The Michigan Classic Ballet

Presents

A Tenth Restaurant
Joins A Unique Line

DANNY RASKIN LOCAL COLUMNIST

Tl~ e

ardon me while I scratch
my head in awe.
Back in 1982, who in
the world could have en-
visioned that the genial young
man greeting people, cutting
corned beef and doing every-
thing a personable owner
should, in just a little less than
12 years would open his 10th
sitdown restaurant and ump-
teenth operation.
We were at the recent open-
ing of number 10 by Matthew
Prentice's Unique Restaurant
Corp., Trattoria Bruschetta in
Novi's Hotel Baronette on Novi
Road north of 12 Mile off 12-
Oaks Mall . . . He has also taken
over the catering at Hotel

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NUtcrAclter

with the MicliisAti Classic Sytiptiotiti Orchestra

Saturday Dec. 4 - 7:30 p.m.
Sunday Dec. 5 - 3:00 p.m.

Reserved Seating

Adults '15, Children '12

West Bloomfield High School Auditorium

For Ticket Information or to charge by phone

Call (313)661-4349

Baronette.

/ a HOMEMADE PASTA AT ITS BEST 1
FINE DINING AND COCKTAILS'

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Presents

IRINA LEKHTMAN
Mezzo Soprano

World-Renowned Russian

Preforming With THE ENRICO CARUSO SOCIETY

EVERY WEDNESDAY EVENING 7 p.m. -10 p.m.

HEAR LIVE OPERA WHILE ENJOYING AUTHENTIC ITALIAN
CUISINE PREPARED BY CHEF VITO DEPALMA (FORMERLY OF DARBYS)

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D IFNONRE R

$5" OF F

2

• Full Dinners Only
• Expires 12 - 8 - 93

31735 Plymouth Road 3 Blocks West of Merriman
Livonia

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For Reservations, Call

261-2430

BROASTED

•Dine In Only

OPEN 7 DAYS
SUN.-THURS. 11-10
FRI. & SAT. 11-11

aliC44 . 1 11BS

WHOLE SLAB
OF RIBS &
BROASTED OR
BAR-B-0 CHICKEN
FOR 21

MILES

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-ED

C/3

N

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118 SOUTH WOODWARD • ROYAL OAK

JUST NORTH OF 10 MILE NEXT TO ZOO

544-1211

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• One Coupon Per Person

QUALITY IS OUR PRIORITY!

alsalca

Italian Restaurant

Open Christmas Eve

Call Now For Reservations

680 -0066

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645 E. Big Beaver Road, Troy

,

has an excellent staff working
with him that includes Frank
Turner, executive chef, and
John Hargreaves, sous chef.
Linda Collins, director of
training, came to Sebastian's
from Joe Muer's; and trains all
the waitpersons whenever Matt
opens another restaurant .. .
Corporate chefs Tim Cikra, re-
sponsible for the fine diversified
Trattoria Bruschetta menu, and
Jim Barnett are always on
hand helping out . . . People like
Keith Schofield, managing part-
ner at Deli Unique West Bloom-
field, hops between that
restaurant and Trattoria Br-
uschetta, where he is also its
managing partner as well.
Even Theresa McWilliams,

Matt's rapid ride up the
ladder, by the way, is not
just a happening by
chance . . . This is a hard-
working, ambitious young
man who knows that suc-
cess doesn't come easy in
the restaurant game .. .
You must work for it and
hope the rewards will
wend your way.
Trattoria Brushetta is
still another example of
what makes someone like
Matt Prentice tick . . . It is
another moment of glory
for him but you won't see
any laid-back relaxation .
. . He's always on the
move, and when stopping
to get his wind, Matt's
mind is continually work-
ing . . . thinking of further
ways to garner customer
approval.
He has the uncanny
knack of surrounding
himself with key em-
ployees . . . a tremendous
asset that made people
like Chuck Muer giants in Matt hew Prentice: Growing chain.
the restaurant industry.
At most of Unique Restau-
corporate catering director, or
rant Corp's sitdown restaurants
Allison Susulla, head of cater-
. . . Morels, Sebastian's Grill,
ing at Hotel Baronette, or Mary
Tavern on 13, Bruschetta Cafe,
Gardener, the hotel's banquet
Table Tavern, Cafe Jardin, Deli
manager, work the Matt Pren-
Unique of West Bloomfield and
tice ways of customer satisfac-
Bingham Farms, Plaza Deli
tion.
and now Trattoria Bruschetta
The pre-opening of Trattoria
(there's also La Cuisine Jardin
Bruschetta in Novi was a grand
carryout) . . . the managing
opening celebration that gave
partner is a manager, too .. .
100% of the proceeds to benefit
Matt doesn't need to be there
the St. Vincent and Sarah Fish-
... He knows the individual din-
er Center, which clothes and
ing spots will be cared for with
feeds neglected and abused in-
his same kind of dedicated de-
fants and children.
votion.
Ron Rea has captured the de-
What he has built is an em-
sign simplicity of a cozy but el-
pire of wonderful teamwork.
egant atmosphere that oozes
Richard Pfeifer is Trattoria
out from an anthentic Italian
Bruschetta's manager . . . and
trattoria.

It has two very fine menus
. . . one in English and another
in Italian . . . with so much va-
riety for everyone's taste bud
delights.
Entering Bruschetta Tratto-
ria is directly from the outside
and under an illuminated
canopy reaching out from the
curb . . . After entering, the first
thing to goggle the eyes is
Matt's restaurant bakery with
its two large, lighted cases and
elegant pastries of many varied
sorts.
Seating for 149 is behind red-
checkered tablecloths with
crossed-over white butcher pa-
per . . . It is open seven days
. . . Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.
to 10 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. to 12
midnight: Saturday, 5
p.m. to 12 midnight; and
Sunday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Unique Restaurant
Corp. owns its own bak-
ery in Pontiac, which
supplies all URC units
. . . 14 bakers are in the
huge 12,000-square-foot
bakery that makes every
type of bread except
pumpernickel, rye and
kaiser rolls . . . If we
know Matt, these will
also eventually be made
there . . . The authentic
sourdough breads, 10 va-
rieties, for which a good
Italian restaurant should
be noted, are baked in
the real thing . . . ovens
brought here from Italy
for the sole purpose of
making these luscious
sourdough breads.
Still another URC op-
eration, a produce com-
pany, supplies all its
restaurants, plus others
. . . With 10 dining spots
and a carry-out, Matt is
his own best customer.
The 2,600-square-foot kitch-
en at Hotel Baronette, where
more big things are expected
now that Matt has the catering,
is a magnificent spectacle rem-
iniscent of the long wide-aisled
one that Sammy Lieberman
had at Raleigh House.
A veritable sea of stainless
steel is a prideful place for
kitchen help to work . . . Wait-
persons love it too because of the
kitchen's large areas when pick-
ing up food . . . The 100-foot line
has four convection ovens,
steamers, stoves, grills, pasta
cookers, an untold amount of
overhead air exhausts, etc.
Among the biggest hits at the
opening of Trattoria Bruschetta