40.
LISTENING POST
Fine Catering
for all occasions
I BEST OF EVERYTHING
This Site Has Grown From
Corned Beef To Four-Star
DANNY RASKIN
One of Metropolitan Detroit's Most
Beautiful and Exciting Restaurants
Local Columnist
0
Wonderfully Prepared Catering
in Your Home, Office or at Our Restaurant
Fine Dining and Live Entertainment
Tuesday thru Saturday
NEW ENGLAND
LOBSTER FEAST
Monday thru Thursday
28875 FRANKLIN RD. at Northwestern Hwy. & 12 Mile
Southfield
358-3355
Jane's
Place
Casual Dining at Popular Prices in an Intimate Cafe Setting
25861 LAHSER AT CIVIC CENTER DRIVE • SOUTHFIELD
MON.-THURS. H a.m.-8 p.m.
FRI. & SAT. II a.m.-9 p.m., Closed Sun.
354-3640
• Evening Specials
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ENJOY LUNCH OR DINNER IN OUR
BEAUTIFUL OUTDOOR PATIO GARDEN
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COMPLETE DINNERS $5 . 95
Starting At
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YOU'RE THROWING IT ALL AWAY.
o F1120 EDF
Please write the Environmental Defense Fund at:
257 Park Ave. South, NY, NY 10010 for a free brochure.
•
E3TM
Like Pizza
Was Meant
Carry - Out
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WATCH FOR
THE OPENING OF OUR NEW BIRMINGHAM STORE, 1885 S. Woodward, Just N. of 14
FARMINGTON HILLS
WEST BLOOMFIELD
28845 Orchard Lake Road
Near Marmel's, Bet. 13 & 14
4177 Orchard Lake Road
at Pontiac Trail
553-2880
855-6633
FRIDAY AUGUST 21 1992
ne corned beef on rye"
had once been a call-
out as Jack Meyers
stood at the open counter
covered with stainless steel,
barking the order given him
by the waitperson in a system
that never did work or was
ever used again anywhere
else.
Jack, Al Hacker and Bernie
Glieberman closed the doors
of their Rascal House on the
property still owned today by
Jack Peltz, where so many
people at the time it was be-
ing built thought he was mov-
ing his House of Foods from
Schaefer and Seven Mile.
Following in the Rascal
House footsteps over 20 years
ago, July 31, 1972, to be ex-
act, was a restaurant that
would become one, of the
finest in Michigan . . . the
many awards-winning Golden
Mushroom on 10 Mile just
west of Southfield Road.
When Reid Ashton opened
the Golden Mushroom, there
was little thought of it one
day becoming such a very
high-ranking restaurant,
although he did have
futuristic visions of owning
such an establishment.
Back in 1972 at Golden
Mushroom, you could have
lunch for $1.95 . . . soup of the
day and healthy goodies from
a sumptuous salad bar .. .
The Lettuce Bin, as the varie-
ty of vegetables was called,
could also be gotten at no ex-
tra charge with all menu en-
trees and sandwiches.
Golden Mushroom was the
first place in the area to have
a salad bar, discontinued in
1984 to utilize the space for
wine storage . . . Its vast wine
inventory today is well over
9,000 bottles.
Where did the name come
from? . . . Reid was in another
restaurant and they served
golden mushroom soup .. .
He wanted a name that re-
flected quality and good food
. . . Golden Door didn't ring,
but Golden Mushroom did .. .
Mushrooms, Reid felt, were
always in . . . standing for
everything from fun to
French cuisine.
He had no intentions of
replacing landmarks then
like the London Chop House
among others . . . far from it
. . . but Reid did have a goal
of attaining a good, thriving
business, not an ego exten-
sion . . . At the time, he felt
the region was in a big need
of another fine, successful
restaurant . . . and this is
where his background came
in.
Reid had majored in hotel
and restaurant management
at Michigan State,
graduating in 1961 . . . After
a stint in the army, he work-
ed for a small hotel chain
with five properties but large
in catering at airports, Mar-
riott . . . During Reid's East
Lansing college days, he toil-
ed in restaurants as a waiter,
hoping one day to own his
own place.
When the opportunity
came, finding the right site
was of prime importance .. .
Reid's real estate experience,
too, came in handy.
And he needed a good chef
. . . The first one was a
woman, Martha Cattaruzz,
former sous chef for Chuck
Muer under Chef Duglass
(Doug Grech) at Hotel Pont-
chartrain . . . She was with
Reid until 1977.
Seating for 166 is still the
same, but those imitation
leather-covered booths have
been replaced with elegant
cloth covering . . . The
original plastic table tops are
now damask linen, inexpen-
sive dishes are today Villery
and Boch fine china, the
stainless flatware is now
sterling silver and the Libbey
glassware is 24 percent lead
crystal.
But one thing hasn't chang-
ed at Golden Mushroom .. .
Its warm atmosphere . . . The
fine restaurant with its rough
sawn cedar has retained a
relaxed, comfortable feeling
while attaining more
elegance.
Golden Mushroom has a lot
of character, in both its
restaurant and employees, of
which today there are 105 in-
cluding 23 in the kitchen
alone.
Mary Self started 14 years
ago in 1978 and is still work-
ing lunches as a much-in-
demand waitress . . . When
Miro Adamik migrated here
from Czechoslovakia in 1980
he could speak very little
English but waited on tables
. . . Today, Miro knows a lot
more English and is an even-
ing waiter stalwart.
Probably one of the most
important additions to the
Golden Mushroom team was
that of Milos Cihelka . . . He
came on board in 1977 as ex-
ecutive chef and Reid later of-
fered him stock in the corn-
pany .. . It wasn't until 1985
that Milos decided to accept
Reid's offer and invest in the
Golden Mushroom.
The list of proteges who
have worked under Chef
Milos at the London Chop
House and Golden Mushroom
reads like a chef's Who's Who
. . . Two of them are still at
Golden Mushroom . . . Steven
Allen, its excellent executive
chef, and Paul Yousoufian,
now general manager and
also its day manager with
Greg Tierney.
Throughout the years,
Golden Mushroom has tried
to provide the best cuisine
possible at what it deems fair
prices . . . And a big attribute
is the fact that this -is not a
restaurant sitting on its
laurels, although it very well
could with so glamorous a
reputation . . . Regardless of
What area, Golden Mushroom
continually strives for im-
provement . . . Much can be
said for this admirable trait.
Its work on the U.S.
Culinary Olympic team is of
national note . . . Chef Milos,
who became a master chef in
Golden Mushroom
was the first place
in the area to have
a salad bar.
1988, is presently the squad's
cookery adviser . . . and Reid
a prime fund-raiser for the
team's appearance in
Frankfort, Germany.
The Golden Mushroom's
brushed stucco-like walls,
rose-colored tablecloths, rose-
colored napkins, oversized
floral patterned plates and ex-
cellent cuisine are accented
by beautiful presentation
from its tuxedoed waitpersons
. . . The dark wood ambiance
of dividers with mushrooms
carved in each wide slat,
elegant lighting, rose-colored
lamp shades, beige chairs
with rose print seats, etc.
Ron Robb was originally a
bartender when the Hotel
Pontchartrain opened . . .
then going to the former DB's
at Hyatt Regency in Dear-
born . .. Today, working even-
ings, he is one of the very fine
waitstaff personnel . . . ex-
tremely efficient, cordial and
polite . . . Back in the '80s,
Ron's parents, Norman and
Larry Robb, used to own the
Opera House Restaurant on
E. Warren.
Buspersons like Ben Purser
also do much to make a place
. . . His winning smile and
pleasant personality are