LISTENING POST I BEST OF EVERYTHING I s-At, A New Restaurant Inherits Grand Location And Tradition Invites You To Enjoy IT'S BUFFET STYLE SUNDAY BRUNCH DANNY RASKIN Local Columnist 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. A • FRESH OMELETTES • EGGS BENEDICT • FRESH SHRIMP ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT AND MANY MORE GREAT ITEMS $1 95 0 $595 Children Under 10 Adults Tableside Cooking at Dinners . . . • Steak Diane • Caesar Salad • Seafood Fettucini • Fettucine • Veal • Dover Sole • Flaming Desserts Catering For All Occasions • Lunch Served Mon: Fri. • Pastries Made On The Premises 935 W. 11 MILE, S.E. CORNER 11 & 1.75 Res: 399-5960 Chef: Peter Lieber Your Hosts: Bruno Ferguson & Tim Kowalec - --OMs WO MS MIS MI ALSO VISIT US AT OUR CARRY-OUT ONLY 3637 MAPLE RD. AT LAHSER Birmingham 645-0300 0 1 1 ANY LARGE PIZZA OR 1. NOT GOOD WITH OTHER DISCOUNTS LARGE ANTIPASTO OR LARGE 1 •COUPONS GOOD AT ALL LOCATIONS GREEK SALAD WHEN YOU I. • Expires 2-16-92 I 31646 NORTHWESTERN HWY. PRESENT THIS COUPON UPON AT MIDDLEBELT 1 ORDERING. # Farmington Hills 1 DINE IN OR CARRY OUT 855,4600 1 VITEI 12 CUM 2 CUM 4 VINT 111 Bmmmsw.....s......r Ns mom FEE ILE IETIM Beau Jac Food & Spirits EARLY DINNERS NOW 7 DAYS Monday Thru Sunday 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Entrees priced from $5.75 4108 W. Maple • Birmingham, MI • 1 blovk W of Telegraph • 626-2630 Open For Lunch & Dinner Serving AUTHENTIC Thai Food and Cocktails Bangkok Club 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mon. Thru Thurs. • 11:30 a.m. to II p.m. Fri. • 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sat. I OPEN SUNDAY 5 p.m TO 10 p.m. I 29269 Southfield Road north of 12 Mile In The Southfield Commons 569-1400 rich background of much civic pride is inherited by the new Mr. B's Southfield which recently opened on 12 Mile Road just east of Evergreen. This was originally the Sussex House, built in 1967 and opened 1968 by Jimmy Jardack, whose long-standing commitment with the City of Southfield has always been one of proud bearing. He had come to America in 1938 and in 1956 opened .Southfield's first super- market on Southfield Road and 10 Mile where Harry's Big and Tall now stands .. . His brother, Aziz "Sam" Behnan (he took the first name of their father as his surname when arriving here in 1927, but on legal documents signed Jardack), owned the property where Jimmy revolutionized the in- dustry with conveyer belts that went from truck to storage area and basement. More land owned by Sam was to the east of Evergreen, past the present Evergreen Shopping Plaza . . . It was va- cant and members of the Southfield Council with whom Jimmy was close as a valued citizen asked if he would consider putting a needed restaurant there that could cost a minimum of $500,000 to achieve what they desired. Jimmy kept his 70x100-foot Foodlane Market while building what was to be a lavish restaurant off the then two-lane 12 Mile Road with its asphalt street and wide ditches on each side . . . When he completed the beautiful 16th century Tudor architec- ture with its carpeting designed in England, carpenters from Italy to hand- carve the glamorous Sistine Chapel-like ceiling of solid white oak, wall paneling and even the heavy living room beams of solid white oak, etc., the final cost was over $700,000 . . . If built today, Jimmy estimates that it would cost well over $1.25 million. the finishing After restaurant, he and Sam started work next door on the land they both owned . . . finally completing Evergreen Shopping Plaza in 1972 .. . When Jack Hamburger and his partner, son of the owner of Vlasic Foods, wanted to buy the shopping center, Sam told Jimmy that they shouldn't sell and, to discourage the potential buyers, ask for $1 million . . . Jimmy recalls Jack saying they would think it over and then coming back later with a "We'll take it!" answer . . . He laughs about telling his brother this and how they couldn't back down . . . Evergreen Plaza has been sold twice more since then. Sussex House became Southfield Charley's in 1982, owned by Chuck Muer, and later sold to Dick Sikorski and his Charley's chain that went tap city. The prideful legacy of Sussex House now trans- mitted to Mr. B's Southfield is one that its owners will do well to follow with a lot of community pride much like that of Jimmy Jardack .. . They have the makings for this communal feeling, being well aware of neighbor con- cerns and consumer likes and dislikes. Mike Nash, Marty Tuchman, Rob Jackier and Ralph Gustafson, along with their working partner at Mr. B's Southfield, Rob Banish, are highly conscious of the tickings for a successful operation . . . and the mean- ing of good community rela- tions . . . This is Mr. B's number six by Mike, Marty, Rob and Ralph, plus their Mexican-related Monterrey in Royal Oak (Mr. B's Royal Oak, Mr. B's Farm, Novi, Mr. B's Rochester, Mr. B's Troy, Mr. B's West Bloomfield). The wide-open look now in the dining room at Mr. B's Southfield is accompanied by all new tile work on the walls, a video game sector, two billiard tables on a private upper level, huge TV screens for sports and movie fun, large pictures of Duke Ellington, Barbra Streisand, etc., neon above and all around the oval bar which has been redone except for the top, high-standing island tables where booths used to be, tile work along the walls, etc. . . . Upstairs seating is 180 with tables and booths in the remodeling that began in August . . . after a four-month renovation period it opened Nov. 27 with a new entrance, marbelized walls and drywall and painted murals covering former dark windows on the east side of the restaurant. The "romance" between Mike Nash and Rob Banish, managing partner at Mr. B's Southfield, started 10 years ago when Randy and brother Bob, managing partner at Mr. B's West Bloomfield, had the Roman Tavern in Rochester . . . Mike had Mr. B's Rochester, a small place then, where Rob Jackier now hangs his hat most of the time .. . Mr. B's didn't do as it does now, make its own soups, so on Saturdays when he wanted the low-cal minestrone soup he sent out to Roman Tavern for it to be brought in .. . Now, years later with Rob Banish being made manag- ing partner at Mr. B's, Mike wanted, before anything else on the menu, that minestrone soup . . . Many gallons of it are sold at the Mr. B's West Bloomfield. The Mr. B's Southfield menu also has a lot of Mex- ican items from their Monter- rey operation in Royal Oak plus beef ribs and fresh fish Mr. B's Southfield is on a special site. with daily specials on the fish items . . . Of course, it wouldn't be a Mr. B's without those turkeyburgers or spicy french fries . . . There's now also a senior citizens 10 per- cent discount for the first time at all the Mr. B's locations. Rob Banish spends most of his time out front greeting people as he should, but when necessary, like during the holidays with a shortage of help and the banquet rooms going hot and heavy down- stairs, the former Paul Kohn Kosher Catering associate was in the kitchen, apron and all, pitching his know-how along this avenue. About the downstairs at Mr. B's Southfield, it seats around 140 with a large room being divided into two if necessary . . . This is where Jimmy Jar- dack used to have a lot of com- munal functions that had the place hopping continually. Toward the end of April or beginning of May, Mr. B's Southfield will be able to of- fer people outdoor seating for 80 or 90 more people. The waitpersons of Mr. B's Southfield are geared for quickness to go along with their personable ways . . . Name tag on one of the gents says "Heffa" but that's not his name . . . at least not in English . . . It's Mexican for the first moniker of Jeff Hill. K