Dearborn’s Bistro 222 Now Serving Wine
Dearborn’s Bistro 222, a fresh little restaurant that offers the niceties of linens, fresh flowers and tasteful place settings, is now able to serve wine with its fine meals.
Bistro 222, chef/proprietor Michael Chamas’s gem of a restaurant on 22266 Michigan Avenue now has the proper liquor license to fill the wine racks that he had built into his restaurant when he first opened. The racks will hold the personal selections of many of his regulars.
He began serving wine just this week after suffering through a long, bureaucratic process to get the needed approvals.
“It was amazing what we went through to be able to do this but the response has been overwhelming,” Mr. Chamas said. “The wine is a nice compliment to the food we offer. We also will offer some select beers.”
While we have been a huge fan of Bistro 222 with or without the wine, this new addition should help bring in new customers to this intimate 60-seat place – a standout on the commercial strip of Michigan Avenue. The building is owned by Hakim Fakoury.
November 11th, 2009 at 10:22 am
Dearborn citizens need to support their local businesses. That is how we attract new business, show that we can support anyone brave enough to invest in Dearborn. The city council is not going to do the job, so we must. When you go to dinner, at least give the 222 Bistro a try.
November 11th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
Have heard great things from several people, haven’t been yet myself. Definitely on the list!
November 11th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
“…this new addition should help bring in new customers to this intimate 60-seat place…”
Quite on the contrary…. AD-VER-TI-SING will bring new customers into the restaurant. The wine addition is a unique feature to AD-VER-TISE, to attract new customers. The wine feature will help bring customers BACK.
“Dearborn citizens need to support their local businesses.”
Please speak for yourself. I vote with my dollars. If the business, meets mine and my family’s needs, is something that I cannot get anywhere else, is reasonably-priced, I will patronize said business.
“That is how we attract new business, show that we can support anyone brave enough to invest in Dearborn”.
This is a MYTH. The Chamber of Commerce attracts new business to invest in our community. Commercial real estate owners attract businesses to occupy retail space. If all of the parties have done their market research and homework, it will be an investment that will flourish. If it isn’t, it will fail.
“The city council is not going to do the job, so we must.”
I hope they don’t! Their job is to run the city, not business investments.
“When you go to dinner, at least give the 222 Bistro a try.”
And that is all anyone can ask. Try.
November 12th, 2009 at 6:08 am
I went to this restaurant shortly after its opening really wanting to like it. With a French sounding name, a menu with an Italian twist and Spanish style music playing it seemed to lack cohesiveness. A French bistro style restaurant would be unique for Dearborn. Check out Bistro 110 in Chicago.
November 12th, 2009 at 7:24 am
Something smells: a food/restaurtant critic you are not. but nice try.
Molly Abraham, known as the best restaurant critic in Metro Detroit, had this to say about Bistro 222: “loaded with style and appeal.” I wil take her words over yours. thanks.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081211/OPINION03/812110302
November 12th, 2009 at 8:34 am
RJK, Please don’t take my opinion or Molly’s. Try to come up with one of your own. Molly Abraham, “best restaurant critic in Detroit”? Pleeeeassse! She is an extremely nice lady and finds something nice to say about any restaurant she reviews.
November 12th, 2009 at 8:57 am
I’m no food critic but I agree with SSRID. I don’t get the French names when the place doesn’t have anything French about it. Mollie probably went to Bistro 110 after eating at La Express, another French named restaurant. It has no atmosphere but the food is great. Give me a Middle Eastern restaurant on the eastside any day instead of these trying to hard, pretentious ones
November 12th, 2009 at 8:58 am
I wish I could say good things about it but the one time I was there, it seemed overly priced and just not that good. Lest I get attacked for not eating/shopping local, I goto Crave (pricey but worth it, IMHO) every Friday and only shop at Merchants/Westborn/Dearborn Farm market.
November 12th, 2009 at 9:32 am
Hey, y’all, who cares about the name as long as the food and service are good? As to other’s opinions, though, I often check out professional and non-professional critics’ opinions before trying a new place. Please, if you find a place you like in Dearborn, give them a plug on Yelp or one of the other rating sites so that others can benefit from your experience and you can help the business in turn.
November 12th, 2009 at 9:38 am
I’ve been to Bistro 222 probably 15 to 20 times in the past year. The food is outstanding. The waitstaff is always pleasant. They have the best soups I’ve ever tasted. Having the option to have a glass of wine with dinner will be nice. I highly recommend Bistro 222. And for the record, chef Michael Chamas is one of the most unpretentious people I have ever met.
