Fine Catering
for all occasions
Size Reduction Returns
Glamor Spot To Oak Park
One of Metropolitan Detroit's Most
Beautiful and Exciting Restaurants
DANNY RASKIN LOCAL COLUMNIST
Wonderfully Prepared Catering
in Your Home, Office or at Our Restaurant
W
Fine Dining and Live Entertainment
mill Sat.: GEORGE "STARDUST" GREEN
Opening Tuesday, Sept. 7
THE MARRONES
28875 Franklin Rd. at Northwestern & 12 mile
1121. Southfield
358-3355
LIVE OPERA
Featuring...THE
ENRICO CARUSO SOCIETY
EVERY WEDNESDAY EVENING 7 p•m• to 10 p.m.
Enjoy Excellent Italian Cuisine and Listen To
Arias and Duets From
The Most Beautiful Operas Ever Written
00
DINNER
FOR
2
I
• Full Dinners Only
0
L
• Expires 9-16-93
FINE DINING AND comas?
HOMEMADE PASTA AT ITS MST
31735 Plymouth Road
3 Blocks West
For Reservations, Call
of Merriman
261-2430
. Livonia
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BROASTED 1
• Dine In Only
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OPEN 7 DAYS
SUN.-THURS. 11-10
FRI. & SAT. 1 1-1 1
m
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CD
WHOLE SLAB
OF RIBS &
BROASTED OR
BAR•B•0 CHICKEN
FOR 2!
ES
CO
CO
CAD
118 SOUTH WOODWARD • ROYAL OAK
JUST NORTH OF 10 MILE NEXT TO ZOO
• One Coupon Per Person
544-1 21 1
Since 1934
QUALITY IS OUR PRIORITY!
OPEN 7 DAYS
The Original
MODERN
OF OAK PARK
DELICATESSEN
RESTAURANT
25290 GREENFIELD, SE. CORNER AT I-696
iJ
E
50% OFF
968-8000
SECOND
DINNER
WITH PURCHASE OF ANOTHER DINNER EQUAL OR GREATER VALUE
• Not Valid With Other Discounts •
J
1
TRAYS Min.) 5 OFF MEAT
TRAYS
0 OFF (20 MEAT Person
(10 Person Min.)
„
ill reservations be
the next absolutely
incredible innova-
tion in counterside
gourmet dining at a little
place here that has not only
gathered national attention
but made possible affordable,
elegant cuisine?
Not very likely, but any-
thing is possible now . . . even
sorbet before dessert . . .
Giorgio is back.
This is George Golematis
. . . he and brother Bill
Golematis, are the new
owners of Peter's K on the cor-'
ner of Greenfield and Lincoln,'
off 1-696, in Oak Park.
As sure as monkeys have
hair on their chests it won't
be Peter's K too much longer
. . . The name Giorgio's is cer-
tain to return again, along
with more interesting
changes.
When George took over the
former Biffs diner that was
then called Spiro's Coney
Island in June of 1981, it
served only coney, ham-
burgers, chili and Greek salad
along with a few breakfast
and lunch items.
Someone else would have
been satisfied to make a
meager living from this little
successful diner . . . Giorgio,
however, is no ordinary per-
son . . . There was a different
concept on his mind . . . Why
else would somebody like him
be satisfied with such a small
place that seated only 25 peo-
ple, 17 at the counter plus a
couple of booths at each end?
Giorgio had been a waiter
at the prestigious London
Chop House, director of food
and beverage at Hotel St.
Regis during its dining hey-
day, and the person responsi-
ble for those magnificent
gourmet dishes prepared
tableside at the fine, four-star
Benchmark Restaurant in
the former Michigan Inn.
Shortly after taking over, he
used to make steak Diane for
coney island or hamburger
sandwich customers without
charge so they could tell him
how it was.
It wasn't meant as a trick to
get them to try this and other
gourmet dishes, but many
who had never tasted the
likes of Giorgio's divine culi-
nary gems balanced their
diets to include the elegant
offerings at prices that boggl-
ed the imagination.
