LISTENING POST
p
1".."I'm
Since 1939
1 BEST OF EVERYTHING I
VW
7618 Woodward Ave.
Boodles Restaurant Is Drawing
The West Side To The East Side
871-1590
SPECIAL QUALITY PARTIES
UP TO 200
DANNY RASKIN
Specializing In: Bar Mitzvahs, Sweet 16's,
Showers, Anniversaries, Retirement
Parties, Birthdays, Weddings, Etc.
Local Columnist
W
Snecial Appetizer Parties Available
r -
AND ASK
ABOUT OUR LOW BANQUET RATES
FOR ALL OCCASIONS.
IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD
A BUDDY'S PIZZA...
YOU HAVEN'T HAD I
PIZZA YET!
1
• NOT GOOD WITH OTHER DISCOUNTS
• EXPIRES 6-20.91
31646 NORTHWESTERN HWY.
AT MIDDLEBELT
Farmington Hilis
I
.
1
ANY LARGE PIZZA OR
LARGE ANTIPASTO OR LARGE
GREEK SALAD WHEN YOU
PRESENT THIS COUPON UPON I
VOTED
COMO
ORDERING.
I
ME 4
tT
855-4600
DINE IN OR CARRY OUT
IET1OIT NEWS
IETNIT
WE MSS .11
i IN IN =I =Fir NI IN
IN am IN NI sol
■
1
U
WORLD'S GREATEST BIRTHDAY PARTY!
1
MONDAY THRU THURSDAY WITH THIS COUPON
Limit 1
Coupon
Per
Visit
r M r - 7 , 1
FOR 4 FREE Quo
I
1 _ , 0) 310
Gotacapciac)
apaoaaa auzif,
~~ c
31005 ORCHARD LAKE RD.
I
a
626-5020
MON.-THURS. 'TIL 9 p.m. • FRI. & SAT, 'TIL 10 p.m. • SUN. 12 Noon-8 p.m.
lir
A STAR
FOR A
STAR
GIVE DAD THE
BEST TRAY IN TOWN!
STAR DELI
* 24555 W. 12 MILE, Just West of Telegraph
35i7377
72
FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 1991
I
hen a restaurant is
given the score of 93
by the very tough
Oakland County Health
Department, you know pay
dirt has been struck . . . It
very seldom, if ever, gives 100
percent . . . The 93 mark at
Boodles, southeast corner of
11 Mile and 1-75, would have
been higher, but a couple of
tiles were missing in the kit-
chen floor . . . And since it's a
known fact in the restaurant
industry that the Oakland
County Health Department
seems like they always must
find something . . . this 93
mark is quite an
achievement.
Where did the name
Boodles come from? . . . I
think it's an old English
literature term denoting a
festive gathering of people
served food and liquor . . .
Correct me if I'm wrong.
And festive it must be with
so many people hitting 1-696
and getting there for a good
experience.
Mel Thompson is at the
piano Fridays and Saturdays,
7:30 p.m. until midnight,
with his styling that brings
musicians and singers
together for fun sessions .. .
Joe Amijo holds forth at the
black and white ivories Mon-
days through Thursdays, 7
p.m.-11 p.m., tickling away
with enjoyable precision.
Many folks will remember
Chef Peter Lieber, formerly of
Panache, who worked under
Milos Cihelka at the Golden
Mushroom and was with
Keith Famie at the one-time
Raphael's in the Sheraton-
Oaks Hotel.
Boodles is a free-standing
building that opened in
November 1985 as a mauve-
colored structure with
authentic field stone of the
former operation . . . Today it
is a gray outside with that
beautiful field stone still in-
tact . . . Inside, one would
hardly recognize the place .. .
The former pizzeria and bar
that had opened 35 years ago
was completely renovated and
dressed up into a two-tiered
dining room oozing with a
casual elegant atmosphere of
intimate grace.
The men and women
waitstaff wear formal garb as
they graciously serve among
Tiffany-style lamps, lattice
work on the burgundy-colored
walls with green flowers . . . a
blend for the burgundy
tablecloths and gray napkins.
