48

- iday, May 30, 1986

JRNTHI 11 a.m.
(F)OPRNIII

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

1/4
S BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!

BEST OF EVERYTHING

illk.n
gt St OUR SUPER WED. NITE SPECIAL
j rat) t‘u
WHOLE 11/4 lb. LIVE
$995
ti ► P
MAINE LOBSTER

I

0

I

DANNY RASKIN

INCLUDES: SOUP OR SALAD & HOMEMADE BREAD

RUSSELL GREEN AND
JERRY NEELY
TUES.-SAT.

GREENFIELD NORTH OF 10 •

967-3922

MITCH'S 11

BANQUET -ROOMS
AVAILABLE FOR
ANY OCCASION

From 100 to 400

We Can Assist Your Party Needs With
Everything From Hors d'Oeuvres and
Cocktails To A Sit-Down Black Tie Affair

For More Information, Please Call

666-4440
Your Host: Bill Mitchell

Your Hostess: Juanita

6665 HIGHLAND RD. (M-59), Across from Oakland-Pontiac Airport
Pontiac, Mich.

The Frankels invite
you to a new dining
experience.
It was worth the wait.

" ...a stunning small restaurant..."

—Molly Abraham, Detroit Free Press

WEST

%yr

MIA

Inside the world of

The Somerset Inn

Big Beaver & Coolidge, Troy
Reservations suggested 643-6992

THE BUILDING IS A
GOOD 85 years old . . . and
previously housed an A & P
market pluS couple of taverns
... One of them was called the
Town Pump because the city got
its water from in back. •
This is the restaurant
Pepino's, about which so many
people are talking ... It's in the
Waterford area but only about
10 minutes away from West
Bloomfield.
Very unpretentious is Pepino's
... with its single whirling fan
on the ceiling, paper napkins
and oilcloth-covered table tops
But'people don't come here
to look at its decor ... the
excellently-prepared food is
rapidly being discovered by
more and more.
It is owned by Helma and Joe
Bernardi ... seating about 110,
with bar in dining room giving
another nine seats ... Entrance
is in the rear ... and when the
place becomes overflowed .
which is quite often, especially
on weekends ... Pepino's serves
folks in its separate banquet
room and another room with all
booths.
We went with Marge and
Jerry Robbins and Lorraine and
Lou Popper ... who raved so
much about Pepino's that finally
getting there seemed like a
great treat.
And it turned out to be just
that ... in a very informal set-
ting ... as our pleasant and ef-
ficient waitress, Susie Spiller,
first brought the side order that
goes with all meals . .. navy
beans with green pepper, onion,
celery, oregano and garlic.
Then she brought us a won-
derful favorite . . . homemade
cream of brocolli soup ... with
large chunks and thick consis-
tency like it was made with
heavy cream ... Joe makes a
delicious Mario potato ... much
like escalloped but not overly
wet.
I had come to try the trout
everyone was raving about ...
and wasn't disappointed ... It is
a huge piece, extremely light-
breaded and sauteed ... with a
taste goodness all its own ...
sided by a delicate meuniere
sauce made by Joe ... The trout
is very mild, white, tender,
completely filleted with nary a
bone ... and pan fried.
The pan-frying technique used
by Pepino's has you eating true
fish meat ... as the bottom skin
remains on the pan's surface ...
Lou had his trout Cajun-style
and Marge enjoyed trout made
with garlic butter . . . Frieda
and Lorraine enjoyed very ten-
der and tasteful Veal Pepino
sauteed with green peppers, on-
ions and mushrooms ... Jerry
ordered trout I had ... with
same very-satisfied results.
Joe makes a fettucini pasta
with pesto linguini noodles
that's a knockout ... olive oil,
parsley, basil, garlic and chop-
ped walnuts.
At one time, Swiss-Italian
Joe, who supervises everything
in the kitchen, was executive
chef in the penthouse at Ford's
World Headquarters in Dear-
born ... and chef at homes of

