44
Friday, December 27, 1985 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
V.
BANQUET
FACIUT1ES
Casual Family Dining
Food & Spirits
Open
7 Days
\\/:ik
WE ARE ACCEPTING
NEW YEAR'S EVE RESERVATIONS
• SPECIAL N.Y.E. MENU
BEST OF EVERYTHING
• PIANO STYLING
OPEN NEW YEAR'S DAY 4 p.m. to 9 p.m..
4505 Orchard Lake Rd.
West Bloomfield (Pine Lake Mall)
851-2770
SWEET j7
LORRAINE'S
TRIAL RUNS at restaurants
are just that . . . tests before open-
ing to the public . . . More than
usual, these "dry runs" are with
employees waiting on other
employees . . . In this way, opin-
ions can be given without outside
interference . . . and proper cor-
rections made.
But it was different with The
Benchmark at Michigan Inn, J.L.
WE HAVE AMORE ICE CREAM
ALSO
CHOLOY YISROEL ICE CREAM
Under Supervision Council of
Orthodox Rabbis ©
KOSHER ICES & ICE CREAM]
FOR ALL OCCASIONS
NEW YEAR'S EVE
CELEBRATION
WE DELIVER!
SAVINO'S ICE CREAM CO.
1 90 51 Middlebelt — Livonia
478-8298
CALL NOW FOR RESERVATIONS
AND INFORMATION ON OUR
EXTRA SPECIAL PARTY MENU
559-5985
We Are Now Offering Full Bar Service
Featuring Specialty House Drinks. Over
20 Beers and 15 Wines By The Glass.
29101 GREENFIELD RD. (North of 12 Mile)
he ri3kE settin• ■
10 1 C W YCOIS
Reservations 5pm to 8pm
• (dinner from menu)
or
New Year's seating 10pm
live music, dancing, bottle of
champagne
7 course meal
Lobster bisque
Shrimp and crabmeat cocktail
Caesar salad
Choice of Beef Wellington or
Stuffed Sole
Lemon Sorbet
Pastries
Assorted candy mints
S49.95 per person
Four
stars for
New ear's
4ia)
The place to be and be
seen this New Year's is
Jacques. The four-star
food and ambience will
serve to make you a star.
• open at 5pm
(reservations
required)
•.party hats.
favors
jj
Reservations accepted
at 642-2430
30100 Telegraph
(north of 12 Mile, next to
Jacques restaurant)
I
• complimentary
champagne at
midnight
For
reservations call
642-1373
30100 Telegraph
(N. of 12 Mile)
• dinner featuring our
exciting New Year's Eve
menu from $17.95 per
person
RE SIAUR A N
P I ANO
B A R
AMPS
Hudson Drive, recently . . .
Scheduled pre-opening for dinner
only was on Friday (5p.m.) . . . and
The Benchmark had its tests
Wednesday and Thursday even-
ings prior . . . with potential cus-
tomers, media and dignitaries on
hand to give their honest opin-
ions.
General Manager Ed Safir and
Costas Cappellas, hotel food and
beverage director who is pre-
sently running the room, de-
pended on their confidence win-
ning out . . . and not very many at
the two-night trial runs were dis-
appointed.
There is an all new look at The
Benchmark . . . Gone is the dark,
somewhat Victorian look . . . The
atmosphere is much more modern
. . . and many of the booths have
been replaced with tables . . . It
has a bar also, with seats, and
lounge of tables and chairs .. .
plus soft strains of melodious
piano stylings . . . beneath a
beautiful overhanging drop ceil-
ing sector.
At our table, Shirlee and Jack
Iden and Ann Howe, doing public
relations for the occasion, joined
me in absolute wonderment of the
exceptional service.
Our black-tie, tuxedo'd waiter,
Fenton Brown, is probably one of
the finest anywhere . . . always
smiling, gracious, courteous and
efficient . . . Fenton has been at
The Benchmark nine years .. .
and is a direct reflection of its
class elegance.
He serves coffee in fresh cups
from the right and menu selec-
tions correctly from the left .. .
Fenton is never too far away .. .
and as charming as can be . . . He
is the epitome of style.
