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