Henry Ford and Lee Iacocca ...
In the latter's book Iacocca, An
Autobiography, the Chrysler
boss writes, "To Joe, the world's
finest chef and a good friend"
... All of Ford's weekend par-
ties in Grosse Pointe were done
by Joe.
There's a bit of Old Detroit at
Pepino's ... an oak desk with
mirror ... windw partitions
supporting rooms ... and fire-
place mantle ... all from the
former Fort Shelby Hotel.
Fouf other people at Pepino's
while we were there had read
about Joe's hamburgers in
Iacocca's book ... They are not
on the menu and called Henry
Burgers ... People drive out
just for these special treats.
Sorry I didn't get the lassie's
name in party with Lou and
Flora Schwartz and Bill Wolf
... but three of them had trout,
one veal ... all wih joyfull re-
sults.
Joe makes his own dressings,
own soups and own sauces ...
Wife Helen is the perfect hostess
in her congenial ways with cus-
tomers.
Pepino's started out selling its
trout one dozen a week ... Now
it is up to 11 dozen ... and only
open two years.
But Joe's supervisory and
cooking abilities are unlimited
. . . He's great on duck, short
ribs and lamb chops ... which is
why the place often runs out ...
particularly on lamb chops.
Pepino's is open six days a
week ... serving only dinners
... no lunches ... Monday
through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 10
p.m. . . . Friday and Saturday
, until 11 p.m.
Joe and Helen Bernardi own a
great restaurant name ... Joe's
father and uncle were chefs be-
fore him ... and he followed in
their footsteps ... Son Bob, with
wife Cheryl, owns Bernardi's in
Applegate Square on North-
western ... He is also executive
chef in the executive dining
room at General Motors Bldg.
on Grand Blvd.
Nothing fancy about Pepino's
... It's your regular mom-and-
pop dining spot ... but a lot of
loving customer care goes into
every meal.
The building may be 85 years
old ... and stucco-wall narrow
hallway entering the not-fancy
restaurant . . ..but you're as-
sured of the essentials in dining
... good service, good food and
good prices.
The quietness of Pepino's rise
is becoming a booming noise in
the restaurant business.
A NON-SMOKING portion of
Wicker Works restaurant at
Northfield Hilton, Crooks and
1-75, will have additional venti-
lation installed to assure com-
fort to both smokers and non-
smokers ... And if folks want a
room • there they can ask for
smoking or non-smoking ones.
DIMITRI'S OF SOUTH-
FIELD has gone Italian in a big
way ... The Greek dishes there
have become quite secondary
now ... and with addition of ex-
pert Chef Ernie Di Michele,
whose reputation for authentic ,
northern and southern Italian

dishes is well noted, the heavy
emphasis on Italian is even
more so.
Ernie is among the tops in his
field ... and was a stalwart at
the likes of Picano's and Mario's
... Nothing is left in a steam
table ... Everything Ernie
makes, except his sauces, garlic
rolls and soups, are made to
order ... All veal preparations
(tosca, piccante, parmigiana,
scallopini, marsala, etc.),, sal-
timbocca, lasagna, primavera,
filets and so much, much more
are among his wide-ranged culi-
nary repertoire.
My latest fling at Ernie's
cooking included his Shrimp ala
Ernie, sauteed in a white wine
sauce, chicken piccante, also in
a white wine sauce, served with
a large mushroom cap ... and
side of spaghetti primavera top-
ped by fresh vegetables with
tomato sauce ... Naturally, Er-
nie's wonderful homemade gar-
lic rolls ... (they're great dipped
in Ernie's sauces).
Still the standard Greek dis-
hes at Dimitri's of Southfield,
but now with Ernie Di Michele
there, the best in Italian can
now be gotten . . . and comes
first.
BECKY GOLDEN of Jab-
berwoccy toys and books in
Birmingham is brains behind
new entertainment coming to
Birmingham Theatre, June 15,
2 p.m. ... The store is bringing
Bob Schneider in a children's
concert ... He is one of Cana-
da's most dynamic family
entertainers ... captivating his
audience with energy and
warmth ... Bob's special knack
for entertaining young people is
much acclaimed ... He has a
natural ability to show kids joy
and humor.
When he was here in
January, Bob sold out entire
1,200 seats at Birmingham
Theatre ... a week before his
concert ... and with no adver-
tising . . . just Becky going
around giving out posters.
WHO'S WHERE ... Kevin
De Costa Trio, Tuesday through
Saturday in June . . . at Ex-
calibur, Franklin Rd. at North-
western ... 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
ALIA'S RESTAURANT at
the former site of Irving's on
Greenfield north of 11 Mile will
definitely have its grand open-
ing in June ... Owners Jim and
Alia Sage, who also own Re-
mal's in Oak Park, have already
pumped in over $200,000 on a
wide-scale remodeling primp.
IRVING'S Deli-restaurant at
La Mirage on Northwestern, is
featured today on Good After-
noon Detroit . . . with Sylvia
Glover, Channel 2, between 4
and 5 p.m.
CLAMBAKE AT Jacque's on
Telegraph, usually Fridays ...
has been changed to Wednes-
days ... all-you-can-eat plus
live lobster, $19.95 ... People
get food outside on atrium and
bring it inside to eat ... Next
door, Jovan's has become a hot
spot for- singles and benefit af-
fairs ... Both are owned by Dr.
Alan Dorfman and Dick Kimoto.
COSMETIC FACELIFT ...
enticing much lower menu ...