BEST OF EVERYTHING
Elegant Atmosphere, Low Prices
At New Dearborn Restaurant
DANNY RASKIN
Local Columnist
T
I
COUPON
BONE. YAW)
I
BAR •B
PLACE
OPEN 7 DAYS — 11 a.m. to 12 Mid. LRA
BAR-B-Q SLAB FOR 2
$10.95
INCLUDES: 2 POTATOES,
2 COLE SLAWS
AND BREAD FOR 2
BAR-B-Q CHICKEN FOR 2
INCLUDES: 2 POTATOES,
2 COLE SLAWS
AND BREAD FOR 2
$7. 8
,
.
• 1 Coupon Per Order • Coupon Expires 5-26-89
JN
TRY OUR DAILY SPECIALS MON.-FRI. (Inquire Within)
FARMINGTON HILLS — 851-7000I LIVONIA — 427-6500
31006 ORCHARD LAKE RD. AT 14
30843 PLYMOUTH RD.
etac til * 1 Cafe
.
29566 ORCHARD LAKE RD.
Just N. of 13 Mile • Farm. Hills • 626.0804
Home-Style Family Dining • High Quality • Reasonable Prices
I COUPON
--- -- 0111•1•• ■ ••
. 1
NOW OPEN FOR DINNER
—
.
INTRODUCTORY OFFER
LARGE, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY
HOMEMADE MUFFIN
WITH ALL DINNER ORDERS
MON. THRU FRI. ANYTIME TIL 9 p.m.
WE BAKE OUR OWN DINNER ROLLS!
• 1 Coupon Per Person
• Expires 5-26-89 JN j
NEW HOURS: MON.-FRI. 6:30-9, SAT. 6:30-4, SUN. 6:30-3
l'AIDIEL
I RESERVED SUNDAY FOR PRIVATE PARTIES I
FOOD
RESTAURANT
SPIRITS
FRESH SEAFOODS DAILY
FLAIR FOR ITALIAN & AMERICAN STANDARDS
IN AN INFORMAL SETTING
Your Host: BOB MATLEY
Mon.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Fri. 11 a.m.-12 Mid., Sat. 5 p.m.-12 Mid. • 788-0505
31196 HAGGERTY RD., Just S. of 14 in The Country Ridge Commons
62
FRIDAY, MAY 19, 1989
he phone rang for
Simon Thomas . . . It
was from Ford Motor
Development Corp. . . . Would
he be interested in taking
over a closed restaurant on
their property in Dearborn?
They knew Simon and his
capabilities . . . previously as
bossman of the Premier
Theater on Van Dyke . . . and
as the restaurateur and ban-
quet head of Thomas Crystal
Gardens, formerly Hilcrest
Country Club, on Groesbeck
Highway.
In both operations, Simon
was with brother Ray . . . In
this one he would be alone .. .
At Thomas Crystal Gardens,
his restaurant was known as
American Bar & Grill . . . no
connection with the Stuart
Anderson's American Bar &
Grill which opened with a
bang and closed with a thud
on 11 Mile near North-
western Highway.
And so was born the
American Bar & Grill on
Hubbard Drive just east of
the Southfield expressway
(Ford Rd. exit) . . . surround-
ed by Ritz-Carlton Hotel,
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Holiday
Inn and Marriot.
But not so fast . . . in name
only, because Simon liked the
location . . . The former Mike
Kelley's had to go . . . And so
he gutted the entire place to
the tune of hundreds of
thousands of dollars in
making it as Simon wanted.
Handsome but intimate
and comfortable . . . Elegant
but informal . . . and
reasonably priced . . . Simon
made it to his desire . . . not
in the Old English colonial
style of the former Mike
Kelly's.
As a result, people who
come in imagine it to be much
more expensive . . . and are
pleased at the thought of hav-
ing to shell out less than they
expected.
American Bar & Grill seats
250 in a two-tiered dining
room . . . 100 in a lounge with
high top seating . . . and an
upstairs banquet area serving
up to 200 people . . . with its
own entrances after coming
in the main door.
There's cherrywood every-
where . . . Not cherrywood
paneling, but the thick real
thing . . . Even the tables and
ceiling beams are made of
cherrywood . . . Bottoms of
the cherrywood posts are in-
laid with marble . . . and the
top with mirror.
