The Welcome Mat Is Out

TABLE

over-emphasized . . . A frequent
fallacy about South-of-the-Bor-
der food being too spicy is very
erroneous . . . An authentic
Mexican restaurant like Old
Mexico positively will not serve
spicy food without it being or-
dered as such.
Mexican dishes are healthy,
especially the rice and beans
. . . Old Mexico uses only veg-
etable oil . . . no lard . . . and usu-
ally folks can find a dish from
wherever . . . Chicago, Mexico,
New York, Texas, Florida, etc.
. . . Every state cooks Mexican
food differently . . . It will be on
the Old Mexico menu with the
same ingredients but a differ-
ent name.
Few Mexican restaurants
have good chile rellano, stuffed
pepper topped with ranchero
sauce . . . The refried beans at
Old Mexico are a standard .. .
Its pinto beans are cooked fresh
daily with vegetable oil and gar-
lic . . . There's truth that some
people still think refried beans
are just that . . . fried over again
. . . Actually, the name comes
from them being cooked and
sauteed twice.
Thursday, Friday and Sat-
urday evenings, from 7 p.m., the
highly-popular Jose Riojas is a
one-man band at Old Mexico
. . . His guitar, vocals, rhythm

Authentic
Mexican food in
West Bloomfield.

units and synthesizer guitar
apparatus that gives out with
about 200 different sounds, are
a listening and dancing high-
light . .0. Close your eyes and
you'll think a full orchestra had
taken over at Old Mexico.
Jose came to the Detroit area
in 1974 from Nashville, where
he did Grand 01' Opry tours;
and played stints at the Play-
boy Club on James Couzens;
Lenore and Jack Freed and Ray
Bresler's Red Cedars on Tele-
graph, where Jose was a solid
entertainer for seven years;
Coco Beach, Fla.; and Golden
Lion in Grosse Pointe.
He has been at Old Mexico
over a year, playing a little of
everything — jazz, pops, '50s
and, of course, Latin tunes ga-
lore with his maracas, guidos
and scraping gourds.
Jose likes audience and fam-
ily-oriented participation .. .
Kids come up to sing into a
mike, wear Mexican hats and
shake the maracas or other ac-
companiments . . . When Old
Mexico is crowded, Jose likes to
help out by busing tables .. .
Customers say, "Hey, I didn't
know you were a musician, too"
and he'll answer, "I do music
part-time and bus tables full
time."
Old Mexico is open six days,

closed Sundays . . . Mondays
through Thursdays, 5 p.m. to
10 p.m.; Fridays, 12 noon to 11
p.m.; Saturdays, 5 p.m. to 11
p.m.
How many times have you
gone to a Mexican restaurant
where the accompanying beans
and rice are banal and mushy?
. . . Too many perhaps . . . This
is why lovers of Mexican food
would travel downtown to Mex-
ican Town and enjoy what they
have known for many years,
even though a number of the
restaurants there are not in-
spiring, with food that can be
considered stodgy and disap-
pointing.
This is a happy, fun place
that has not tried to outdo itself
with overbearing Mexican arti-
facts . . . The food is authentic
. . . so is Ramone . . . and Jose
plays to please . . . It sells au-
thentic Mexican food and drinks
. . . not atmosphere, although
the clean, cozy and intimate
comfort is a wanted feature.
People who visit Old Mexico
for the first time almost always
come back . . . You can't beat
this type of recommendation in
a restaurant.
THOSE POSTERS you see
around town ballyhooing the
upcoming 50th reunion of Cen-
tral High class of 1944 are the
brainchildren of former grad-
uate Mort Zieve and Simons
Michelson Zieve Advertising.
One has bottles of Pepto Bis-
mol, Maalox, Aka-Seltzer and
a package of Turns . . . Anoth-
er says, "So what if you're di-
vorced, broke and bald?
Everyone still wants to see you."
The Central High class of
'44s buffet dinner and dance is
set for May 29, 7:30 p.m., at
Troy Marriott . . . Its 40th, 10
years ago, was at the Pontiac
Silverdome with 425 ex-grads
attending.
Call Phyllis (Fine) Tyner,
810-354-6018; Bernice (David-
son) Glossman, 810-661-6934;
or Arlene (Karbal) Levenson,
810-851-1525.
SUNDAYS BEFORE 6
p.m., all entrees on the printed
menu at Cocino del Sol, on
Northwestern Highway in
Southfield, are $5.99 . . . Steve
Mead is general manager at
this Jimmy Schmidt restau-
rant, having the special for a
limited time.
BRUCE LANGE took over
as general manager of Radisson
Plaza at Town Center . . . and
Tom Padgett moved as the new
GM at Radisson Pontchartrain
Hotel in downtown Detroit.
Tom left at the right time and
Bruce saw an exercise in staff
teamwork . . . The Radisson
Plaza had 75 percent occupancy
in cold temperature as a water
main broke ... The guests were
completely evacuated . . . and
those who needed it relocated
at other area hotels. ❑

TA ERN

* Pool Tables
* Yards of Beer
* Big Screen Sports
* Games & Darts
• Eclectic Tavern Food
* Over 20 TVs
* Ideal For Large Groups * Family "Fabled Table"
33260 Van Dyke (At 14 Mile Road)
Sterling Heights • 795-3777

For additional Information please call our infor line 737-4- URC

Movers

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BruschettA

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DISINEPUtDIN

TAVERN

AAA Magazine Voted
Restaurant of the Year

49

0 0 •
1,111.1•11
• 00•. 0111111

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, 54 LAT; 83 * , 27' Loivc

Fresh Ideas
In Fine Dining

VS TER'SBAp

SPECIALS FOR THE BIRDS WHO DIDN'T FLY SOUTH!

BUSTER'S HEATS UP
ON SUNDAY EVENINGS

EVERY ENTREE ON OUR MENU

PRICED AT ONLY $9.95

SALMON, SHRIMP, SCALLOPS & MORE

EARLY BIRD
SUPER SPECIALS

PRINTED MENU
MONDAY - SATURDAY

FOR ONLY $9.95

UNTIL 6:00 P.M.

RESERVATIONS ENCOURAGED (810) 932.8484

4105 Orchard Lake Road, Orchard Lake

Dinner Hours: Mon., Tues., Wed., Thurs. 4:30-9:30; Fri. 4:30-11; Sat. 5-11; Sun. 4-9

A Price You'll Love, Plus the Quality You Expect from the — Jimmy Schmidt Group of Restaurants

Scroll of Fine Dining
Thank You Certificate
Good Any Day

r

Buy any dinner entree at regular price
and receive a second entree of
equal or lesser value FREE.
Value up to $21.95
ONLY.
Valid during dinner hours with RESERVA'TIONS
arrival.
present
certificate
to
hostess
upon
Please
Not valid with any other promotion. Expires 3-31-94 j

COLOSSAL MONDAY NIGHT BUFFET

5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
$15" Adults

ALL - YOU - CAN - EAT

$795 Children Under 12

755 W. BIG BEAVER, Concourse Level Top Of Troy Bldg. • 362-1262