 
Bobby08
Member
Username: Bobby08
Post Number: 132
Registered: 09-2008
| | Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 - 9:45 am: |    |
Would anyone happen to know if Chef Sharpe cooks anywhere still? |
Jtf1972
Member
Username: Jtf1972
Post Number: 121
Registered: 08-2008
| | Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 - 12:10 pm: | |
I was wondering the same thing... I'm salivating now. |
Bobby08
Member
Username: Bobby08
Post Number: 137
Registered: 09-2008
| | Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 - 1:02 pm: | |
I saw him get evicted first hand,very sad day in the culinary world of the "D" |
1kielsondrive
Member
Username: 1kielsondrive
Post Number: 907
Registered: 08-2008
| | Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 - 6:28 pm: | |
Thanks for this question. I was recently thinking of Sharpe and the Harlequin and had planned to post the very same question. Answers anyone? What occupies the former Harlequin space now? |
Rel
Member
Username: Rel
Post Number: 801
Registered: 02-2008
| | Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 - 6:57 pm: | |
I had many wonderful dates at the Harlequin, and it was one of the few restaurants within walking distance of my old neighborhood.
The food was always spectacular, although the service was painnnnfullllly slow. |
Jimg
Member
Username: Jimg
Post Number: 507
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 - 7:23 pm: | |
Heard much good jazz at the Harlequin (Kenny Cox, Walden, Charlie Gabriel, among many others) and the food was usually really good. The service was uneven, at best. |
Texorama
Member
Username: Texorama
Post Number: 358
Registered: 12-2006
| | Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 - 7:36 pm: | |
That was my date place too! The service was slow, but it was the kind of place where you went to spend the evening anyway. If you got tired of waiting, you could just walk over and stick your head into the bar for a few minutes. Hope he can reopen somewhere--he was a real Detroit culinary talent. |
Popcanman55
Member
Username: Popcanman55
Post Number: 28
Registered: 08-2006
| | Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 - 8:24 pm: | |
I had herd he was trying to open a new place downtown but not sure where this was about a year ago. |
Gannon
Member
Username: Gannon
Post Number: 9056
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 - 6:39 am: | |
I run into his brother Michael, an old client, pretty regularly downtown...I'll see what I can learn.
My old attorney used to pluck and strum his guitar there regularly, too. Fellow's name was Arthur Mormon, he was quite the fellow. |
Paczki
Member
Username: Paczki
Post Number: 95
Registered: 02-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 - 8:07 pm: | |
My husband and I received a Blanche House Bed and Breakfast package as a gift one year which included dinner at the Harlequin Cafe. I had the best lamb chops I've ever had and the coffee with a hint of cinnamon was fabulous. |
Detroitchef
Member
Username: Detroitchef
Post Number: 132
Registered: 09-2008
| | Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 4:34 pm: | |
Last I heard, Sherman was in some sort of a deal with that albanian guy in Grosse Pointe.. Bucci's? Something like that, he was going to buy it from the guy but I believe it all fell through. And he was supposed to be doing a line of spices and flavorings with the Red Goose guys. |
Bibs
Member
Username: Bibs
Post Number: 321
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 8:18 pm: | |
I went to Harlequin Cafe around January 7th in 2000. We go about 6 inches of snow that day. I had made reservations a couple days ahead and called to make sure they would be open. Sherman answered the phone and assured me he would be open which I thought was odd. Wife and I arrived to find an empty and very cold restaurant. Sherman and his wife greeted us warmly, treated us like a king and queen, turned down the lights, put on some soft music and cooked us a wonderful meal. We were there for two hours and NOT another soul walked through the front door. I don't think I will every encounter a chef as decided to customer service at Sherman. He went WAY out of his way for me. |
Swingline
Member
Username: Swingline
Post Number: 915
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 8:34 pm: | |
D-chef, is the Bucci guy selling out. Too bad. That's a pretty good place. Anybody going into business with Chef Sharpe better buckle up for a ride. It will be chaos, but the food will be good. Not sure I'd want to hold his note though. I'd be a bit more comfortable with cash.
Had some great meals at the Harlequin. But the service, awful, without exception. Primarily because the kitchen could never get the plates out at a reasonable pace. The fact that folks made return visits for so many years is an amazing testament to Chef Sharpe's food. By the end though, folks were giving up. Most folks could not abide three hour meals. |
Detroitchef
Member
Username: Detroitchef
Post Number: 137
Registered: 09-2008
| | Posted on Monday, March 02, 2009 - 12:39 pm: | |
I liked the wait... I knew he was slow as hell, the girl I was dating at the time lived right around the corner and we'd just chill. Whenever we'd make a reservation, we knew it'd be a six or seven hour night. No problem, bring some friends and listen to the music. If I was in a hurry, we knew not to go to the Harliquen.
