Sum Girls Boutique in Berkley: a Place for Shopping, Learning – and Having Fun

Sum Girls Boutique in Berkley: a Place for Shopping, Learning – and Having Fun

by | Nov 6, 2019 | Berkley, LBN Community Series, Sum Girls

Sum Girls Boutique in Berkley: a Place for Shopping, Learning – and Having Fun

06
NOVEMBER 2019
BY HONEY MURRAY
LBN Community Series
Berkley
In recent years, Batman, Wonder Woman, Iron Man, the Hulk and loads of other beloved characters have been embraced by fans as they’ve jumped off the pages of comic books and landed, with full, magnificent force, onto three-dimensional movie screens and into jam-packed, comic-book character conventions.

In Berkley, popular retailer and blogger, Robyn Coden, has created the same type of phenomenon with Sum Girls Boutique, an upscale-resale (sustainable-fashion) and new apparel-and-accessories shop — and transformative meeting place — for “Tweens, Teens and Ladies of all Ages.”

ROBYN CODEN

OWNER, SUM GIRLS BOUTIQUE
“Our shop is actually our blog, ‘Dim Sum and Doughnuts,’ come to life,” Robyn says.

When Robyn adopted her daughter, Frankie, from China, she started a blog called “Fu-Lan Mania: A Blog of Chinese Adoption and Clueless Parents” to keep in touch with family and friends during the adoption process. And when Robyn gave birth to daughter, Jaye, she started writing ‘Dim Sum and Doughnuts’ with her two daughters in mind, sharing her knowledge, experiences, ideas and love for them to read when they grow up.

“Growing up, making mistakes, having fun … Through Sum Girls Boutique, we are living our ‘Dim Sum and Doughnuts’ mantra, but we’re also building sum confidence, doing sum recycling and donating, and offering sum style at reasonable prices,” Robyn laughs.

Southfield resident, Tammy Cedo, loves shopping at Sum Girls Boutique, often with her three teenage daughters, Lydia, Lily and Joanna.

“I was running errands here in Berkley,” she says, “and I needed a special dress to wear to a gala. Someone suggested I try Sum Girls Boutique.”

“When I stopped in,” Tammy continues, “Robyn said, ‘I’ll pick out a couple of dresses while you finish your errands.’”

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“When I got back, tried on one of the dresses – sheer, black lace with a beige under-slip — and walked out of the fitting room, I thought we were going to fall on the floor: it looked fantastic – and was exactly what I’d been looking for!”

“Plus,” she chuckles, “I’ve been able to wear the slip with other dresses! Now, when I need something, I come here first. And nine times out of ten, I find the perfect thing.”

Business neighbor Kathleen Abrahamian, who, with her husband, owns Alice’s Perfect Fit Alterations, is a frequent shopper at Sum Girls Boutique.

“This is a Harvey’s bag, made from seatbelts,” she says, holding up her purse. “It’s my favorite! And I also got this Eileen Fisher sweater I’m wearing from Sum Girls.”

Though the boutique does offer new clothing items and accessories, part of the shopping allure is the experience of finding high-end, gently worn treasures – at a fraction of their original price.

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“Robyn beautifully controls the inventory that comes in,” Kathleen says. “Everything has a modern vibe and is in perfect condition.”

On her website, Robyn shares information about the consignment process for the clothes, shoes, bags and accessories she chooses to carry.

Some of the higher-end brands the store sells include: Vintage Havana, Lululemon, Free People, H & M, ROOTS, Urban Outfitters, North Face, Banana Republic, Chico’s, Dooney & Bourke, Coach, Michael Kors.

“We also love unique, on-trend or timeless apparel, bags and accessories from upscale, higher-end stores or boutiques,” Robyn explains. “We do not accept brands of any major chain discount stores like Walmart, Old Navy or Target.”

Though some consignors opt for a cash purchase of their items that sell, the majority choose to convert the sales into credit toward a store account.

On Saturdays and school holidays, the shop is filled with students and their moms who are thrilled to be using accounts that have helped them recycle their wardrobes and find “new” wearables for their own closets.

