It's big news in any small, close-knit community when an ambitious restaurant opens -- in this case, Table 5 in downtown Northville.

The neighbors have been flocking in since it opened a couple of weeks ago in the space that for years housed Mackinnon's. But this handsome spot has enough potential to draw from a much wider area than its own ZIP code.

Mishelle Lussier's handcrafted restaurant doesn't have the feel of a fledgling. However, this first-time restaurateur -- with the help of her husband, John, and a bright young chef, Schoolcraft graduate David Jarczewski-- has put together a completely professional product.

It has all the elements: It's good-looking, welcoming to all, and the menu is anything but same-old, same-old.

The 74-seat restaurant with its vintage brick walls, copper-topped bar and uncovered front windows manages to be contemporary while still preserving some of the mellow character of the 1890 building.

Table 5 has two separate elements: the bar -- that's where many of the neighbors like to perch and catch up on local gossip -- and the main dining room, which has a plusher feeling.

Each has its own menu and its own atmosphere, as well. "Bites at the bar," as the short tapas-style menu is called, offers a brief but creative list. Don't look for the typical bar snacks.

Instead, you find such dishes as heirloom tomatoes, pancetta, fresh greens, roasted red peppers and pesto served in a stack -- it's the house version of the BLT -- and wonton-wrapped seared tuna, sprouts and julienned cucumber, Table 5's variation on the taco.

The best dish of all for sharing is the conversation platter, currently including three cheeses, chorizo, trout pate, dried apricots, Nicoise olives and fresh figs with crackers and breads.

The convivial atmosphere in the bar tones down a bit in the dining room, where black-clad servers bring handsome plates to linen-covered tables -- very well-spaced tables -- as well as to a couple of handsome half-banquettes against the wall.

And here you find a more elaborate choice of dishes.

Two excellent appetizers are the salmon cakes with sherry cayenne remoulade, a welcome change from the ubiquitous crab cakes, and grilled large shrimp on skewers, served with sweet chili garlic sauce.

An outstanding entree is achiote-spiced duck breast served with sweet-potato puree, apple chutney and candied pecans, with the duck prepared to order, rare, medium or well-done.

Pan-seared walleye is teamed with thinly sliced redskins, roasted red peppers and aioli, and lamb chops cozy up to couscous and charred eggplant, with a splash of fig jus.

There are just 10 entrees in all, including two steaks: filet mignon with polenta cakes and fresh vegetables, at $29 the most expensive dish; and grilled New York strip with sweet-potato fries, gorgonzola cheese and Portobello mushrooms ($27).

The menus, on plain white, heavy stock, use straightforward descriptions free from such verbiage as "grilled to perfection." Thank you for that, Table 5.

The list of beverages is as carefully chosen as everything else, from the 18 wines by the glass and 10 bottles less than $25, to the dessert martinis and after-dinner coffee drinks.

Northville residents are going to find themselves vying with out-of-towners for those 74 seats.

You can reach Molly Abraham at (313) 222-1475 or abraham67@comcast.net.

It takes a lot to catch the eye on busy Hall Road, where it seems a representative of every restaurant chain has established a beachhead.

Still, Palm Palace, with its exotic Middle Eastern architecture, certainly makes its presence felt.

The free-standing building was left behind when the La Shish restaurants closed, and Palm Palace -- the first of what are expected to be several of the Middle Eastern restaurants -- stepped in, needing only a few touches to make the space its own.

One major change was that the cocktail bar became the juice bar, where fresh fruit and vegetable drinks are whipped up to be served in the thick glass mugs that seem to be standard equipment in Middle Eastern restaurants.

Add to that some paint and a few minor decorative changes, and the fanciful rooms provide a suitably exotic setting. Some tables are hammered brass trays set against handsome brocade-covered banquettes under a beaded canopy on one side of the central dining room.

There are also conventional tables covered in white paper -- and with paper napkins as well, something of a false note given the setting. The light level is very soft from massive pierced brass lamps and indirect lighting.