November 12th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
Anthony, I really don’t understand why you cannot just state your opinion and not be snarky. What’s the point of that anyway? My post was my opinion, which means I am speaking for myself. While it’s true that it is part of the Chamber’s job to attract new business, I would venture to guess that in making their pitch they would have to somehow elaborate on business traffic. I’ll qualify that by saying I could be wrong but if I were a business interested in Dearborn, it would certainly be a question on my list. Sometimes it takes a little bit of thought and stepping back to look at the whole picture. Regarding the council, why would think the promoting the city and making decisions to attract businesses is not a part of “running the city”. You have interesting opinions.
November 12th, 2009 at 8:14 pm
IT’S A MUST GO- IT’S GREAT
November 13th, 2009 at 11:26 am
FYI,
There is a stop work order on the doors of the “Coming Soon” “Tasten More Restaurant & Lounge”
November 13th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Wonder how many there are now that are ‘coming soon’? Problem is no one seems to know when soon is.
November 13th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
pdmom:
It is unfortunate that you think my writing style is “snarky”.
Stark reality is a meal better eaten with a cheap bottle of wine and a pack of cigarettes.
I am sick and tired of “Dearborn businesses” being coddled.
I am sick and tired of being told to “support” Dearborn businesses like they were high school football teams.
I am sick and tired of reckless entrepreneurs who have so much money burning a hole in their pocket, in such a hurry to put any ole kinda business in West Dearborn without market research or a business plan that when said business fails, they blame Dearborn citizens.
I am sick and tired of the commercial real estate barons playing the waiting game for better square footage rates. Oh you guys are gonna get yours REAL soon. You think empty storefronts are numerous now…just wait.
http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-Housing/idUSTRE5A40P720091105
I’m sick and tired of it all.
November 14th, 2009 at 9:03 am
Anthony, I think I’ll jump on your bandwagon while there is still time.
November 14th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
I just returned from an attempted shopping trip to west Dearborn and was newly astounded at the number of vacant Newman buildings. ACO and Rite-Aid are amongst the last survivors, along with Deliziosa’s and the new Sushi bar.
In the meantime, let’s all jump on the upcoming bandwagon piloted by our mayor and the newly reelected incumbent city council members to gouge taxpayers once again and build a new convention center in Dearborn, by the Hyatt Regency Hotel, that is teetering on the brink of closing.
Maybe Dearborn is in the running to house the Gitmo prisoners and nobody has told us. Seriously, who is going to come to this convention center?
Don’t we already have one white elephant at the corner of Michigan and Greenfield.
Unbelievable…
November 16th, 2009 at 12:02 am
Anthony, I feel your frustration. I apologize for the “snarky” comment. You make good points and I’ve been thinking about some of them since my post. If you live in Dearborn or if you don’t, we could use your passion on our side. I think we are on the same team, I hope so. I hope you will accept my apology.
November 16th, 2009 at 9:52 am
pdmom:
Thank you for offering an apology. Your apology is not necessary.
I am a Dearborn resident.
I was told a long time ago by a very wise and successful business person: “Business is business. It’s not personal. If you can’t stomach it, get out.” It’s a phrase that comes back to haunt time and time again.
One trait that makes capitalism so great, is that you, me, anyone, anonymously, with a couple of bucks in their pocket, can make a vote on what businesses, they think, serve their needs the best. Capitalism is a dynamic system. There will businesses that prosper, businesses that fail, businesses that muddle in between. That gives the CONSUMER the supreme power and choice of who will succeed and who will fail.
There were the days in Dearborn of Muirhead’s, Crowley’s, Jacobson’s. Today it’s Wal-Mart, Target, Fairlane Mall. In the future, it will be something else. It’s always changing. Each of us, votes, with our dollars, who will succeed and who won’t.
It’s not personal. It’s business.
November 16th, 2009 at 10:43 pm
Had dinner there with a couple glasses of wine Saturday night. Enjoyed the meal immensely. Food was unique and tasty, wine was reasonably priced (compared to many places), wait staff was friendly and fun. Supporting a Dearborn business was a bonus…. we’ll be back often.
December 8th, 2009 at 7:52 pm
It’s so funny to me when people say… they should “advertise”. Like no Sh*t! Many, many businesses advertise locally with very minimal response. The small, family owned business establishments cannot afford the larger advertising that are priced to where only BIG companies can afford. An example, have you recently checked on the prices for decent/noticable size ‘advertisements’ in the Dearborn Press & Guide??? Detroit News??? Metro Times??? Radio??? Television??? you’d be blown away how expensive they are. The return is no-where near the investment. Granted yes you must provide quality products and service for the customer to return, but getting them in the door is key. And how can you do that by “advertising” with the outrageous rates?? Yes there are other avenues of advertising (ie Val-Pak, etc) but those types of advertisements are hit or miss.
In the example of Bistro 222, I disagree with you completely Anthony… Wine WILL bring people in the door for the first time, not just bring them back. If you are driving/walking by and are looking to enjoy a nice dinner with a glass of wine, wouldn’t the fact that they “NOW OFFER WINE” make Bistro 222 a new dinner option??
“advertising” isn’t the only answer.