Welcome to the Bistro!

And, another fine week it has been! I’ve been watching the snow pour down for hours now and wonder how in the world man or beast will get through it. Although, the pups started barking up a storm and, lo and behold, a couple of boys were trekking through the woods. I had “feed the birds” on my list of things to do so bundled up and headed out with Niki and Pico at my heels. They ran through at least 6 inches of snow to the young men, tails wagging like crazy. I know I’m a proud dog mom, but they were so cute and before I knew it one of the boys, Collin, was on his knees hugging and kissing them. We visited for a while and then filled the feeders with oilers, thistle and suet. The birds were there in droves before I even finished. It was a nice “outing” for all.
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We celebrated our “work” Christmas Party last Sunday, Super Bowl, and had lots of fun. Sharon and I try to plan an afternoon that allows everyone to interact in a much different way than when we have our noses to the grind stone at the Bistro. We are an outstanding team as we take care of business and a great extended family on our little forays. The day started meeting at the Bistro and champagne toast in thanks of another great year and in celebration of 63 in business. We always raise a glass to Tom and his dad, Jim, in gratitude for their vision and laying the building blocks of what we still stand for today. They were true pioneers in the Detroit restaurant world and the architects of a business that has persevered over 6 decades. We’re all proud to personify their principals and ethics.   Then it was off to Fountain Walk and Taipei 101, an Asian restaurant that serves a modern mix of Pacific Rim food. We ate like kings and queens ordering appetizers for the first hour then a variety of main courses. Everything was extremely fresh and the service excellent. It isn’t easy to wait on 40 restaurant people but they did so like pros. Our final stop for the day was a short walk to the Escape Room, dubbed as the “Fastest 60 Minutes of Your Life.”  We split into 3 groups and were each assigned a “room.” Mine was, unfortunately for my team mates, Harry Potter themed. I’ve never read a book or seen a movie so wasn’t a lot of help. Thankfully I had a lot of Potter fans in the group who were able to figure out the clues and solve the puzzles to enable us to “escape” the room in under the hour allotted. We had a fun day and I’m reminded of one of my favorite quotes from the book Illusions, written by Richard Bach, “The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof.”
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​Remember Wednesday is Valentine’s Day. St. Valentine lived in Rome during the rule of Emperor Claudius. Claudius wanted to have the largest army I the world and thought that by making marriage unlawful he’d get more young men to join-up. Fr. Valentine secretly married couples until he was caught and sentenced to death. While in prison he was befriended by the guard’s daughter who spent many hours visiting with him. On the day of his death February 14, 269 AD, he wrote her a note thanking her and signed it Love Valentine. He is the patron Saint of Love. Over a billion cards are sent every year with teachers receiving the most.
Make your reservations for Wednesday!
 
Chalkboard Features are awesome Per Se! Roasted Walleye is Accompanied with a Sauté of Fingerlings and Asparagus & a Mustard Dill Sauce;  Atlantic Char is Served with a Stir-fry of Asian Style Veggies and Finished with a Sweet Chili Glaze; Herb Marinated Flat Iron Steak, Grilled to Your Liking, is Presented with Broccolini, Demi Glaze and Mashed Taters and Lastly our Veggie Friendly Pasta is a  Toss of Orzo, Mushrooms, Asparagus, Black Garlic and a Tomato-Ginger Sauce. YUM!!!
 
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AT THE BISTRO AND WISH YOU ALL MANY MILLION DOLLAR DAYS!!!
 
XO,
Mary, Niki, Pico, Picasso and Z