American Bar & Grill
owned by Simon Thomas on
Hubbard east of Southfield in
Dearborn, is more than a
pretty face restaurant . . ..The
menu has imagination and
the food is good . . . Chicken
chowder inside a loaf of
bread? . . . This is what we
had . . . and very delicious .. .
Also chicken breasts char-
grilled . . . Fresh fish is
brought in regularly . . . and
ribs are made on a rotisserie.
Nice to dine where tables
face large windows . . . Simon
American Bar &
Grill has an
expensive feel,
and taste, without
the price.
designed his restaurant so
people could see out wherever
they sat . . . And the outside
scenery is not of cars . . .
There are tall trees, an out-
side patio with seating for
150 and its own wet bar .. .
Not too far in sight are the
Ritz-Carlton, Hyatt Regency
and Fairlane Town Center.
There's more banquet space
downstairs . . . another room
for an additional 200 ..
Simon has thoughts of
perhaps making this into a
little nitery . . . Has its own
separate entrance and park-
ing sector.
Glass dividers, a few stairs
on one side and ramp from
one level to another,
refrigerated pastry island,
etc.
Simon saw the concept he
wanted at a spot in Scott-
sdale, Ariz. . . . elegant at-
mosphere and low prices .. .
and opened Dearborn's
American Bar & Grill in
November, 1987.
It's a seven day-a-week
operation . . . kitchen hours
Sunday through Thursday, 11
a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and
Saturday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
From the flagstone outside
to the real cherrywood and
marble interior, Simon has
achieved his original intent
. . . to give quality food in a
casual but elegant at-
mosphere, at reasonable
prices.
Where once stood a New
England colonial dining spot
is now one of modernistic
design, both inside and
outside.
And to top it off . . . they
don't . come much nicer than
Simon Thomas.
SORRY FOLKS . . . you
- can't enter a hot pastrami,
scallion, cream cheese, lettuce
on pumpernickle sandwich in
The Jewish News and Palace
contest to name a Jackie
Mason sandwich this Sunday
. . . So don't bring one to Plaza
Deli on Northwestern with
judging at 2 p.m. by Chef
Remy Berdy, Star of Detroit;
Chef Peter Loren, Opus One;
Larry Snider, VHSW Food
Brokers; Bob Talbert, Detroit
Free Press; and me . . . It's
called a "Ferber Experience"
at Zingerman's in Ann Arbor
. . . Corned beef or pastrami
between two latkes is a "Good
Golly, Ms. Molly" . . . And no
smoked Italian mozzerella
cheese, roasted peppers, extra
virgin olive oil, balsamic
vinegar, lettuce, tomato,
basil, oregano, on sourdough
. . . That's a "Big Al's Satur-
day Night Special" at
Zingerman's.
Winner gets two front row
tickets to see Jackie Mason at
the Palace this Wednesday
night, 8 p.m. . . . plus taking
the sandwich to him
backstage . . . and having it
on the Plaza menu . . . All
contestants get a 2 pound
Isaac Gellis kosher salami
and a jar of Isaac Gellis
mustard.
Wonder whatever happened
to the most popular sandwich
on Darbys menu . . . a bar-le-
duc . . . cream cheese and
jelly?
Sponsored by The Jewish
News this Wednesday, 8 p.m.
at Palace of Auburn Hills,
Jackie has been hailed as the
comic genius of the decade by
his fellow comedians, the
public and theater critics .. .
He writes all his own
material.
TOM MICHAEL, original
chef at Dimitri's of South-
field, returns with his former
boss, Dimitri "Jim" Syros, at
the place they made quite
well known in its slogan of
"Greektown Comes To
Southfield."
Reopening of Dimitri's of
Southfield, Southfield Road
north of 10 Mile, has been
delayed . . . but will definitely
open this month.
CHEF BRIAN POLCYN
at the Pike Street Restaurant
in Pontiac, joins some very ex-
clusive company with induc-
tion into the Grand Master
Chefs, a special group of
about 200 in the United
States . . . Local members are
Milos Cihelka of Golden
Mushroom and Ed Janos of
Chez Raphael . . . National