Twelve-year-old shoppers Sienna, Karsen, Jessie, Talia and Delaney are frequent customers who often meet at Sum Girls and shop together, trying on outfits in the lush and spacious fitting room.

“I like, literally, everything that they have,” Jessie says excitedly. “There’s a wide variety of options: shoes, jewelry and clothes.”

“All my shirts that I wear are from here,” says Karsen.

Delaney points to the jeans she’s wearing, and Talia describes a Bat Mitzvah dress she purchased.

Delaney adds, “Also, they have a ton of events here that we’ve participated in, like when we gave advice for sixth graders.”

“We are very involved with the girls in the community,” Robyn says.

Like the wisdom shared in her blog, Robyn holds informative, confidence-building mini-seminars for girls in her community, like “SUMthing about Middle School,” and she holds many other special events and fundraisers.

“We have an informal leadership/learning program called the ‘Girl Boss Internship,’” Robyn says, “for eighth-grade (and older) girls to help in the store and learn customer service, retail knowledge and other values.”

“So,” concludes Robyn, “though we love offering upscale, trendy, coveted, timeless items that help you get ready for work, parties, a vacation, or any day’s event, we also work, have fun as a family and, like the words in ‘Dim Sum and Doughnuts,’ help girls know the beauty and fun in life – and to feel empowered and loved.”

3015 Twelve Mile Road
Berkley, MI 48072
248-677-4900

sumgirlsboutique.com

DimSumAndDoughnuts.com 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Detroit Eatz Builds New Fast Food Concept in Farmington

Detroit Eatz Builds New Fast Food Concept in Farmington

by | Oct 30, 2019 | Detroit Eatz, Farmington, LBN Community Series

Detroit Eatz Builds New Fast Food Concept in Farmington

30
OCTOBER 2019
BY PAMELA A. ZINKOSKY
LBN Community Series
Farmington
There’s a new concept in fast food moving into downtown Farmington, and it’s called Detroit Eatz. Here, you can certainly grab a burger and fries, but also half a spiral Dearborn Brand ham for tonight’s dinner guests, and maybe a pound or so of deli cheese and pastrami too.

Yes, you read that right. You can pull up to the drive-thru and order a spiral ham. You may have to wait 10 minutes or so, but you’ll know how long your wait is based on the red, green or yellow light you see next to the items you order.

SCOTT AND LISA BRUSO

CO-OWNERS, DETROIT EATZ
The Traffic Light Control, or TLC, system, as well as the Dreli − the drive-thru deli − are the culmination of William Schonsheck’s more than 30 years in fast food. Schonsheck owned and operated Farmington’s Grand River Avenue Burger King until 2013, when he leased the building out to other operators. When those operators left, his daughter Lisa Bruso and son-in-law Scott Bruso began work on opening Detroit Eatz in the same building, using Schonsheck’s innovative, proprietary fast food concepts.

The “escape lane” in the Detroit Eatz drive-thru, which enables drivers to go around those waiting a bit longer for something designated with a red light, was actually part of Schonsheck’s Burger King drive-thru when he operated the restaurant. He installed a door at the back of the building as well as another drive-thru lane to expedite service.

Lisa Bruso, Detroit Eatz co-owner, said the idea behind the TLC system is to let customers know what to expect, with the kitchen constantly updating the lights based on what’s ready. That way, if they don’t have time to wait, they can order something with a green light.

“You have to update the customer,” she said. “The second you pull in the drive-thru, you know what to expect.”

As a mom of 21-month-old twins, Bruso understands the need for convenience in restaurant pick-ups, especially when the weather is bad. “Basically, we’re going to offer every option to make it convenient,” she said. That means Detroit Eatz will have an online ordering system and a “fast pickup shelf” where customers can simply take what they’ve already ordered and paid for. The restaurant will also offer curbside pickup and, eventually, delivery.

The Food

The menu is still being finalized, but the basics are burgers, chicken sandwiches and hand-breaded chicken tenders, fresh cut fries and, of course, Dearborn Brand lunchmeat, spiral hams and deli sandwiches. Everything will be freshly made with “nothing from a box,” said Bruso, noting this may lead to a bit longer wait times than, say, Burger King, but the TLC system will keep customers apprised of wait times.

