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.