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Two Great Dining Traditions
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DANNY RASKIN
Local Columnist
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29267 SOUTHFIELD IN SOUTHFIELD COMMONS (Formerly Farrell's) • 569.1112
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Ermanno & Liz Lazzari
"I love the Linguine
Buconiera" .. .
Jack McCarthy,
Channel 7 "Friday Feast"
Family Dining
Italian & American Cuisine
L
6610 Highland Rd.
Waterford, MI
72
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1988
Banquet Facilities
666-2570
hen one thinks of
fine dining in a
most elegant but in-
timate atmosphere, there is
one name which is almost
always overlooked by many
. . . even though its food and
surroundings are far superior
to those which readily come
to mind.
In January 1953, Les and
Sam Gruber opened their
Caucus Club in the Penobscot
Building . . . serving the
same high quality fare and
service provided at its then
sister restaurant across the
street, London Chop House.
The name had come as
somewhat of a tribute to
Samuel Adams and other
revolutionary patriots who
formed the first Caucus Club
in Boston's Green Tree Inn
200 years ago.
It is divided into two rooms
. . . with evening's at-
mosphere, menu and enter-
tainment closely resembling
the style of a fine New York
supper club. .
Les and Sam had original-
ly opened the London Chop
House in 1938 . . . Back in
1926, Les had opened a
Greenwich Village type tea
room called the Den of 40
Thieves on Broadway and
John R . . . which in 1934 was
enlarged and renamed the
London Bar . . . Four years
later, it moved to the Murphy
Building on Congress to even-
tually become the
internationally-famed Lon-
don Chop House.
Dec. 9, 1941, two days after
Pearl Harbor, the Penobscot
Club opened ' in what was
then Detroit's tallest building
. . . The venture was jointly
owned by Les, Sam, and
brother-in-law Al Woolf .. .
Both Grubers went into the
military and Al was left to
take over interim sole
management of the London
Chop House . . . The
Penobscot Club was given up
and turned over to the
Penobscot Building. . . . Les
and Sam returned from
military duty in 1945 . . . and
after a span of years opened
the new Caucus Club.
Both rooms of today's
Caucus Club present
somewhat of a modified "free
for all" mixing of furnishings
. . . contemporary, traditional
and modern . . . done in ex-
cellent taste . . . The interior
designing utilizes this mix to
create a most inviting
atmosphere.
The earthtones, soft
lighting, mauves, dark green
leather booths, brown print
tablecloths with a smaller
centerpiece cloth, make up
much of the decor in Caucus
Club's Back Room Grille.
This is where I recently en-
joyed an evening of much
pleasure . . . not to be forgot-
ten anymore . . . The decaf in
a brownish rose pottery .. .
was poured into beige cups
and saucers . . . as bread
basket with cracked wheat
and pumpernickle breads,
sticks and matzah, adorned
the table.
My waiter, Miguel Her-
nandez, started out in 1979
doing everything, including
cooking at both the London
Chop House and Caucus
Club, where he is now a per-
manent and highly-regarded
fixture . . . His expertise and
efficiency are pleasureable
assets for dining enjoyment.
Miguel brought me a very
tender and tasty piece of red
snapper . . . cooked to perfec-
tion by evening chef Ron Win-
flinger, formerly with Ex-
ecutive Chef Keith Famie at
Chez Raphael . . . There are
many ways to test whether
fish has been prepared pro-
perly . . . In this instance,
three standouts were very
prevalent . . . absolutely no
odor, completely boneless and
nary a speck of skin on the
bottom . . . Of course there
are also many other areas in
the enjoyment of fish cooked
and served as it should be .. .
Whatever the instances may
be, the assuredness is there
that Caucus Club must rank
very high in sea farin' cuisine.
The medley of steamed
vegetables with my red snap-
per was crisp and made for a
very colorful and tasteworthy
experience.
Caucus Club is highly
noted for its Detroit baby
back embers ribs, a slab serv-
ed with Caucus sauce or
barbeque sauce and tole slaw
. . . For those who like the
long spareribs, a half or whole
slab is marinated for
deliciousness . . . Jim Beard's
hamburger steak in a blend of
peppercorns flamed with
brandy is a big favorite . . . as
is the broiled hamburger
steak with Caucus sauce and
rocquefort center . . . Of
course the sliced London broil
on rye toast with mushroom
sauce is still there . . . plus
milk-white veal loin chop
with macadamia and chive
butter, rosemary pasta and
wild mushrooms.
A table near ours was
sampling a bevy of Caucus
Club foods . . . and enjoying
every forkful . . . fillet of
salmon and dill, grilled with
vegetables . . . breast of
chicken with salsa and
julienne of vegetables . . . beef
tenderloin steak with
mustard butter and
vegetables . . . The seafood
fricassee with scallops, sword-
fish and wild rice is a big win-
ner . . . along. with Caucus
Club's fettucini primavera .. .
Also its veal scallopini with
wild mushrooms and au
gratin potatoes.
Talk to anyone who has din-
ed at the Caucus Club and
the raves are rampant about
the preparation of its varied
menu items.
Miguel is a class act as one
of the Caucus Club waitper-
sons . . . 10 years ago he was
a bus boy at the London Chop
House . . . Today Miguel is
one of Detroit's finest waiters
. . . bringing me decaf coffee
in fresh cups each time.
Victoria Fitzimmons is a
double-threat gal . . . during
the day credit manager at
London Chop House . . . and
evening hostess a few days a
week at the Caucus Club .. .
She is a 10 year vet at the two
places.
Evening manager and
maitre 'd Tuesday through
Saturday is Steve Moser, on-
ly three months at the
Caucus Club . . . He has the
type of politeness and ex-
treme cooperativeness you
most certainly want of a
gentleman in his position .. .
Steve had previously been
with Achille Bianchi at Chez
Raphael . . . knows wines .. .
and people pleasantness.
Day manager, Mary
Marino, started at both the
London Chop House and
Caucus Club . . . working
herself up into the position
she holds today.
It's like "coming home" for
very capable and efficient
general manager Laura Fox
. .. working at Winkelman's
downtown . . . then
Appe'teasers . . . and now
back in Detroit's financial
district . . . Laura came on
board the Caucus Club ship
in April of this year while
Jose Acavedo acted as owner
for the seven men who are
bringing Caucus Club back to
its glory days of yesteryears
. . . Jerry Cohen, Carl
Knaack, John Jacobs, Walter
Mason, Jerry Anderson, Fred
Steinhart and Jose.
Today's Caucus Club is
made up of two rooms . . . 86
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