Bistro News November 11, 2011

Friday November 11, 2011

 "Judge each day not by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant.

Robert Louis Stevenson

Yesterday, 11-10-11, was the one month marker of the new Bistro being open. Time flieswhen your having fun. And we are! It's been such a joy to see so many familiar faces. And especially gratifying that lot's of you have been back several times already.

Lunch service, now 2 weeks old, is going well. Each subsequent day has been busier as the word has gotten out.  We have a few new items that I love. The salmon gyro is fantastic as is the portabella veggie burger. Come in and see us!

Last  weekend we started serving brunch on Saturday's from 10-3 and  Sunday's from 9-3. Check out the menu on our website. http://www.djbistro.com/.  Favorites are the Pain Perdu, a sausage stuffed French toast, and the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. YUM!!!

We received a rave review from Sylvia Rector of the Free Press. Our thanks go out to her. I have known Sylvia for years and swear she was wearing a disguise when she came in because I sure did not see her. When I asked her about it she assured me she can be pretty invisible when she wants to be. Link to her story by clicking here.

On another note, I recently went before the Novi Board of Appeals to request a change in the city ordinance that limits outside seating from April 15 to November 30. I was granted the variance and can serve all year long in our soon-to-be-completed outdoor café. YEAH!    

Once open, there will be an additional 24 seats which will cut down on the waiting times for seats. Our biggest challenge right now is learning to cope with a much smaller space. Thanks for bearing with us. We appreciate it very much.

Finally, our specials for the week are BBQ Jumbo Sea Scallops seved with Corn Cakes and Wilted Greens and a Bistro Favorite - Shepherd's Pie!

See you at the Bistro. xxoo

Bistro News

NEWS FROM THE BISTRO
Friday October 28, 2011

It is hard to believe that we are ending the second week of business. Everything has gone very, very well. Sharon and I are thrilled with our space, our staff and with seeing all the familiar faces. Molly Abraham gave us a rave review in the Detroit News last Thursday which made for a very busy weekend. Our kitchen is running like clockwork and we’ve had a great response to our new menu items as well as the old favorites.

When designing the menu we made the decision to “shake things up a bit” and we’re glad that you are enjoying the changes. The flat breads have been a hit as is our “Little Bite” section which offers really fast snacks such as homemade bar cheese, maple bacon peanuts and olive tapanade. We can have these on your table in minutes. The Shrimp BLT and Beef on Weck are super popular choices, as is the Scottish salmon and Ribeye. My personal favorite is the Black Lentil Salad with Halloumi cheese. I have one nearly every day.

As can be expected, there have been some drawbacks to relocating into a much smaller space. The most obvious being that the wait times for a table are much longer than in the past. And, we are not accepting call ahead seating any more. We tried it for one night and it was a disaster.  Just like the former Brady’s we do not take reservations on Friday and Saturday evenings. The best time to come on those nights, if you don’t want to enjoy a drink and snack at the bar, is by 5:30 or after 8:30. Within a few weeks we will have our outside café finished and that will allow us to have 20 more seats so wait times will be drastically reduced. We thank you profusely for your patience and understanding.

Lunch hours begin on Monday October 31 at 11AM. Lunch is served Monday-Friday 11-4 and Brunch/Lunch on Saturday 10-3 and Sunday 9-3. Menus will be posted on the website www.djbistro.com this weekend. Reservations are welcome for these times.

I’ve had lots of inquiries about holiday parties and we are accepting catering bookings for such. We are unable to accommodate larger groups in the restaurant but would love to bring the food to your home or office. Call Mary or Sharon for information.

Finally, we’ll start doing specials on a regular basis in the next week or so. They will be posted on the website each day. This weekend Sharon whipped up Mediterranean Lamb Meatloaf, served with grilled feta polenta, green veggies and a roasted tomato sauce and New Orleans’s Lake Trout with a crispy cracker crust and accompanied with a cheddar and jalapeno gratin and Tabasco beurre blanc.

YUM.

Look forward to seeing you soon.

xxoo, Mary