annual Hank Greenberg Memorial Golf
Invitational, Monday, June 9, at Franklin
Hills Country Club, Farmington Hills.
Leyland might not be in the same foursome
with La Russa, but may play with
another top-sponsor foursome.
This will be the first year that Major
League Baseball will be a financial sponsor
at the Greenberg … A MLB foursome will
participate.
HERE’S ANOTHER charitable raffle
that sounds great … $25 tickets for a
chance where only 500 ducats will be sold
… Winner gets airfare for two to Las Vegas,
three nights at the Venetian Hotel and two
tickets to the main show in the Venetian
Room … Drawing will be at B’nai B’rith’s
32nd Annual Golf Classic, Monday, June 2,
at Tam-O-Shanter Country Club in West
Bloomfield … with proceeds for its charities
… Call B’nai B’rith, (248) 514-5516 for
info or tickets.
OLDIE BUT GOODIE DEPT. … A little
lad came home from Hebrew school, and his
father asked what he had learned that day.
The youngster said, “The rabbi told us
how Moses led the Children of Israel out of
Egypt.”
“How?” asked the father.
The boy said, “Moses was a big strong
man and he beat Pharaoh up. Then he got
all the people together and ran toward the
sea. When he got there, he had his engineers
build a huge pontoon bridge. Once
they got on the other side, they blew up the
bridge while the Egyptians were trying to
cross.”
The father was shocked and asked, “Is
that what the rabbi taught you?”
“No,” replied the boy, “but you would
never believe the story he did tell us!”
CONGRATS … To Aviv Wolf on his 13th
birthday … To Edward “Ed” Radner on his
77th birthday … To Keri Guten Cohen on
her birthday … To Daniel “Dan” Dunsky
on his 50th birthday … To Hanley Gurwin
on his 80th birthday … To Anna Platner on
her birthday … To Sandra “Sandy” Benson
on her birthday … To Gerald “Jerry” and
Rose Light on their 60th anniversary.