The Dearborn Brand partnership will be a great driver in the Dreli’s success, said Bruso. “Everybody knows the quality,” she said, and having it available from the drive-thru makes it that much more convenient.

Detroit Eatz will carry all the Dearborn Brand meats, plus some custom items, like the Coney Bologna. “It’s a Coney dog in the shape of a burger,” explained Bruso. “It’s an actual patty.”

The restaurant will also carry an Impossible Burger for non-meat eaters. “I don’t eat mammals,” said Bruso, “so that’s important to me.”

As if the menu wasn’t diverse enough already, Detroit Eatz will also carry Better Made potato chips and other Michigan-made products, plus a grab-and-go case with premade sandwiches, lunchmeat and other ready-made items.

An innovative concept

Bruso and her husband Scott have put a great deal of resources into Detroit Eatz. The only salvaged items from the Burger King were three fryers. They gutted the dining room and kitchen, Bruso said, hiring a designer to set the decor and purchasing top-of-the-line equipment. “We about tripled our investment in this property,” she said.

That said, the 44-seat restaurant exemplifies Bruso’s father’s innovative fast food ideas, and she expects it to be very successful. “With this concept, you can’t lose,” she said.

If Detroit Eatz takes off, the Brusos may open other locations, or they may expand their innovative ideas by selling the TLC and Dreli ideas to other restaurateurs, she said.

Right now, the Brusos are just looking forward to seeing their hard work come to fruition. They’re planning a soft opening the first weekend in November, with a grand opening the following week.

Detroit Eatz will be open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

32704 Grand River Ave.
Farmington, MI  4833
(248) 579-5655
detroiteatz.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Chief Financial Credit Union, a Perfect Corporate Citizen

Chief Financial Credit Union, a Perfect Corporate Citizen

by | Oct 23, 2019 | LBN Community Series, Rochester

Chief Financial Credit Union, a Perfect Corporate Citizen

23
OCTOBER 2019
BY REBECCA CALAPPI
LBN Community Series
Rochester
When Ashley Chambers started as a teller for Chief Financial Credit Union, she thought the job was just a way to work through school. Now, 10 years later, she’s the business development manager.

“Life has a way of working out,” she said. “I started at credit unions at 18, but I was immersed in the medical community at Oakland University. Something in the credit union sparked and this felt natural.”

ASHLEY CHAMBERS

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER,
CHIEF FINANCIAL CREDIT UNION
As a teller at the Rochester branch, she was close to Oakland University, so the job was a good fit. After graduating with her degree in nuclear medicine, she felt a tug toward Chief Financial.

She found a business relationship specialist job online with Chief Financial and applied. When she came in for the interview, the CEO remembered her.

“I was welcomed back with open arms. They said this was perfect—Go out in the community and make people ambassadors of Chief,” Chambers said.

Advancing quickly to manager, her job still takes her into the community to educate people on financial literacy and health.

“Our corporate social responsibility is a foundation at Chief,” said Chambers. “We were originally in Pontiac since 1941 and affiliated with GM. The running joke was we were founded out of a toolbox.”

In 2015, the corporate headquarters moved to Rochester with branches in Pontiac and Dearborn.

“We really wanted to become a part of this community, so we became the official credit union for Rochester University and Leader Dogs,” said Chambers. “And we make sure our employees volunteer there. The more or community thrives, we thrive. We hit the floor with roller blades.”

As business development manager, she looks for opportunities within the community, specifically related to health and finances.

Chief Financial sponsors the Bark and Brew as well as the Hometown Hustle.

“It’s important to make sure that what we’re delivering in the community is what they feel when they walk in a branch,” she said.

One of her favorite aspects of her job is educating young people on financial literacy.

“I’m from a little city where paycheck to paycheck is the norm. I realized none of the people I went to high school with know this [had financial literacy]. It’s important to me to reach as many people as we can,” she said.

Chambers continued, “For high school and college kids, it’s important for them to understand the importance for financial literacy and to build trust. You can’t have a good working membership relationship with trust.”