It's a romantic atmosphere that does evoke a bit of Morocco, and that country is emphasized on the menu by harira, a spicy soup, bastilla (chicken in phyllo), and chicken or lamb stewed with such ingredients as olives, lemon, apricots, raisins, chickpeas and herbs and spices, including ginger, cumin, cinnamon and cloves.

But that part of the menu is dwarfed by the more familiar dishes, such as crushed lentil soup, taboulee, cucumbers in yogurt, and lamb, lamb and more lamb, from the classic delicacy kibbee nyee to lamb-stuffed grape leaves and lamb chops served in multiples of three ($18) and five ($26).

Although the Moroccan dishes are tempting, it's hard to beat the classic meze assortments, such as the sharing platter for three, which includes a fresh, olive-dappled salad, rounds of fresh pita bread served warm from the oven with irresistible garlic spread, and literally a dozen items ranging from taboulee and baba ganouge to chicken and lamb shawarma ($45).

Executive chef Jamil Eid is a veteran of 20 years with La Shish, and all of the expected dishes can be found on the glossy seven-page menus.

Service by the young staff is competent and friendly, although perhaps not as professional as might be desired.

Palm Palace has only been open since July 30, but look for another soon, in Roseville, Dearborn or Auburn Hills, depending on which deal takes shape quickly.

At that time, chef Eid will move to a Dearborn commissary to oversee preparations of marinades, seasonings, sauces, soups and dressings so that the Palm Palaces will be consistent.

You can reach Molly Abraham at (313) 222-1475 or abraham67@comcast.net.

It may not be spring, but something just blossomed that makes it feel like it. Due Venti, the new and charming Clawson restaurant, is like a breath of fresh April air, and you don't even have to go inside to notice it.

The sunny exterior is the tip-off, and the feeling continues within. Done up in soft shades of yellow and purple, walls displaying still-life art (painted by Eva Theodoroff, the grandmother of Nicole Seals, who runs the new restaurant with husband David), has a Northern Italian menu as fresh as the look.

The L-shaped room is set with tables covered in white, fresh flowers and handsome light wood chairs bathed in light from the uncovered front windows.

There are really no clichés on the one-page bill of fare, starting with the antipasti list that avoids the ubiquitous calamari and instead offers cauliflower fritters with garlic and herbs. The savory basil-scented ricotta cheesecake with crostini is somewhat comparable to quiche, but without the crust. There also are a couple of pizzas, but again, cliché-free, made with imported prosciutto, figs, pecorino and goat cheese scented with thyme.

Soups include a delightfully subtle garlic and sage blend topped with slivers of apple and a dollop of fresh mozzarella.

Main dishes range from slow-roasted chicken simmered in Marsala and olives, set off by golden raisins, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes and fingerling potatoes, to crepes filled with mushrooms, ricotta, basil and garlic in cream sauce.

There are only three main dishes that top the $18 mark: osso bucco (braised veal shank) with pan-fried polenta ($25), oven-roasted lamb chops nicely set off by tomato, cucumber and mint ($24) and pistachio-crusted sea bass with citrus butter ($21).

Accompanying the fare is a small list of very pleasant house wines, all from Michigan's Fenn Valley winery.

The couple each boasts 14 years experience. Nicole Seals, 30, is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, and her specialty is desserts. She studied for a time under pastry star Michael Laiskonis, who is now at Manhattan's noted Le Bernardin.

That she must have been a good student is quickly revealed by one bite of her flourless chocolate cake and mascarpone ice cream. She also does cookies, petit fours and sorbets for the dessert menu.

David Seals, 34, who was chef for a large local company for several years, is self-taught. He handles the hot-food preparation.

Service by the two young waiters is friendly, courteous and helpful. It's obvious they were as well-chosen as everything else about the place, which seats just 50.

One false note: The heavy, multi-grain rolls that come to the table with sun-dried tomato butter are superfluous and don't add to what is a very good dining experience for those who like personal, hand-crafted restaurants like this one.

You can reach Molly Abraham at (313) 222-1475 or abraham67@ comcast.net.