AVENUE
DINER
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A Newer Restaurant
Holds Nothing Back
DANNY RASKIN LOCAL COLUMNIST
Avenue Diner...Michigan's Newest "In" Place
Avenue Diner introduces executive chef Kirk Robinson
from Pike Street in Pontiac and sous chef Michael Dunn
from the Mansion at Turtle Creek in Dallas. They offer
an innovative menu ranging from cutting-edge cuisine
to comfort foods. Fresh fish and specials are presented
daily with a savory twist.
Avenue Diner wines are an eclectic mix of California,
French and Australian bottles picked for their outstanding
values. Sans Snob relatives the spirit of the list and blends
complex with inexpensive offerings.
ENTERTAINMENT-DANCING
Wed. & Sat. Evenings
Featuring
DAVID BALL
KEVIN CROSBY
Thurs. & Fri. Evenings
"Back To Back"
GWEN FOX
GREG DOKES
EXCITING AMERICAN CUISINE
• PRIVATE PARTIES • CATERING • SHOWERS • BAR MITZVAHS
7;3*
FREE LIMOUSINE
SERVICE FOR LUNCH
RESERVATION
(810) 549-2000
(5 Mile Radius)
Complimentary
Valet
4616 Woodward,
Royal Oak
Service
Just South of 14 Mile
Your Host: David Lachman
LIVE
OPERA
Featuring...THE
ENRICO CARUSO SOCIETY
EVERY WEDNESDAY EVENING 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
r
Enjoy Excellent Italian Cuisine and Listen To
Arias and Duets From
The Most Beautiful Operas Ever Written
00
L
0
MON. EVES
LARRY NOZERO
AND FRIENDS
8 p.m.-12 Mid.
• Full Dinners Only
• Expires 10-26-94
THURS. EVES
STROLLING
MUSICIANS
630 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
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31735 Plymouth Road
3 Blocks West of Merriman
Livonia
DINNER
FOR I
2
1
EST
For Reservations, Call
261-2430
T
he creative imagination of
Tre Lune was built from the
an executive chef is a pride ground up to look like a house,
of restaurateurs who wit- with white brick, black trim and
ness so much satisfaction green roof ... The name, which
from customers
stands out majestically in heavy
At the new Tre Lune on Field- brass against the building, is Ital-
mont (U.S. 23 service drive) off I- ian for three moons ... While in
96 in Green Oak Township, 1/2 Italy, Ralph stayed with his new
mile from Brighton, Ralph Leone wife, Maria, at a little restau-
is not only the executive chef but rant-inn with about 10 sleeping
also its owner ... And this makes rooms, called Tre Lune ... They
for some big advantages ... Not said that if they ever opened a
only does Ralph have free rein in restaurant, that would be its
the kitchen, to do however he sees name.
fit, but also an even bigger hand
The interior is neatly assem-
in controlling waitpersons in their bled in an unpretentious atmos-
presentation of
his culinary
handiwork ...
This is always a
hand-wringing
problem that
fine chefs en-
counter ... the
fear that their
great work is
not served prop-
erly.
Although he
can put togeth-
er pretty much
what he choos-
es, Ralph is not
the kind of ex-
ecutive chef
who lets his
imagination
run ramp ant
and go over-
board with Tre Lune's Maria and Ralph Leone.
strange concoc-
tions ... a big reason why Tre phere ... textured painted walls
Lune is getting so many points with a green caste, light blue
for culinary enjoyment.
linen table cloths, dark blue linen
It was opened May 25 by napkins.
Ralph and wife Maria Leone, and
Maria, a former beauty salon
has become the kind of restau- owner, is the restaurant's lovely
rant for which most folks will and stately hostess days and
travel distances ... In the case of nights, while Ralph does his
Tre Lune, it may sound far, but chores so many hours that he
is only 15 or 20 minutes away needs a shower and place to sleep
from the northwest sector and in their upstairs office.
rapidly being discovered ... It's
Tre Lune has many fine things
easy to get there ... 1-96 to U.S. going for it ... flying fish in fresh
23 south, one mile to Lee Road from Boston, cutting its own
exit, turn left over expressway steaks and veals, using only bone-
and right on Fieldcrest, U.S. 23's less and skinless chicken, mak-
service drive.
ing to order all the sauces and
Seating is 72 in the main din- hors d'oeuvres, preparing over 60
ing room, 44 in a wine cellar with soups, with a different one each
diners surrounded by 15,000 bot- day, etc.
tles of vino from $15 to 1987
Biggest fish seller is arctic
Chateau Petruse Bordeaux at char, a very interesting and
$1,000 ... Ralph knows his wines milder ancestor of salmon ... Tre
well ... Back in 1974, he started Lime sells more than 50 pounds
R. Leone Imports, now run by a week ... On weekends (Friday,
brother-in-law Paul Becker.
Saturday and Sunday), over 300
Off the main dining room is a pounds of fish is served.
lounge area with sofas for smok-
Of all the items on the menu,
ing, relaxing and having hors veal stands out as the most sold
d'oeuvres, cocktails and dessert ... Five of the veal dishes are
... An outside deck romantically Ralph's invention ... His veal
overlooks a five-acre pond.
Raphael is prepared more than
any other, sauteed with mush-
rooms, hearts of palm, fresh
green grapes and a rich Reisling
Auslese wine, $19.95 ... Tre Lune
goes well over 300 pounds of veal
a week ... His veal bentiviola,
sauteed with shrimp, mush-
rooms, white wine, dry sherry in
a fresh tarragon sauce ($21.95)
was conceived by Ralph back
when he owned De Michelle's
restaurant in Howell.
Four of the five veal chop va-
rieties are his own creations ...
The roasted veal chop coated in
apricot glaze, fresh seed mush-
rooms, lightly
breaded and
roasted, $21.95,
is the top fa-
vorite among
customers.
Heavy choic-
es are the ten-
derloin Tre
Lune, medal-
lions of beef ten-
derloin sauteed
with fresh
mushrooms,
roasted peppers
and gorganzola
cheese in a
mushroom chi-
anti sauce,
$21.95; and ten-
der loin
Raphael,
medallions of
beef tenderloin
sauteed with a
sauce of prosciutto, Genoa sala-
mi, mortadella and mushrooms,
$21.95 ... Both were conceived by
Ralph and people come from
everywhere for them.
Eight to 10 fresh fish are fea-
tured daily ... Many you seldom
see anywhere else, like baby
white sturgeon or sugar toads
(the tail of a blowfish with the fla-
vor a cross between perch and
walleye) ... No frozen fish is
served at Tre Lime ... Scampi is
the only one of six shrimp prepa-
rations Ralph did not come up
with.
The majority of those 60 soups
prepared at Tre Lune are Ralph's
own style, (cup $1.90, bowl $3.50)
... Also most of the 10 pasta dish-
es and six seafood pastas plus all
three chicken servings ... Maria
can take credit for two of the
soups ... One of them, which she
showed Ralph how to make, is
from a lemon rice recipe handed
down by her grandmother.
Tre Lune has its own pastry
chef with a varied selection dai-
ly ... The sauces are all Ralph's
togetherness of ingredients ...
One of the two styles of lamb
c