When she’s in the community, she uses stories from real people, and even herself, to help deliver the message.

“I feel life experiences really drive points home. It’s easy for me to pull up a member story and tell them how they came through. The big thing is to not make it scary. We’re laying the foundation now. Nobody deserves to live paycheck to paycheck. It’s our relationship that we have built with them that sets them up for the long haul.”

Chambers is as dedicated to the community as her employer.

“Our pride is never going to go away in our community. We’re here and we’re never going away. I love what I do, I love interacting with individuals and educating them and empowering somebody in a financial sense,” she said. “They’re loyal to us, we’re loyal to them. We want long standing relationships. We want them to know we are there for them.”

Rochester Branch (Main Office)
800-844-5440

chiefonline.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Holy Cannoli’s in Rochester: Global Fame with a Family Recipe

Holy Cannoli’s in Rochester: Global Fame with a Family Recipe

by | Sep 25, 2019 | Holy Cannoli's, LBN Community Series, Rochester

Holy Cannoli’s in Rochester: Global Fame with a Family Recipe

25
SEPTEMBER 2019
BY HONEY MURRAY
LBN Community Series
Rochester
There have been no official scientific findings that support her claim, but Sharon Pino Beheler, third-generation baker and member of the family team at Holy Cannoli’s in Rochester, says, “Cannolis keep you young!”

“All my grandmothers, aunts and uncles lived to be 100 – or just about,” she states, chuckling.

NICOLE SCHULTE-FRANEY (left)

OWNER, HOLY CANNOLI’S
“Grandma Sharon” also claims to be the fastest cannoli roller in the business, which opened on Main Street in Rochester in 2012 and faithfully follows the fifth-generation Sicilian-cream cannoli recipe that her grandparents brought with them from Palermo.

Depending on the number of special orders they may be filling for parties, holidays, retail customers and  corporate gifts (especially to doctors’ offices, salons, and schools), the Holy Cannoli’s crew might hand roll 1000-1500 pastry shells every day, wrapping each flat circle of light, homemade dough around a wooden dowel and then quickly dip-frying it to airy, golden, crisp, melt-in-your-mouth perfection.

“What we do is a lost art,” says Sharon, who is also a long-time owner of the Bank of Antiques in nearby Washington. “It is very labor-intensive, and people understand the quality. Many times, our customers’ own families always made cannolis, Cassata cakes and special cookies – but now many have lost the original recipes or have no one left to teach them the fine points.”

One of those fine points is the consistency of their cannoli filling.

The making of the cannolis began in 1896. They were for their region’s “Carnivale,” the celebration before Lent.

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“Our family recipe,” Sharon explains, “uses ingredients based on our region, a suburb of Palermo.”

She continues, “On the other side of the mountain, there were goats – and the cheeses they made included ricotta. On our side of the mountain, we had cows and made our sweet, smooth, Sicilian cream for filling our cannolis.”

And now, great-great grandchildren Andrew, age seven, and Benjamin, age four, are the sixth generation to be learning to roll cannolis — though, for now, they only fill their own.

Holy Cannoli’s owner, Nicole Schulte-Franey, says, “At three years old, Andrew knew the measurements for the dough’s ingredients as well as the proper texture. He’d say, ‘No, Aunt Nicole. It’s too dry!’ or, ‘It’s just right.’”

Using traditional recipes, time-tested techniques and quality ingredients, Holy Cannoli’s continually innovates new products and flavors.

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“We have created over 125 flavors of cannoli fillings,” says Nicole’s mother, co-owner and master baked goods creator Cathy Schulte, who is a warm and welcoming presence for the Rochester store’s guests. “Some of the current favorites are key lime, cherry almond and raspberry white chocolate. And we offer gluten-free cannolis, which we make in our Berkley location and have available here, in Rochester, as well.”

They have also created unique ways of packaging the cannolis and fillings.

For retail sale, parties, office luncheons and other special events, Holy Cannoli’s offers “heavenly chips and cannoli dip:” big-bite pieces of cannoli shells for dipping into the cream, which is packaged on the side.