Six months after George
bought Spiro's, the new sign
they had 10 people washing
went up . . . Giorgio's became
walls, windows, etc. . . .
the talk of the town . . . Five
Giorgio remembers those
two-top tables were added
whopping 95 to 97 percents
along with the large windows
by the Oakland County
. . . it's all he could get in .. .
Health Department . . . He
and the "big" 35-seater
loves the look of a spotlessly-
restaurant began filling up 10
clean operation.
times a night with its unbe-
There's all new silverware
lievable menu and hibachis
now . . . New plates, new
on the counter flicking fire
bowls for pasta.
as flaming desserts were
Customers can have cher-
prepared.
ries jubilee or peaches flambe,
Giorgio had put together a
flamed with brandy, coin-
completely new ballgame in
treau and kirsch for just $2.95
eating out . . . and called it
. . . Or bananas foster flamed
counterside gourmet dining
with grand marnier, coin-
. . . Folks came from every-
treau and brandy over vanilla
where to sit at a counter and
ice cream, also $2.95.
eat steak Diane, steak au
If anything is not on the
poivre, veal or chicken mar-
menu and Giorgio has the in-
sala, veal picanti, beef carpet-
gredients, he'll make it . . . In
bag, pepper steak, shrimp
fact, Giorgio will soon have
Dijon, etc.
cards on which people can re-
It was such a huge success
quest their favorite gourmet
that many kept clamoring for
dish . . . If enough ask for cer-
Giorgio to have a bigger place
tain delicacies, he'll put them
. . . He listened too hard and
on as accessible menu items.
. admits to a very big mistake.
The 12-ounce whitefish is
"My head got too big," says
deboned, sauteed with lemon,
George, who sold his little
garlic, butter and dry ver-
restaurant to Peter Kot-
mouth and grilled, $8.25 .. .
sogiannis, a New York cousin,
and opened in Birmingham's
Great American Insurance
Building . . . He had to turn
people away on Fridays and
Saturdays but therein lies his
downfall . . . The place stood
bare during the week and his
overhead, which had more
There is spaghetti with fresh
than quadrupled, kept look-
salmon that has been sauteed
ing even bigger.
in olive oil, chicken broth,
George closed and later
garlic, onions, marinara sauce
quietly opened Annie's Kit-
and heavy whipping cream
chen on Telegraph between
. . . It can be made with or
Chicago and Joy, but it
without the cream, $8.50.
seemed out of place.
Everything is fresh and
Suddenly, customers re-
cooked-to-order . . . The low
cenLly at Peter's K began
prices can probably be at-
doing double-takes . . . "Look
tributed to more of an em-
who I found!" cried one
phasis on food and service
woman to her husband as she
than the usual amenities of a
hugged Giorgio.
gourmet-style restaurant .. .
"It's like coming home,"
Its customers don't expect
says Giorgio. "I feel like I
linen napkins or linen table-
went to sleep for 10 years and
cloths and beautiful pictures
woke up in the middle of a
or artifacts.
beautiful dream that has
Peter's K, soon to become
turned out to be real! I never
Giorgio's again, is a classic ex-
thought it would happen
ample that good gourmet food
again." . . . L.Tiorgio was cer-
can be gotten at reasonable
tain that he had his chance
prices.
and let it go.
Plus the high-styled gour-
But fate deemed otherwise
met items, a separate pasta
and Giorgio is back . . . cook-
menu is available . . . lin-
ing on the line and saying so
guine a la vongole with red or
many hellos again with the
N,v h te clam sauce ($6.95) and
friendliness that has always
fettuccine primavera ($5.95)
reeked of warmness.
are among the seven also
He is there evenings, and
served with soup or salad .. .
brother Bill morning and
The counterside gourmet din-
noon . . . The first Sunday,
ners, after 5 p.m., include
Bigger wasn't
better for Giorgio.