ENTERTAINMENT dining room, carry-out and trays • breakfast • lunch • dinner after-theater • kiddie menu BfIS grEA BEST OF EVERYTHING open tuesdays thru sundays 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. lincoln shopping center, 10 1 /2 mile & greenfield, oak park DANNY RASKIN 968-0022 ., 44 auott . s v. , A inT c ra e dlit 9 io 3n 4 Tim -gine , 2inin9 and (..::ocle1,414 Fred Bayne at the organ nightly 1128 E. Nine Mile Road (1 1 /2 Mile East of 1-75)) Recommended by MA & Mobile Guides • (313) 541-2132 FUNG- LI SZECHUAN, MANDARIN, CANTONESE & AMERICAN Mon.-Thurs. 11-10, Fri. & Sat. 11-11, Sun. 12-10 CARRY OUT • CATERING IBANQUET FACIUTIES1 8410 W. NINE MILE, W of Livernois 5444021 GOLDEN BOWL Restaurant 22106 COOLIDGE AT 9 MILE In A & P Shopping Center DINE IN & CARRY OUT 398-5502 or 398-5503 SZECHUAN, MANDARIN, CANTONESE & AMERICAN CUISINE - / OPEN 1 DAYS—Mon.-Tliors. 11-10, Fri. & Sat. 11-11, Sun. & Holidays 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. • Banquet Facilities Your Chef: FRANK ENG „,, a-- .V, THE GOLD COIN. — .:\ : A• • : = A OPEN 7 DAYS YOUR HOST: HOWARD LEW SZECHUAN, MANDARIN, CANTONESE AND AMERICAN FOOD *. COMPLETE CARRY-OU _ AVAILABLE 24480 W. 10 MILE pt1 TEL-EX PLAZA) West of Telegraph 353-7848 TNE GrEAT WACC. SERVING YOUR FAVORITE EXOTIC DRINKS & CHOICE COCKTAILS I • PRIVATE DINING ROOM BANQUETS • PARTIES • BUSINESS MEETINGS I Your host . . . HENRY LUM Businessmen's Luncheons • Carry outs • Catering 35135 Grand River, Farmington (Drakeshire Shopping Center) 476-9181 HOA KOW INN Specializing In Cantonese, Szechuan & Mandarin Foods Open Daily 11 to 10:30, Sat. 11 to 12 Mid., Sun. 12 to 10:30 — Carry-Out Service — 13715 W. 9 MILE, W. of Coolidge • Oak Park KING LIM'S GARDEN_ Mandarin, Szechuan & Cantonese Food 26196 GREENFIELD, LINCOLN CENTER, OAK PARK 968-3040 Mon.-Thurs. 11 to 10:30 Fri. 11 to 11, Sat. 11 to 12 Sun. 12 noon to 10 OPEANdERYS NEW KING LIM'S 3305 Auburn Rd. Carry - Out Service Catering To Parties Available / 547-4663 852 8280 - Exotic Cocktails FLOWN IN FRESH EXPRESSLY FOR YOUR DINING at the ENGLISH DOVER SOLE KINGSLEY INN 642-0100 KOW KOW INN • Famous Chop Suey • Cantonese Food • Steaks • Chops • Sea Food OPEN Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-12:30 a.m.. Sun. & Holidays 12 Noon-12:30 a.m . CARRY OUT SERVICE EASY PARKING 322 W. McNichols Bet. Woodward & Second 68 Friday, January 2, 1987 868-7550 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS . THE MYSTERY MUNCHER writes . . . "More a never-never land than a res- taurant, the glitzy, glittery, glamorous Potomac was launched in August on a beau- tiful bend of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. "The three-story dining room, from the man who brought the elegant Maxwell Plum to New York City, is lit by 800,000 bulbs shining through swirls of colored glass jewels. Just visualize 24 crys- tal chandeliers, 110 crystal sconces, a brass model train rumbling along the edge of the balcony and 50 jardinieres stuffed with armloads of bright blossoms. "Visiting Potomac is like attending a magnificent wed- ding without knowing the bride or groom. It's a rare show right down to the floral china and matching tablecloths. The menu demands a guide who is familiar with the territory. "Appetizers include avocado with raw tuna and Japanese vinaigrette at $7.75, mosaic of bass and salmon with spicy sauce at $8.75 and a shrimp cocktail with remoulade and sherry wine sauce for a whop- ping $10.95. "The soups, shell crab, gaz- pacho and onion, have more character than the average. Main courses range from $23 for lobster with sizzling ginger butter and deep fried spinach to redfish at $15.75. But at any price, the food is really nothing to rave about. "If you want lighter fare, you can order duckling salad or lobster and artichoke salad with a variety of fruits and vegetables. Also available are hamburgers, steak sandwiches and club sandwiches. "More impressive are pas- tries such as chocolate pecan passion, New York cheesecake and chocolate and praline mousse cake. But even if you just order a drink, don't leave Washington without seeing the greatest show in the capitol. "Coming back down to earth, we were disappointed with our dinner at Aldo's on Kelly near East Seven Mile. The atmos- phere is Italian down to the piped-in Mario Lanza melodies. But we expected the food to be an outstanding ver- sion of "that's Italian” and we've had much better. "The minestrone is more a thick vegetable stew and it's filling. The salad, usually a treat in Italian restaurants, is a boring combination of let- tuce, tomatoes and little else. The dressing is oil and vinegar without the spice. We missed the antipasto which is served at Lelli's and was a favorite at Larco's. We might not have or- dered the specialty of the house, but nobody was thrilled with the pasta or the veal. The waitress was pleasant, the service leisurely and the at- mosphere relaxing. P.S. — Al- do's doesn't take credit