For Mardi Gras, they fill hundreds of paczkis with cannoli, and for national donut day, they served cannoli-filled donuts.

“We make cakes, cupcakes, cookies and dessert trays for weddings and showers – or just because you’d like a dessert for yourself.”

And when the Big, Bright Light Show in downtown Rochester is happening during the holiday season, they are open from 11 a.m. until 10 or 11 p.m., with lines of excited customers reaching out the door.

One of those customers is Holly Mincer, from Sterling Heights.

“My best friend is Italian,” she said, “and she is a fantastic cook and dessert maker.”

“I wanted her to have a delicious treat that she didn’t have to make herself,” she laughed, “so we came here. My friend tried the cannolis and a traditional, unique Italian fig cookie called cucidati (“coochi-dotti”) and said they were the best she’d ever had!”

Last winter, Holy Cannoli’s made new fans from around the United States when they attended a Goldman-Sachs event in Washington, D.C., for which they made over 10,000 hand-filled cannolis.

“If we get asked to do something, we just figure out a way to make it happen,” Nicole says.

In 2017, while at Detroit’s US-China Small Business Conference, event host and Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba expressed keen interest in making Holy Cannoli’s products available to Chinese citizens who yearn for high-quality goods from midwestern America.

“So, this baby that is our business is walking,” says Nicole, “maybe, with continued product development, all the way to China. We’re in an extremely exciting position.”

“Meanwhile, here in Rochester and at our Berkley store, we have great customers that are like family,” Cathy says. “People may come in grumpy, but they leave happy.”

A smiling, nine-year-old guest says, “I love this place. It’s magical!”

As Sharon leans over to give him his rainbow-sprinkled cannoli, she whispers, “I hope you keep coming here until you turn 100.”

Holy Cannolli’s

 

415 Main Street
Rochester, MI  48307
248-804-4243

holycannolis.com

 

 

 

 

 

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The Rolling Stoves Traveling Burger Food Truck Parks in Farmington

The Rolling Stoves Traveling Burger Food Truck Parks in Farmington

by | Sep 18, 2019 | Farmington, LBN Community Series, Rolling Stoves

The Rolling Stoves Traveling Burger Food Truck Parks in Farmington

18
SEPTEMBER 2019
BY PAMELA A ZINKOSKY
LBN Community Series
Farmington
For six years, Carli and Josh Mansfield happily operated The Rolling Stoves burger-and-fries food truck, which they founded. The husband-and-wife team, who both went to culinary school, enjoyed the success of the food truck and catering business, which granted them a slow winter season to enjoy time with their kids − a one-year old, three-year-old twins and a four-year-old.

“We had no intention of ever opening a restaurant,” said Carli, “But people were asking.”

CARLI MANSFIELD

CO-OWNER, THE ROLLING STOVES
Those “people” were customers who enjoyed their “smashed” burgers, seared flat on top and loaded with lettuce, tomatoes and other fresh ingredients, along with fries, onion rings and fried pickle spears. The truck typically operated in four downtown Detroit locations each month and took on corporate and private catering jobs too.

In response to inquiries, the Mansfields began scouting out locations in Farmington, their home town. “We couldn’t imagine opening anywhere else but Farmington,” Carli said, adding that they wanted to contribute to the local business scene, hire local workers and enjoy the convenience of a short commute while they care for their young children.

After much investigation and negotiation, the couple landed the spot next to Dunkin’ Donuts on Farmington Road north of Eight Mile, just around the corner from the Farmington Meadows neighborhood where they live. The storefront has been vacant since the donut shop took over the former Big Boy in 2016, leaving the south end of the renovated space open for a tenant.

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Carli said she and Josh are excited to partner with Dunkin’ Donuts, and to benefit from the 500-some vehicles that traverse the drive-through daily. “We definitely want to do a donut burger down the road,” she said.

Parked in Farmington

Set to open Sept. 23 after a longer-than-anticipated renovation process, The Rolling Stoves restaurant will offer 62 seats plus seasonal outdoor seating. It’s not exactly fast food, but it’s not full-service either, said Carli. “It’s fast casual for sure.”

