The tiny eatery near Lincoln Shopping Center looks better than before.
A favorite neighborhood restaurant in Oak Park is off to a fresh start.
Eddie’s Gourmet Restaurant & Bar adapted last year when Michigan’s pandemic safety order ended service inside restaurants and bars. Everything was going well with the carryout orders; then, a grill grease fire on Oct. 15 shuttered the place. Regular customers were afraid — especially because of the COVID pandemic — that they’d never dine at Eddie’s again. When owner Eddie Hanna reopened on March 1, happiness reigned.
The tiny eatery near Lincoln Shopping Center looks better than before. The only components untouched during the extensive renovation were large airy windows along two walls and the tiled floor. This refreshed Eddie’s features a new heating and cooling system, an added second entrance and a prettier decor. The improvements include new granite counters, burgundy-red seats and burgundy swirl pendant lights. However, Eddie’s remains a cozy space with 18 counter-side seats, seven tabletops and two booths.
It’s reassuring to see the tried-and-true gourmet entrees back. Featuring top-quality meat, fish and poultry, the list includes Choice Steak Diane, Veal Picanti, Fresh Cold-Water Ruby Red Trout and Chicken Marsala. These popular dishes are known for their affordable prices compared to those at bigger and fancier restaurants.
The pasta selections, also gourmet with specialty sauces, include Fettuccine Morengo and Spaghetti Salmone. My favorite is Palomino Vodka Pasta, ziti noodles in a creamy tomato sauce. Adding chicken or another protein makes for a wonderful entree.
Two specialties unlisted on the menu — just ask for them — are Hawaiian fries (without pineapple) and tender Roma chicken bites. They’re saucy and shareable.
Throughout its history of different owners and name changes, the unlikely fine dining spot also remains focused on simpler fare. There are items like hamburgers, Greek and Caesar salads, steak fries and omelets. Portions are generous.
I’m a soup person who adores Eddie’s thick and creamy tomato bisque. This soup, and lemon rice, are always available, plus a rotating choice. The stuffed pepper soup from my recent visit had the expected ground beef, rice and peppers in a tasty, savory broth.
Something else fairly new to mention is Eddie’s liquor license. Now adults may order beer, wine and hard liquor drinks.
The friendly man running the place is Eddie Hanna, an Iraqi-born Chaldean.
“I started here at 17 as a dishwasher and worked my way up,” he said. Hanna’s original boss, Peter K, bumped up the ambitions of a former Biff’s counterside diner by putting gourmet dishes on his menu. After Peter K, the restaurant continued as Giorgio’s, for its then-proprietor. Hanna bought Giorgio’s in 2003.
Family members working with Hanna are his wife, Wasa, who makes a dynamite pistachio pie, and their cooking son, Brandon, one of the couple’s 21-year-old male triplets. The Eddie’s Gourmet staff provides energetic and efficient service from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
Eddie’s Gourmet Restaurant & Bar
25920 Greenfield Road
Oak Park, MI 48237
(248) 968-4060
eddiesgourmetmi.com
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