Our busboy, Art Cervoni, wear-
ing a -white bow tie to distinguish
himself, filled water constantly
and removed used dishes from the
table immediately . . . The Ben-
chmark provides a unique and
highly acceptable touch by using
individual bottles of water.
We all had Caesar salads .. .
and Paul Rizza was the pre-
cisioned mixer in a large wooden
bowl . . . A lack of tartness could
have been not enough cheese .. .
However, his dexterous moves at
tableside showed the signs of ex-
perienced capability.
Since The Benchmark's origi-
nal opening, it has been Jack
Iden's favorite restaurant . . . and
he was noticeably disappointed
that the soup Jack loves there,
cream of olive, was not on the new
menu . . . Each person at the table
ordered American lobster bisque
. . . and after his first spoonful, a
smile came across his face as he
softly muttered, "Sinfully delici-
ous."
This it was . . . so very tasty,
creamy and well-bodied . . .
American lobster bisque soup was
a lofty evening highlight . . . Shir-
lee Iden and I ordered the lobster
flambe, with Scotch and Dram-
buie . . . The dish was disappoint-
ing . . . and not flamed at tab-
leside, which is a mistake .. .
When flambe'd properly, there is
no taste of liquor . . . the fire burns
it off . . . Since this was the first
night prior to opening, I'm certain
the usually very fine lobster
pieces will be presented in a re-
ctified manner.
The Benchmark dining is true
elegance . . . with bone China set-
tings . . . carefully selected sil-
verware . . . and crystal water and
wine glasses.
Speaking of wine, a choice bot-
tle of Piesporter imported from
Germany direct to the local
supplier was adroitly opened at
our tale . . . Its mild bouquet and
taste character was the essence of
fruitful tenderness.
Presentation at The Ben-
chmark is superb . . . No doubt
there are other waiters like Fen-
ton Brown . . . and if so, the most
important facet in the world of re-
staurant goodness has been
achieved . . . I know it was with
Fenton . . . he's really that good.
MAIL DEPT. . . . "After 17
years at Knob-In-The-Woods in
Southfield, wife Annette and I re-
tired to Plantation, Fla. and have
The Jewish News mailed here.
Just received last week's copy of
the JN and especially enjoyed
your 'plug' for one of the world's
greatest sandwiches — peanut
butter and jelly.
"I say one of the greatest, but
my vote for the next best goes to
an 'old timer' and virtually forgot-
ten bar-le-duc sandwich. This is
made with cream cheese and jelly
— on the same white bread — pre-
ferably challa.
"Like p.b. and j., the bar-le-duc
could always be found on menus
in the 'old days' but both have dis-
appeared."
Al Landy
IN FIRST WEEK OF recent
Chanukah potato latkes with tray
promotion, Bread Basket Deli in
Lincoln Center, 101/2 Mile and
Greenfield, bossman Ron For-
man's staff peeled 600 pounds of
potatoes first Sunday along .. .
they knocked out about 3,000
potato pancakes during the week.
THIRD ANNUAL PRO-
DUCTION of Super Spa
weekends, directed by Gail
Greenfield . . . is Jan. 24, 25, 26
and March 7, 8, 9 . . . at
Sheraton-Oaks in Novi . . . It's a
whole ball of fitness fun . . . with
exercise classes, jazz dancing,
fashion show, hair styling demo,
low-fat, high-cal meals, diet`cook-
ing workshop, lecture by Sheila
Benjamin of American Institute
of Preventative Medicine, Friday
and Saturday night accomoda-
tions, dinner Friday, three meals
Saturday, Sunday brunch, etc. . . .
For more info, call Andrea Miller,
348-5000, ext. 610.
MICHIGAN RESTAURANT
Association along with Michigan
Lodging Association and Michi-
gan Licensed Beverage Associa-
tion, are now offering one-day
seminars called Techniques of Al-
cohol Management . . . Tavern
owners and operators are taught
new concepts in recognizing and
preventing alcohol abuse.
Past few years, the Michigan
Restaurant Association has also
encouraged its member restaur-
ants to provide a safe way for cus-
tomers who can't drive them-
selves . . . and offer free coffee on
New Year's Eve.
"The Designated Driver prog-
ram is our natural next step. We
are already training employees to