cards. "Maybe you'll think twice next time you fail to keep a reservation at a busy dining spot. At Golden Mushroom, at least, a computer software package designed for the posh Southfield restaurant keeps track of no-shows and late can- celers and is expected to save the dining spot thousands of dollars a year in lost revenues. Says Reid Ashton, Mushroom owner, "Like hotel space, res- taurant reservations are perishable and can't be resold to somebody else." "Ashton figures losses of more than $13,000 a year in no-shows. He's considering marketing the software to other restaurants and says the system could pay for itself in a year. Ashton says he'll reward loyal, considerate customers with a bottle of wine or a thank-you note. But no-shows and late-cancelers will be warned when they try again and if they don't mend their ways, they'll be advised the restaurant is booked. "It seems odd that so many Detroit restaurants are dark on Sunday nights when a lot of women aren't in the mood to cook and the men are too re- laxed after watching a football game to argue. Maybe Sunday is family night and the more expensive, couple-oriented places figure it doesn't pay to stay open. "We recently drove to three dining spots on a Sunday night only to find them all closed. We finally landed at Meriweather's, on Telegraph and Ten Mile which was open for business but not very brisk. We were happy with our choice and the sea food in the restau- rant, now owned by the inimit- able Chuck Muer, is fresh, var- ied and deliciously prepared. Southfield Charley's, another Muer success, also is open Sundays and the food keeps getting better. "Metropolitan Detroit re- cently listed its restaurant awards with a check list for reader' opinions. We've only been to one nominee for best breakfast and that's Original Pancake House. Must admit we've never munched in the best Sunday brunch spots nominated. "For best steakhouse, Haab's in Ypsilanti, Stuart Ander- son's American Grill and Carl's Chop House we're famil- iar with. Waxing nostalgic, we can't forget the old Cliff Bell's and Mayfield chop houses of yore where the steaks were first class. And what about Driscol's? "Best seafood nominees Ben- jie's and Joe Muer's we've tried. "Now for the winners, ac- cording to Metropolitan De- troit. Original Pancake House in Grosse Pointe Woods and in Southfield is the runaway favorite for its from-scratch waffles and pancakes, homemade sausage and the sinful baked concoction, the Big Apple. For best Sunday brunch, says Metropolitan, nothing comes close to Park Terrace in the Windsor Hilton Interna- tional Hotel. The Summit in the Westin Hotel, Renaissance Center, is the magazine's favo- rite for steaks thick, tender and juicy and mesquite-grilled. "We don't agree that Benjie's on Orchard Lake dishes up the < best seafood. True, the restau- rant has an enormous variety of fresh fish. But Joe Muer's has always been our favorite. "The best service is at the Caucus Club on Congress, ac- cording to the magazine, be- cause of the gentility and savvy of waiters and the graciousness of the hostess, all billed as class acts. "Predictably, Ponchartrain Wine Cellars on Larned is named the most romantic spot, the London Chop House on Congress the best scene to see and be seen, and the Van Dyke Place the prettiest interior. "One of our own winners ist=( Szechuan Garden on Maple near Coolidge in Troy. Try the fried dumplings with meat for an appetizer, a nice change from egg roll. Whether you like your Oriental food on the spicy side or you can't handle it, you'll find an unusual dish of seafood or chicken with a different flavor. The menu is so varied, it'll take a while to de- cide. But whatever you choose, you're bound to enjoy it. "Confetti's on Orchard Lake Road in West Bloomfield is bright and airy and the colorful neon lights add to the striking design of the restaurant. The dining spot touts its freshly made pasta but after sampling pasta salad, fish and a vegeta- ble dish at this trendy eatery, we were unimpressed. As often is the case, we may have or- j dered the wrong thing but our meal was forgettable and ditto the service. "Unless L.J. Loophole's in the Southfield Hilton has done some serious revamping of its menu, that's another place cus- tomers seem to stay away from in droves. We're not super crit- ical, but having been served three-day-old shrimp and salami in an unedible an- tipasto, we're not anxious for a repeat. "Out Rochester way, Cooper's Arms offers a fine din 7, ing experience with the accent on seafood, steaks, veal and poultry. With the help of Oak- land University, the restau- rant has developed a section of the menu for the health and diet conscious. "We recommend the lemon chicken, broiled bay scallops, shrimp sauteed scampi and New York strip. "Also in Rochester, we enjoyed the nautical atmos- phere of Scallops and the menu with a section devoted entirely _/ to scallops, shrimp, lobster and crab. "Duffy's on the Lake offers a