LISTENING POST
We've Made A Lot
Of Great Albums.
There are a host of reasons to host an affair at the
new Sheraton Southfield Hotel.
We've just undergone a multi-million dollar
renovation and our facilities are second to none. You'll
find an elegant ballroom that can accommodate 850
people in style, superb food and an experienced,
knowledgeable staff that will take care of all the
details. Our prices are surprisingly reasonable, too.
So whether you're planning a wedding, anniversary,
bar mitzvah, reunion or whatever, consider the new
Sheraton Southfield Hotel. Call our
"4
Director of Catering at 559-6500. 16400 J.L.
Hudson Drive, Southfield.
®
I BEST OF EVERYTHING
A Great Restaurant 'Tradition
Has Re-Opened In Detroit
..
Sheraton Southfield Hotel
The hospitality people of ITT
a.
Escape To The Ocean ..
20% OFF
Present this advertisement and receive
20% off on the purchase of two or more
dinner entrees.
Offer valid Monday through Thursday
now through March 28, 1991
Not valid in conjunction with
any other offers.
GRILLE
280 N. Woodward • Birmingham
Reservations 646-7001
0
ROSE GUTTMAN
FORMERLY OF THE ORIGINAL IRVING'S DELI
IS NOW ACCEPTING PASSOVER
ORDERS FOR HER FAMOUS
GEFILTE FISH . . . AND
COMPLETE DINNERS
643-7755
0
FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 1991
I
DANNY RASKIN
Local Columnist
W
hen people talk
about legends in the
restaurant world,
one of the great names almost
invariably pops up.
So with Carl's Chop House
reopening Aug. 20 of last year
after being purchased Aug. 7
by Mario's owner, Frank
Passalacqua, it was to many
like their second home had
been returned to them.
The family of 96-year-old
Carl Rosenfeld closed the
doors of this famous dining
emporium on May 17, 1990,
because of a labor dispute.
Fifty-nine years ago, Carl
Rosenfeld left the tire
business and with a partner
from Cleveland opened the
Grand River Chop House
about a block-and-a-half down
the street . . . Prohibition
hadn't been repealed yet and
the upstairs was a favorite
blind pig gathering place for
judges, mayors, governors and
other prominent personages
of the day.
Five years later, long after
Carl and the Cleveland fellow
had a parting of the ways, the
move was to its new site .. .
and new name that was to
become one of much note.
In 1954, the new Carl's
Chop House was a small place
with a bar, poolroom and
small dining room . . . Carl
eventually turned the pool or
billiard room into another
dining area still called "The
Green Room," took over Fren-
chies Tool and Die on one side
in 1957 to enlarge the dining
room, and changed the bar
area where a bank next door
used to be located . . . Later
came the Cypress Room nam-
ed for its wood walls . . . but
retitled six months later to its
present name, "the Executive
Room."
It is to Frank Passalacqua's
credit that the famed Carl's of
yesteryears hasn't changed
. . . About 90 percent of Carl
Rosenfeld's longtime em-
ployees have returned . . . and
with happiness to be back.
Stalwarts like night
manager Al Urrutia, who was
with Carl's when it opened 54
years ago . . . and day
manager Bill Noseworthy,
with Carl's 10 years, and now
back . . . help make up its ex-
cellent service backbone.
Frank's family is there, too
. . . Shifting between Mario's
and Carl's . . . Daughter
Mimi, hostess and in the of-
fice; wife Claudia, in the of-
fice; and son Vince, hosting
. . . Frank's sister, Cecilia
Grego, who with husband
George owns Como's on Wood-
ward, hostesses there a couple
days a week, especially on
Red Wing home hockey
nights when the place is
jammed.
The warm decor of Carl's
still remains . . . its
cleanliness, always a Carl's
Chop House byword, con-
tinues to be evident, and
decorative features are silent-
ly prevalent but in no way
done to alter one iota of Carl's
fine looks.
When Frank took over, he
gutted almost the entire kit-
chen to replace it with a com-
plete new and modern one .. .
One kitchen sector is called
The Dish Room . . . and those
washing dishes in it can lay
claim to doing so in an area
that is larger than a lot of full
kitchens.
Outside, rotted brick above
well-kept brick has been
replaced with brown
aluminum siding panels .. .
There's also an entire
sidewalk now around the
building . . . And Carl's Chop
House will soon have its own
bakery on the premises .. .
plus more outside
renovations.
Between the downstairs
and upstairs, Carl's Chop
House can accommodate
almost 800 people . . . In the
upper area, Frank will add
another large room with a
capacity of almost 300.
Carl's has always been a
great sports and theater place
to go before and after .. .
Frank expects about 1,000
people on opening day at
Tiger Stadium.
He joins other restaura-
teurs who have gotten on the
restroom bandwagon with
those mechanical revolving
plastic seats where you press
a button and a new cover ap-
pears . . . Between Mario's
and Carl's, 21 seats have been
outfitted with this very
sanitary operation which has
become much more than just
a conversation piece.
It's still the same wonderful
Carl's Chop House . . . a
legend that continues to live
. . . thanks to Frank
Passalacqua.
CONGRATS . . . to Bob
Russman . . . on his 65th bir-
thday . . . Bob and wife San-
dy recently celebrated their
25th anniversary in Palm
Harbor, Fla., where they have
lived the past eight years.
THE U.S. ARMY will pro-
vide a new wrinkle at the up-
coming fashion show produc-
ed by Leah Marks for Women
of Maimonides Medical Socie-
ty's 45th annual donor lun-
cheon, this Tuesday, at Adat
Shalom Synagogue on Mid-
dlebelt off Northwestern.
To tell would give away a
powerful secret, and take
away the thrill for attendees,
so I'll keep my mouth shut.
Maimonides co-presidents
are Marilyn Kohen and
Marlene Moss . . . Janice
Berkower is chairperson for
the day . . . If you're too
curious to wait, maybe one of
them will tell you.
Boutiques will open 10
a.m., with Patti Phillips and
Lesley Feldman as chairgals
of the merchandise array.
IT'S PROPER to call him
Colonel Joe Glazer . . . This
year, Joe was given the pro-
Following a labor
dispute, a change
of owners and
renovations, Carl's
is back in
business. Future
plans will expand
seating to 1,100
persons on two
levels.
motion and acclaimed for his
leadership abilities, devotion
and commitment to ex-
cellence at a dinner by the
Emergency Management Di-
vision of Southfield (formerly
called Civil Defense).
This is the highest rank in
a very invaluable organiza-
tion regularly seen assisting
with traffic and crowd control
. . : plus evening surveillance
of Southfield parks, malls and
senior citizen complexes
among so many other duties
. . . Southfield police and fire
departments are high in their
praise of the more than 50
dedicated EMD and radio
amateur volunteers, both
men and women, who assist
with relief during severe
storms, wires down, emergen-
cy situations, etc.
Joe has been an EMD and
civil defense mainstay over 25
years . . . earning special com-
mendation awards from the
Southfield Police Dept. in
1973 and 1976 . . . In 1978,
Joe was named "Man of The
Year" and in 1980 given the
coveted "Award of Valor."
This is an excellent organi-