A restaurant by any other name...

A restaurant by any other name...

New eatery's title reflects its history

By TIM DALY

NEWS SPECIAL WRITER

Restaurateur Robby Babcock says the biggest challenge in opening a restaurant is picking the right name, and his latest venture, Robby’s at the Icehouse, proves his point.

In fact, the idea for the name came from David Black of Hobbs & Black Associates Inc., which did the architectural and interior design for the restaurant, located at 102 S. First St.

“He liked ‘Robby’s Icehouse,’ ” said Babcock, who also owns the Gollywobbler restaurant in the Holiday Inn East on Washtenaw Avenue. “I thought that might cause confusion, so I came up with ‘Robby’s at the Icehouse.’ ”

Years ago, the building was home to the Artificial Ice Co. The restaurant’s interior design maintains the “icehouse” effect, Babcock said.

Light blue dividers between booths look like slabs of ice when the lights are lowered. “When the lights are dimmed, there is a sparkle in the room that gives the effect of ice,” he said.

Robby’s, which opened in late July, is located in the same building as the Oyster Bar & Spaghetti Machine.

Babcock described his restaurant at the corner of First and Huron streets as upscale.

“We specialize in fine food with a lot of appetizers,” he said. “We have the appetizers so that people can come in here and have a good time without having a heavy meal.”

For those with a hearty appetite, Babcock recommends the rack of lamb and the poached or broiled Norwegian salmon. Steve Martin, formerly a pastry chef at The Whitney in Detroit, makes all of the desserts at Robby’s.

Dan Tesin is the executive chef for the Gollywobbler and Robby’s. Tesin does the cooking at Robby’s every night, Babcock said.

Robby’s specializes in premium wines and an emphasis on quality, Babcock said.

“We do things here that you would pay extra for at other restaurants,” he said. “When you order scotch and water, you get Dewars Scotch.”

The dining room, which seats 120, has large booths and tables and wide aisles. “We didn’t try to cram a lot of tables in. By keeping it small, I think we can keep quality high,” he said.

Babcock, who said he’s done “every job in the restaurant business,” opened the Whiffletree in 1973. Although the Whiffletree has been closed since it suffered extensive damage from a fire last summer, Babcock said he still hopes to re-open the restaurant.

Although Robby’s does 'not have much in common with the Whiffletree or the Gollywobbler, Babcock said he has “tried to improve on things from the past.”

“We’ve tried to train the wait staff,” he said. “We wanted them to be more communicative and be better trained on the menu.”

Two restaurants - Zorba’s and Tamiko’s - were located in what is now Robby’s. Prior to that, the building was home to the Rubaiyat.

“As we peeled away during the renovation, we went through two or three restaurants,” Babcock said. “It was pretty fun creating the high sheen and the comfortable atmosphere.”

Robby Babcock in 'Robby's at the Icehouse/ at Main and First streets.
 

NEWS PHOTO • COLLEEN FITZGERALD