The seven-day-a-week
operation is not a large place
. . . just enough with its 95
seating capacity to promote a
high degree of intimacy amid
stained glass and leaded glass
designs on its windows, brass
railings, mirrored back wall
with the Boodles logo behind
a 14-stool bar and three ledg-
ed rails also with armless and
backless seats.
Gone are the pizza oven,
steam table, char-grill and ob-
solete four-burner stove . . . In
its stead now are a six-burner
stove, convection steamer,
infra-red broiler, two large
refrigerators . . . Since
Boodles also makes its own
breads, it has a 60-quart mix-
er and modernistic bread
warmer.
Boodles is owned by a cou-
ple of gents with what it
takes in the restaurant
business today . . . good solid
know-how . . . an important
facet in one of the toughest
businesses around . . . If
restaurant owners don't have
it now, my friends, they're
treading on very thin ice in
the keeping open or closing of
their doors.
Bruno Ferguson was
restaurant manager of the
former Rotunda and Kafay's
Place in Hyatt Regency Dear-
born for about a year . . .
Then it was on to the Shmid
Haus and partner for three
years at the popular Sparky
Herbert's . . . He also spent
nine years on passenger ships
doing everything in the
steward department so you
know Bruno has mastered the
art of people pleasing . . .
Cruise ship passengers are
considered among the
toughest to please when it
comes to dining.
He met current partner Jim
Kowalec while both worked at
Shmid Haus on Warren .. .
Bruno was general manager
and Jim its sous chef with ex-
ecutive chef Dan Hugelier, re-
cent member of the U.S.
Culinary Olympic Team .. .
Master Chef Milos Cihelka
had just left . . . Dearborn
Country Club as sous chef
followed for Jim . . . He and
Bruno served as maitre d's in
the evening, plying their han-
dicraft ever so popular with
tableside cooking aficianados.
Yvette Deane has been
pastry chef at Boodles four
years . . . watching the place
grow with its moderate prices
and excellent wine list .. .
And keeping a good thing in
the family, Bruno's wife
Charlotte is responsible for
most of the restaurant's in-
terior decorations.
Boodles, with its two-
diamond rating in the AAA
Tour Book, was recognized by
nationwide Triple A as one of
the restaurants to visit while
in the Detroit area.
Its slogan, "Where East
Meets West," is meant as just
that . . . with so many people
coming from the west side to
enjoy another fine east side
restaurant . . . Boodles is a
"sleeper" that has awakened
with a bang.
CONGRATS . . . to Laurie
Nosanchuk . . . on her
birthday.
MAIL DEPT. . . . from
Saul Horowitz . . . "In your
column about 'Yesteryears,'
how could you forget my
Webbwood Inn on Woodward
where we had 'Rhumba
Night' Tuesdays with Bob
Rodriquez and Panchito' and
In the 90s for
health, taste and
intimacy.
Wednesday Jam Sessions
with the Bowery Jitterbugs
Doug and Irene and Black
Jack and Celia. Also the
Tropics at the Wolverine
Hotel with the floating stage
for all three levels of the club."
WEDDING REHEAR-
SAL dinner night before the
big one was for former Jewish
News staffer Steve Hartz and
Lori Sherman at Holiday Inn
of Farmington Hills . . . I
wouldn't say Steve was ner-
vous . . . he always drinks out
of empty glasses . . . And tak-
ing notes the evening prior to
tying the lifetime knot? .. .
well, that's the lot of a true
newspaperman I guess . . . so
Lori had better get used to it
. . . no telling where or when
he might pull out the pencil
and paper.
Wherever she goes, well
almost, Golda Hartz always
brings her famous brownies
. . . The wedding rehearsal
dinner was no exception .. .
There were about 50 guests
and Golda, who now lives in
Palm Aire, Fla., most of the
year at the condo she and her
late husband, Murray, en-
joyed, made sure all the tables
had a tray of her brownies .. .
After all, what would a party
be without them? . . . Her
recipe is in the Boca Raton
Jewish Community Center
cookbook.
What a terrible feeling .. .
taking a plane to a wedding