BEST OF EVERYTHING

Join us at the Ocean Grille and experience the many
fresh flavors the ocean and Great Lakes have to
offer. Our deluxe creations indude:

Escargots in Pasta Shells
Oysters Rockefeller
Broiled Maine Lobster
Maryland Crabmeat Cakes
Grilled Sea Scallops
Shrimp Polynesian
Smoked Salmon Pasta
Perch Filets Piccata
Yellowfin Tuna Mignons
Grilled Peppered Swordfish Steak

Planning A Trip To Chicago?
llry This Diner And Hat Dance

DANNY RASKIN

Local Columnist

We also offer a wide variety of traditional favorites
such as:

Rotisserie Roasted Chicken and Duckling
Filet Mignon
Rack of Lamb
Angel Hair Pasta
New York Strip Sirloin
Veal Scallopini Florentine

To compliment your meal we offer an assortment
of premium wines, fresh ground Colombian coffee
or steaming cappuccino and fresh-baked pastries.

Whether it's a visit for lunch, dinner, a private
party, cocktails at the piano bar or a catered event in
your home, the Ocean Grille stands waiting to
serve you.

Lunch
Monday thru Saturday 11:30-3:00
Dinner
Monday thru Thursday 5:00-10:00
Friday and Saturday 5:00-12:00

280 N. Woodward • Birmingham • Reservations 646-7001
(Formerly the Appeteaser)

Business Luncheon Specials

1/4 As'

'11

Beginning at $ 3 85

CUSTOM OFF-PREMISES
CATERING SPECIALISTS

EARLY BIRD DINING SPECIALS

Mon.-Fri. 4-7

Sat. 5-7

• Spaghetti w/Meat Sauce
• Lasagna

$4.95
$4.95

Includes: Soup, Tossed Garden Salad, Garlic Sticks

• Beef Tips w/Mushrooms and
Marsala wine over Fettuccine
• Chicken Stir Fry w/Ric.e Pilaf . . . .

12 Mile and Orchard Lake Road • Farm: Hills

66

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1989

5.95

$5.95

851-4094

W

ith the Chicago
Cubs making the
National League
baseball playoffs for the first
time in umpteen years, it is
quite fitting that something
is said about this town.
Matt Prentice, owner/chef
at Sebastian's in the
Somerset Mall, and localite
dining entrepreneur of Uni-
que Restaurants, writes of his
visit there a short while back.
"The windy city, so close,
yet so different. What is the
difference between Chicago's
and Detroit's restaurant
scenes? Attitude!
"Are the chefs more
talented? Are the designers
better? Maybe it is the water?
Perhaps, but probably not.
Like any large city, Detroit
included, Chicago has an ar-
ray of diversified dining.
Detroit has Muer, Chicago
has Melman — so why does
Chicago get so much atten
tion? The answer — attitude!
"This attitude I am speak-
ing of is the way people in
Chicago look at dining.
They're adventurous, in-
quisitive, even daring. This
enables the restauranteurs to
try things that would be
financial suicide in Detroit.
And it works!
"Chicago has one of the
most exciting restaurant
scenes in the country. The ci-
ty is alive with activity every
day but Sunday and
restauranteurs take full ad-
vantage of it.
"Probably the best known
of the Chicago
Restau-ranteurs is Richard
Melman. He owns a company
called Lettuce Entertain You
— and it does just that, enter-
tain. Melman is perhaps the
most copied restauranteur in
the United States. One look
at his concepts and it is ob-
vious why many try to mirror
his success. All of his units
are jammed, electric, original
and very profitable.
"My favorite of these units
is Ed Debevic's — a fifties-
style diner. At Ed's you feel
like you've stepped back in
time There is memorabilia
all over the place, the music
is perfect, the food is high
caloric, high cholesterol, high
quality and very good. The
waitresses must be seen to be
believed. These waitresses are
like well-trained actors. They
pop bubble gum in your face,
insult you and nearly bring
you to tears from laughing so

hard. Just ask for something
particular like 'gravy on the
side' and you're likely to hear
the waitress yell out, 'Hey, we
gotta picky one over here!'
"Other Melman concepts
are nearly as wild. 'Hat
Dance' combines Mexican
fare with sushi. `Scoozi"
specializes in tapas and is
perhaps the hottest seat in
town. The newest is a
restaurant done with Oprah
Winfrey that is getting press
for `Oprah's mashed potatoes
— complete with lumps!
"The other major
restauranteur in town is the
Levey organization. Like
Melman, they control over 30
restaurants in Chicago. The
Levey brothers lack the flair
of Melman but they do
everything just as well.
"Perhaps the best of their-
restaurants is Spiaggia,
which is the finest Italian
eatery in Chicago. It is
located on Michigan Avenue
and has a beautiful view of
Lake Michigan.
"Chicago has an excellent
selection of upscale
restaurants.
"Le Perroquet is an annual
recipient of five stars from the
Mobil Guide. It is nothing
short of fabulous.
"Other favorites are La
Ibur in the Park Hyatt, the
Everest Roomn and Yoshi's
Cafe, which combines French
Nouvelle with Japanese
artistry.

"Another highly regarded
restaurant (another Melman
venture) by locals is Ambria.
It's chef/partner Gambino
Sotelino is nationally regard-
ed. However, in a recent visit
the service ruined the even-
ing. The food was excellent —
too bad.
"For midwestern cuisine,
the restaurant you'll want to
visit is Printers Row. Michael
Foley recently was honored
with an Ivy Award from
Retaurants and Institutions
magazine — one of the
highest compliments one can
receive.
"For great steaks, try Mor-
ton's. If fish is what you're
looking for the Cape Cod
Room is aquatic institution.
"If you don't mind driving
a little go to Wheeling, which
is 20 minutes north of town!
There you will find two of the
country's finest restaurants
— Carlos and Le Francais.
Both are superb but undergo-
ing changes. Jean Banchet
recently sold Le Francais to
the chef at Carlos, who pro-
mises to carry on the tradi-

.

tion. Although I have not
tried either since the change,
rumors are that both have
kept their standards — which
are incredibly high.
"By the way, the beginning
of this article might lead you
to believe that I think
Chicago is superior to Detroit
on the dining scene. The truth
is that they can't shake a
stick at us. There is much
more talent in Detroit than in
any other area of the
Midwest. Unfortunately,
talent is only valuable if it is
expressed, and there are not
enough Detroiters ready for
this expression to enable
chefs to be creative and pro-
fitable at the same time. On

-■

Detroit has
Muer, Chicago has
Melman — so why
does Chicago get
so much
attention?

the bright side, a noticeable
improvement is occurring and
as it does I believe that you
will begin to see our
restaurants become more dar-
ing."
. IT'S BILLED AS "The
Best Party In The Free
World"- ... but biggest and
loudest also might be
appropos.
As the huge crystal ball
whirled from the high ceiling
at the beautifully renovated
State Theatre while lights
bounced their beams,
ClubLand opened with a
noisy bang of frenzied
activity.
Something going on at all
times . . . 64 smaller video
screens and three large ones
while the continuous opening
party had ClubLand dancers
to watch, attendees dancing
to the loud eardrum-bursting
disco sounds . . . many sights,
people packed in fun-filled
moods.
State . Theatre, with its
64-year-old interior of beauty,
originally was built as a
movie house . . . and today
starts a new life by becoming
a nightclub with probably the
most sophisticated sound
system around.
Billy Liberson remarking,
"We're too young for this" .. .
Bob Golding dancing on stage
while wife Leslie watched
from below . . . Shelly and
Richard Golden outside
waiting for their car and try-
ing to figure out where the
valets hid it.
Large video screens always

4