I liked his food too, although the service DID suck. I think his yelling at the wife didn't help, though it was pretty damn funny to watch. The only time he ever really pissed me off was when he came out from the kitchen to do a salad tableside. Sherm stood there looking down my date's blouse (she did have great tits though and this isn't what pised me off. Hell, that slut LOVED showing them off) and he literally THREW the shit out fo the mixing bowl at the ceiling, while babbeling that 'The angels kiss it this way'
She was kind of grossed out that some of the greens hit the ceiling and he served them anyways.
When I called him on it, he tells me 'All -professional- chefs do it this way' and when I told him who I was, he tries to tell me "I'll comp you out tonight, but you stand me to dinner at your place " While I usually don't mind doing this, it pissed me off that he literally blew her complaint off and refused to re-plate the salad without the ceiling-boogers in it.
And I hear you about his paying the bills. I'm sure they know to make his deliveries COD, wherever he ends up.
Bucci guy? Yeah, apparently he's ready to throw in the towel. He's gone through about six chefs/cooks in the last year, and if he's tapping Sherman as a partner, you know he's desperate. |
Bobby08
Member
Username: Bobby08
Post Number: 152
Registered: 09-2008
| | Posted on Monday, March 02, 2009 - 1:42 pm: | |
Yeah, he flirted with me as well on "numerous" occasions! |
Detroitbill
Member
Username: Detroitbill
Post Number: 689
Registered: 09-2006
| | Posted on Monday, March 02, 2009 - 1:52 pm: | |
I remember the Harlequin in 2004, had a dinner there with two friends,, the restaurant was full at 7:00pm, the only problem was that by 8:45 the only item we had was the soup, and others around us had nothing. Finally, no kidding, at 9:30pm a few entrees came out, most of the people, kinda drunk by then , stood up and applauded. We didnt get our entrees till after 10:00, many, many of the customers were walking out, not paying any sort of bill.. We finally got out of that place around midnight,, it was unbelieveably slow.. We joked how we started dinner one day and finished the next..and ,, never did return..
(Message edited by Detroitbill on March 02, 2009) |
Postbop
Member
Username: Postbop
Post Number: 161
Registered: 09-2007
| | Posted on Monday, March 02, 2009 - 2:06 pm: | |
Bibs,
You must have gotten him on a good day- I played in jazz groups, gigging at the Harlequin, and Sherman was a complete dick to us. I asked for a glass of water one time and he simply told me "no- get back to work." |
Cheddar_bob
Member
Username: Cheddar_bob
Post Number: 1839
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Monday, March 02, 2009 - 10:01 pm: | |
You mean to tell me there was once a place where I couldn't get a meal in six hours because the chef was too busy eye-raping my date? Damn, I can't believe I missed out on such a culinary adventure. Is there anywhere else in the city that I can get some ceiling lettuce?
All of this and you get to watch the guy yelling at his wife? You can't beat free entertainment, where do I sign up? It's such a shame that treasures such as this cannot make it. |
Texorama
Member
Username: Texorama
Post Number: 364
Registered: 12-2006
| | Posted on Monday, March 02, 2009 - 10:08 pm: | |
The food was great, it has to be said. He knew how to buy beef, and to do sides with a bit of a downhome Southern flavor that fit the steaks to a T. Yes, he did hit on my dates. |
1kielsondrive
Member
Username: 1kielsondrive
Post Number: 954
Registered: 08-2008
| | Posted on Monday, March 02, 2009 - 10:12 pm: | |
This sounds like a screenplay for one of those idiotic, chef, teevee programs. I don't waste my time on those programs and I sure as hell wouldn't waste my time on a live enactment. |
Cheddar_bob
Member
Username: Cheddar_bob
Post Number: 1840
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Monday, March 02, 2009 - 10:39 pm: | |
Other than that, how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln? |
Rj_spangler
Member
Username: Rj_spangler
Post Number: 118
Registered: 10-2008
| | Posted on Monday, March 02, 2009 - 11:13 pm: | |
Postbop, I never had Sherman treat me that way on the times that I played for him. Of course I've known him for many, many years. He has always been pretty cool to me and yes, he was a fine chef. As a musician, I saw a lot of the place and always thought he needed to rent a steam cleaner and really clean that place up! Dust everywhere.
One thing about working for him -- I always waited a few days to get paid which entailed another drive down to his place, spending more gas money for cash I should have already been paid.
The pompous reciting of the menu was a bit much but hey, its his joint. The staff was very under-paid from what I understood. I did hear him speak to them is a VERY rude mannor. I don't think that he is married -- that woman that he yelled at was his main employee. He called "Miss Ann" or something like that.
Sherman brought fine dinning and great jazz to his place. I'm always happy to see him. |
Bibs
Member
Username: Bibs
Post Number: 324
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 03, 2009 - 9:06 pm: | |
Laughed out loud reading your comments. It appears that he has a passion for food and I'll leave it at that! |
Gdub
Member
Username: Gdub
Post Number: 270
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 04, 2009 - 3:41 pm: | |
I heard that a head injury he'd suffered earlier in life accounted largely for his "eccentric" behavior. |