The menu includes all the popular burgers and fries The Rolling Stoves is known for, plus chicken strips, two salads and a kids’ menu with three simple choices.

“Our simple menu is perfect,” said Carli. “Each burger is the best it can be.” The result is a dining experience that isn’t overwhelming but includes enough choices for everyone to enjoy.

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“Our most popular one is our peanut butter burger,” Carli said. “It’s peanut butter, honey, pickles, bacon and caramelized onions. Somehow it just works.”

The peanut butter and bacon burger came from a cooking competition in Josh’s culinary-oriented family, explained Carli. It’s not identical to the original burger entry, as it’s evolved, but the Mansfields find that even those who are skeptical like the burger.

“It adds a little bit of pizzazz to our menu,” Carli said.

“Our garlic fries are crazy good,” Carli said. “We sell a ton at office parties because once one person gets an order, the smell makes everyone want them.”

Four other burgers, including a vegetarian black bean burger, are on the menu, plus a burger flight − an $18 option that enables customers to choose three different full-size burgers. Carli explained that the burger flight not only fills a desire to share with a friend and try everything − something she and Josh understand as restaurant-goers − but allows customers to try the peanut butter and bacon burger with a fall-back option in case they don’t like it. But they usually do, she said.

The Mansfields also plan to offer a burger of the month that displays their creative cooking flair − something new and different to try − as well as a yet-to-be-developed gluten-free burger. Delivery service is also on the list for future offerings, as they see carryouts as a big portion of their business.

The restaurant’s decor incorporates The Rolling Stoves food truck, bearing a wall mural that includes the truck, the Detroit skyline and a large back-lit Detroit Tigers “D” logo. A stainless steel counter, red and black metal chairs at a combination of high-top and standard tables, track lighting and a chalkboard-style menu finish off the look, complementing the business’s established identity.
Carli said she’s thankful to many fellow food truck industry workers who’ve helped The Rolling Stoves become successful. “The food truck industry has been so good to us. You’d think it would be competitive, but people have really helped us.”

A dream come true

With the opening date finally set, 15 employees in place to work and just the final touches to put on the restaurant, the Mansfields are eager to get started. Carli said that while she and Josh didn’t plan on turning The Rolling Stoves into a stationary restaurant, operating a restaurant is the dream that took her to culinary school.

“It’s been a childhood dream of mine to open a restaurant,” she said.  “We’re ready. We want to get going doing what we do best.”

The Rolling Stoves food truck and catering business will slow down for the winter, and the Mansfields will play it by ear next year, Carli said. She and Josh are excited about their foray into the restaurant scene, especially in their home town.

“Farmington’s an awesome city, and we’re excited to be a part of it,” she said. “We’ve had great support.”

The couple plans to add Sunday cooking classes as a community outreach in the near future.

Carli offered a hint on what might be next for the couple, once The Rolling Stoves gets off the ground. “We want to open more restaurants in Farmington. We have so many ideas.”

The Rolling Stoves will open Sept. 23, with hours 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

20780 Farmington Road
Farmington, MI  48336
(248) 943-8537

Website

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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‘Irish Pub, Gourmet Kitchen’ Marks Silver Anniversary

‘Irish Pub, Gourmet Kitchen’ Marks Silver Anniversary

by | Sep 13, 2019 | Berkley, LBN Community Series, O'Maras

‘Irish Pub, Gourmet Kitchen’ Marks Silver Anniversary

13
SEPTEMBER 2019
BY MATT JACHMAN
LBN Community Series
Berkley

Kevin O’Mara was never interested in climbing the corporate ladder.

Instead, “I wanted to make my own ladder,” said O’Mara, a scientist, restaurateur and health food devotee.

And he’s done just that, by running his own environmental- and product-testing laboratory for more than three decades, practicing yoga and clean eating that he says is adding life to his years, and building a successful restaurant that’s become a fixture in central Berkley over the last quarter-century.

