Bistro Newsletter

A few new adventures recently for Michael and I. We finally got around to trying Bar Gabi in Hazel Park. Bar Gabi is in the former location of Joe Bar right next door to Mabel Gray. Small dark venue with a covered patio, high top tables and a good sized bar. The husband and wife team are both from Romania. You can see the old world traditions in many of their dishes however they have a modern Mediterranean voice as well. I was intrigued/intimidated by the menu as there were many items with names I had never heard of or tried before. But upon eating I found the flavors very familiar, comforting… slightly Italian in influence. Delicious. House Made Focaccia, Beets, Octopus, Homemade Pasta and Baked Whole Trout were some of the highlights. Familiar ingredients under Romanian titles with bold flavors mingled perfectly on our shared plates. Great service, cocktails and an interesting wine list really set this place apart. Our friends really enjoyed the experience as well, closed Monday & Tuesday… I can soon see myself sitting at their bar on a Sunday night discovering more Romanian food.

On Sunday, after a tasty Breakfast Board prepared by Michael, my Bestie Sara and her family, joined us for the Home & Garden Tour of Indian Village. Michael and I had driven through the neighborhood a few times wondering about its history and admiring the grand eclectic homes. We were excited to delve deeper into the history of the homes. Granted it was hot and there were maybe a few too many lines to wait in, but we all found the tour a bit lack luster. Although the homes were lovely, there was only one home where someone gave us a mini explanation of the house and its history and had a few trained people throughout the house. Mostly you just walked through, with little knowledge other than the architect and the original owner. I’m glad I did the tour but maybe my expectations were too high as I have toured some fabulous homes with very interesting and informative docents.

A quick drink at Two Birds in West Village, was just the refresher I needed to cool down after the long day and to have the energy to ride our bikes into Royal Oak for a patio dinner at Bella Limone. I’m grateful I live in an urban enough area where it is so easy to scoot around different neighborhoods without having to drive too far. If you have another home or garden tour to suggest I’d be interested to hear about it. I haven’t given up on the idea, in fact I’m still looking forward to the tour of Palmer Woods in 2027, their next scheduled event.​

Cheers,
Sharon

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