The sautéed perch with lemon caper sauce is one of the most popular dishes at Bistro 222 in Dearborn.

One of the joys of living in a big city like New York or Chicago is discovering a new favorite restaurant, one that’s just out of the public eye but still features top-notch cuisine.
Dearborn doesn’t have as many as those places, but one of the city’s hidden gems just might be Bistro 222 on Michigan Avenue on the west side of town.

After all, where else in town can you find a restaurant whose main chef has been trained by perhaps the most popular chef in Michigan, Keith Famie, as well as maybe the most popular chef in America, Wolfgang Puck?

While the bistro has a somewhat hard-to-find location where a Subway used to reside, chef Michael Chamas isn’t worried about being able to draw enough business. He believes that the food will speak for itself.

“I always tell people to just try it. Try it one time and they’ll be back.”

While Chamas is often right, the hard part for the customer is deciding what to pick in the first place.

Co-owners Michael Chamas, L, and Anis Habhab are excited to bring a Paris-style bistro to Dearborn. PHOTOS: Rached Elmasri

Bistro 222 offers an eclectic menu of Spanish, French, and Italian cuisine. Signature dishes include the sautéed lake perch with lemon caper sauce, the famous chicken lasagna, and of course, the shrimp burger, a one-of-a-kind sandwich on ciabatta bread for which Chamas holds a U.S. patent.
For dessert, the apple bread pudding with creme anglaise is so popular that it regularly sells out.

The entire menu is all part of Chamas and co-owner Anis Habhab’s philosophy that “simplicity is a sign of perfection.”

Chamas, who used to own the popular L.A. Express eatery down the road before he sold it, says that fans of Arab food will find his flavors appealing in the same way, if not more so.

“If they like Arab food, they will love this food. We use lots of olive oil, garlic, things like that, so it’s not a strange taste. What I do will only enhance these tastes.”

Chamas’ love of fresh, healthy food is what he says makes all the difference. He doesn’t use butter in his cooking and doesn’t deep fry, and each day, he makes a trip to local markets to select the best organic produce and other ingredients. The only thing the freezer is used for is to store ice cream. All of the chicken is halal, although the Angus beef and sausage are not, and the entire dining room is non-smoking as well.

The prices are also reasonable, with lunch specials ranging from $8-12 and dinner running from $14-21.

Chamas and Habhab hope to be able to put their expertise in fine wines to use by April, when they anticipate aquiring a liquor license for the restaurant.

The atmosphere is relaxed and warm, with a true French bistro-style look comprised of small tables and European art with a wide view of the sidewalk outside.

Habhab calls it the perfect place to bring a first date.

“We want everybody to feel at home, and we want it to feel cozy and romantic, not stuffy.”

Chamas and Habhab hope that couples will continue to come back to try all of their favorite tastes. They both have had multiple restaurant ventures in the past and they plan to make this their last stop.

“We’ve had this place in mind a long time,” Habhab said. “We’ve done everything from scratch, designed it, painted it. I’d always come in and see how Michael was doing and he’d have a brush and a roller in his hand. I told him he needs to go on a cruise to relax or something.

“But this is what I love to do and this is what he loves to do.”

Bistro 222 is open from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and then from 5-9 p.m. on weekdays. On weekends, the hours are 5-10 p.m. Saturday, but the place is closed Sunday for private parties.

Bistro 222 also offers catering and is located at 22266 Michigan Avenue. The phone number is 313.792.7500.