KEVIN O'MARA

OWNER, O’MARAS RESTAURANT
O’Mara, 55, is the owner of O’Mara’s Restaurant at 12 Mile and Coolidge, an “Irish pub, gourmet kitchen” hybrid that he put together with a trio of brothers, Harry, Lewis and James Sawyer, whom he met as a teenager when they all worked in area restaurants. Kevin was by far the youngest of the four, but he had big dreams back in the early 1980s.

“I was working with Harry and I told him, ‘Some day we’re going to have our own restaurant,’ ” O’Mara said recently as he reflected on his namesake’s silver anniversary.

He’d started out as a dishwasher, worked his way into cooking and was running a restaurant kitchen, he said, by the time he graduated from high school. He went on to major in chemistry at Adrian College, paying his way with restaurant work.

Post-college, in 1987, he opened his testing lab, but he was never far from the restaurant world.

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“I never left the kitchen. I was never not on a kitchen project,” O’Mara said.

O’Mara and the Sawyers opened O’Mara’s in March of 1994 in what had formerly been a Chuck Joseph’s Place for Steak.

“The building was built by a restaurant man,” O’Mara said. “Chuck built a nice building so we thought we’d give it a try here.” They’d previously scouted for locations in several Detroit-area communities, he said.

Today, Harry is the head chef, James the sous chef, Lewis is the general manager and O’Mara is the owner and shareholder and a familiar presence to regulars there.

O’Mara’s makes most of its food from scratch, even soups, breads and many desserts; O’Mara takes pride in a menu that relies on fresh food with low sodium and no preservatives.

“It’s just a good place to go for a meal,” said veteran radio host Bob Allison, who hosts the “Ask Your Neighbor” show on WNZK (AM 690) on weekday mornings. Allison visited recently for lunch and a drink. “Their soups absolutely wonderful,” he said.

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“It’s good food, good service, good people,” said Alan Kideckel, who had stopped in with friend Michael Reynolds; both regulars, the two shot the breeze with O’Mara for a few minutes.

O’Mara’s lunch menu offers sandwiches like a half-pound burger, a BLT and a “World Class Reuben,” entrees like “Chicken O’Mara” (seasoned in Parmesan batter plus lemon, white wine and garlic), pan-fried Lake Superior whitefish and fish and chips, plus homemade soups and salads. Dinner entrees include filet mignon, New York strip steak and Irish pot roast, plus pork, chicken and seafood dishes. O’Mara’s also serves breakfast on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays; that menu includes omelettes, frittatas, scrambles, crepes, pancakes, waffles and a variety of sides.

The menu changes every few months, O’Mara said, but the concept stays consistent: good, fresh food.

Kevin O’Mara had picked up beer-making skills while a college student (“I was thirsty,” he says), and in the beginning, O’Mara’s had one of the first microbrewery licenses in Michigan. But space was tight and O’Mara and the Sawyers wanted to focus on food, so they gave up brewing and began buying others’ craft beers after about eight years.

In the early days of small-scale, local brewing, he favored O’Mara’s own brand. “Now there’s a lot of people making really good specialty beer,” he said.

The restaurant has a small bar area with a fully stocked bar, a large dining room with an Irish-themed decor and wood accents and a patio for al fresco dining. A separate back room can be closed off for private gatherings.

“We have a lot of events here, from christenings to memorial services and everything in between,” O’Mara said.

They’ve also got entertainment: live Irish, folk, rock, jazz and blues music, mostly, but not exclusively, on weekend nights; regular Tuesday trivia nights (7-9 p.m.) and occasional appearances by comedians (next up, Dave Landau, 9 p.m.-midnight Saturday, Sept. 21).

O’Mara likes to think of the restaurant as a “chameleon,” he said, that can be formal or casual, depending on customers’ needs. Though not a “cool kids” place, he said, younger hipsters do find a place at O’Mara’s.

“I just love it. I love food. I love people. I love having a place that people can come to and meet,” O’Mara added. “And I take it seriously.”

O’Mara’s Restaurant is at 2555 West 12 Mile, Berkley, on the southwest corner of Coolidge and 12 Mile. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday and 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday. The phone number is 248-399-6750.

2555 W. 12 Mile Rd.
Berkley, MI  48072
248-399-6750

omaras.net

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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