Give someone another golden day .. .

A Greek Dream
In Northville

DANNY RASKIN

aving a good, likable per-
sonality is so important
in the restaurant busi-
ness ... Especially when
the owner is in front hosting
...And being experienced in the
dining game is also a big plus
factor.
Tom Goulas, owner of the
Main Centre Grille on Center
(Sheldon) and Main in down-
town Northville, opened March
4, 1993, and celebrating its first
anniversary, is the same boss-
man of the Honey Tree on Or-
chard Lake Road in West
Bloomfield.
The personable gent who
came here from Athens, Greece,
in 1972, also owns Honey Tree
restaurants in Novi and Utica,
but divides his time between
the Orchard Lake Road Hon-
ey Tree, days, plus Saturday
and Sunday day and night; and
Main Centre Grille, evenings,
Monday-Friday ... Main Cen-
tre Grille partner Ed Ritenour,
former Southfield chief of police,
runs the Northville ship on
days.
Main Centre Grille was built
from wall to wall in the Main
Centre Building, just north of
Northville Downs Racetrack ...
It is big on mahogany, with
print-patterned booths and
modern light fixtures.
Seating in the main dining
mom is 110 at booths and tables
... it also has a full bar with 10
stools and lounge of 10 booths
... An outdoor patio this sum-
mer will have five tables seat-
ing 20 people.
Tom is a good food man and
keen restaurateur ... He spent
10 years as a chef back in
Athens, vowing to own his own
place with a simple menu and
low prices.
Always seeming to have a
finger on the pulse of people
who dine out, Tom has been
able to give them value ... In
the restaurant business, espe-
cially today, this is all-impor-
tant.
The luncheon menu at Main
Centre Grille in Northville is
the same as that of Tom's Hon-
ey Tree on Orchard Lake Road.
... The dinner menu is more di-
versified ... He regularly has
three homemade soups, four
Greek specialties, including
lamb chops which are a big
pride at Main Centre Grille
(prime cut, three for $7.95 and
five at $11.95); seven seafood
features like broiled whitefish,
$7.50; six broiler items, bar-b-q
rib dinners (half slab is $10.95

H

majestic sand castles .. .
sparkling waters .. .
another chance.

Please give blood.

+ American Red Cross

Blood Services
Southeastern Michigan Region

-ttithavio

Classic Mid Eastern Cuisine
In An Elegant Setting

SPECIAL EASTER BRUNCH
THIS SUNDAY

3 Seatings:
11-12:30 12:30-2 2-3:30

ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT
$11%95 $ C 95

7/ Adults arr Children
10 & Under
Reservations Requested
•

BUFFET LUNCH

ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT
Monday-Friday
11 am - 3:00 pm

$5.95
•

Reservations 737-0160

CATERING FOR ALL OCCASIONS

7295 Orchard lake Rd., West Bloomfield
(In The Robin's Nest Shopping Center)

72

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and full slab, $14.95); six Ital-
ian dishes (veal marsala or
Parmesan, $9.95; chicken pi-
cante, marsala or Parmesan,
$7.95); six specialty pastas,
eight salads (small Greek,
$3.55, medium for four people,
$6.75, and large serving 10 to
12 persons, $12.95.)
A popular family dining at-
traction is the kids' menu for
children 12 and under ... six
choices are $3.25.
Executive Chef Jeff Crawford
helped open Main Centre Grille,
and prepares all the items that
Tom's sister, Effie Tsapatoris,
with him 21 years, doesn't cook
... She makes all the Greek spe-
cialties and soups.
Like any good restaurateur,
Tom knows the value of expe-
rienced employees and, when
available, likes to have them at
his restaurants ... But he is

Tom proud ... Since coming
here from Athens, he has al-
ways maintained an attitude of
cleanliness for his restaurants,
11 at one time and now four to
concentrate on more ... His first
restaurant, in 1975, was the
Honey Tree on Orchard Lake
Road near 13 Mile, and then the
present one at Loehmann's Pla-
za (formerly Hunter's Square).
The casual dining at Main
Centre Grille is seven days ...
Monday-Thursday, 11 to 10;
Friday and Saturday, 11 to 11;
Sundays, 11 to 9.
Tom's Main Centre Grille in
Northville is only 15 or 20 min-
utes from West Bloomfield, and
may not be the easiest place to
find ... unless people remember
that it is past the third light
south of Eight Mile Road and in
the far south end of the Main
Centre Building ... Easier still

Tom Goulas at Main Centre Grille.

smart enough to know that
good help nowadays is not easy
to come by ... In today's restau-
rant world, the big key to a suc-
cessful venture is good service
... Having it is like gold because
along with proper food and
prices, this is a major factor in
bringing people back ... It is the
honest and true name of the
game in the restaurant busi-
ness.
Marie Whelan, evenings at
Main Centre Grille, is a wait-
person example that Tom and
other restaurateurs enjoy hav-
ing ... efficient, personable and
smiling ... Also, barmaids like
Diane Richards who came
shortly after Main Centre Grille
was opened.
Recent score by the Oakland
County Health Department
was in the 90s, and this makes

is that it is right next to the
Main Centre Apartments.
One thing for sure ... People
won't have trouble finding it
when they go back ... which
they probably will ... Tom has
made many friends ... folks
take a liking to him and appre-
ciate his reputation as a sound
restaurateur ... Main Centre
Grille is another meaningful
chapter in the restaurant know-
how of Tom Goulas.
EVERY MONTH a differ-
ent charity benefits from its at-
torneys and staff coming to
work with casual wear like
slacks, jeans and tennis shoes.
The "Dress Down Day" by
Kemp, Kein, Umphrey & En-
delman in Troy is the second
Friday of each month ... with
everyone enjoying the privilege
of working in casual clothes by