BEST OF EVERYTHINGI-

Authentic Mideastern Cuisine

Introducing Our new LOW-PRICED

LUNCHEON MENU

See Our new LOW-PRICED

DINNER MENU

Same Great Dishes At Both Lunch & Dinner
At Prices You'll Love, Too!

Open 7 Days ... Monday Thru Thursday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 12 Mid.
Sunday
3 p.m. to 10 p.m.
7295 Orchard Lake Rood at Northwestern Hwy.
On The North Side of Robin's Nest Shopping Center
West Bloomfield
Reservations Accepted: 737-0160

N.

OPEN 7 DAYS

MON.-SUN.
1 a.m. to 10 p.m.

FRAIMUN
SHOPPING ORR

k■

,

Norivosesten N. of 12

358-2353

FRIDAY & SAT U R DAY
May 18 and 19
4 BROILED LAMB CHOPS

WITH RICE & VEGETABLES, SOUP & SALAD

$8.95

• VARIETY OF FRESH FISH NIGHTLY
• SAUTEED DISHES • PASTAS • BROILED CHICKEN
• GREEK DISHES • ETC ETC ETC ETC

11

4USRA`ii(

6407 ORCHARD LAKE RD., WEST BLOOMFIELD
IN THE ORCHARD MALL - ORCHARD LAKE RD & MAPLE

851-6400

HERE SINCE 1973

NOW FULLY OPEN AFTER REDECORATION

ORIENTAL & CONTINENTAL CUISINE
NEWLY EXPANDED MENU

SAT. NITE SPECIAL-RIKSHAW PUNCH 1 OFF
YOUR HOST: DAVID LUM
Inquire About Our Cooking Classes

Monday Thru Saturday
4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Entrees priced from

$5.75-$9.95

4108 W. Maple • Birminaham. MI •

76

FRIDAY, MAY 18, 1990

1 block W of Terearaon •

626.2630

From Storefront On Grand River
To Becoming Italian Standout

DANNY RASKIN

Local Columnist

G

ood secrets are meant
to be kept, but retain-
ing them for long
spans of time in the
restaurant game is rare.
This is especially so with a
spot like the original Maria's
of Detroit on Grand River bet-
ween Southfield and Outer
Drive, where few people who
have gone have failed to
return.
Its doors were originally
opened in 1973 . . . and when
Joan and Carl Orlando took
over in 1981, it was still a lit-
tle carry-out and pizza
delivery operation without a
liquor license, only three
wooden tables and a pop
machine in one corner.
Today, the original Maria's
of Detroit is anything but a
little pizzeria . . . Sure, it still
does carry-out (no delivery),
but it also has a number of
major ingredients in dining
. . . Excellent food, excellent
service and much charm are
standouts.
The quaint little main din-
ing room of booths and tables
oozes with a warm, intimate
fascination of cozy informali-
ty . . . Checkered tablecloths,
candles in Chianti bottles, lit-
tle red lanterns, red-
checkered curtains on win-
dows facing Grand River,
walls half-bricked, a few, not
many, little artifacts on a
ledge, two ceiling fans and
other homey-like atmospheric
delights . . . On one wall are
musical instruments given to
Carl by customers . . . an old-
fashioned zither, sax,
trumpet, violin and guitar.
There's even a coat rack in
the small main dining room
that seats just 42 people .. .
A lounge area has a bar with
eight stools, red-carpeted
walls and three booths under
large Giacobazzi umbrellas
. . . Two more rooms seat 25
and 35 and a popular banquet
room takes up to 100, doing
many birthdays, anniver-
saries, etc. . . . One has all red
tablecloths plus wall lights
at booths . . . and the other,
with checkered tablecloths,
brick butting halfway up
against the stucco walls, is
much like the main dining
room.
It was not a restaurant
when Joan and Carl took over
the original Maria's on Grand
River . . . They made a door-
way to next door which had
been a delicatessen . . . then
bought the record store next

to that and converted it also
. . . They enclosed a back
space which had previously
been used as an open patio
because even more room was
needed.
This true "sleeper"
restaurant has become a big
favorite of people who want to
keep it a secret . . . and little
wonder why.
We sat in the main dining
room with its pleasingly-
warm atmopshere . . . Our
waitperson, Jim Graham, has
been at Mario's of Detroit go-
ing onto seven years in
September . . . He started out
washing dishes, delivering
pizzas, doing valet parking
and busing tables . . . Now,
besides being a fine waiter,
Jim is a bartender and
sometime maitre d'.

He's good . . . always smil-
ing, very efficient and a
highly personable young man
who you can see has a fond
devotion for pleasing people.
Jim brought us some of that
delicious homemade garlic
bread Maria's of Detroit is
noted for . . . not strips, but a
large piece . . . Seems to taste
so much better when you tear
off a chunk.
Then Jim brought me a
cold, crisp salad and side of
spaghetti . . . These, along
with the garlic bread, are
served with dinners.
The veal pizzaiola Jimmy
brought me was so very good
. . . with fresh mushrooms
and green peppers in a
marinara sauce chock full of
goodness.

Tender veal that makes
your taste buds tingle and so
tender it cuts with the side of
a fork are surely among the
reasons why the original
Maria's of Detroit on Grand
River has gained in rapid
popularity.
There's a wee service bar in
the main dining room almost
in front of a kitchen people
think is small because that's
all they can see . . . These con-
tain the pizza ovens . . .
However, in back of it is a
much larger kitchen where
most of the preparation work
is done.
Maria's on Grand River has
a full line of wines and
desserts . . . Passing up the
pastries, Jim brought me a
refreshing pineapple sorbet to
cap off a very fine dinner.
Head chef Don Schultz and
his staff prepare nine veal
dishes, four chicken favorites,
six seafood goodies, 12 or
more Italian pasta specialties

and a number of suggested
dining features.
Besides its excellent food
and service and wonderful
surroundings, Maria's of
Detroit on Grand River has
"standing room only" appeal
on Friday and Saturday
nights . . . That's when Olga
Romano sings with her trio of
two guitars (brother Ronnie
Shandel is on the lead) and
violin . . . strolling about
singing and playing songs
from "Amore" to "Hava
Nagila" and a wide variety of
recognizable numbers.
Also on Saturday evenings,
Olga's daughter, Ilona, reads
cards . . . There is no charge
except for the tips she is given
as Ilona forecasts the future

This intimate place
keeps adding
space to take care
of the crowds.

from a small booth in front
where she greets customers
who have told their waitper-
son to put them in line.
Olga and her strolling
minstrels also appear other
nights when various occa-
sions may arise.
Once a month, usually the
first Friday, Maria's of Detroit
has a Blues Night that
highlights the Blue Collar
Blues Band.
Joan is usually operating
the restaurant in the evening
plus serving as a very cordial
and gracious hostess . . . Her
and Carl's son, Carl Jr., runs
lunch . . . and has a rock band
that plays elsewhere at night
. . . Both his and Jimmy's
punk rock band practice in
the back room after hours.
Maria's of Detroit on Grand
River is open 7 days a week
. . . Monday through Friday,
lunch 11:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.;
dinner Sunday through
Thursday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.;
and Friday and Saturday, 4
p.m. to 11 p.m.
The prices are most
reasonable . . . and certainly
well worth every cent.
Valet parking is available
next door at Maria's of
Detroit's own lot.
The saying, "Let sleeping
dogs lie" hardly holds true for
Maria's of Detroit . . . Firstly,
in restaurant parlance it is
far and away not a dog .. .
and secondly, something so
good was meant to be shared.
It's best to make reserva-
tions . . . In fact, I highly
recommend it . . . especially