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Pomodoro Is Opened
By Culinary Olympics Chef
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
FREE LIMOUSINE
SERVICE FOR LUNCH
RESERVATION
(810) 549-2000
(5 Mile Radius)
Complimentary
Valet
Service
4616 Woodward,
Royal Oak
Just South of 14 Mile
Your Host: David Lachman
GOURMET DINNER
FOR 2
NOTHING LIKE IT ANYWHERE!
I P
CLUDES:
SIZZLING RICE SOU , POT S TICKER, CRAB RAGOON,
GLAZED DEEP-FRIED CHICKEN, GEE MA MEIN BEEF,
SPICY SHRIMP. VEGETABLE FRIED RICE, PEANUT
BUTTER SUNDAE, FORTUNE COOKIES.
$ 1975 FOR TWO!
LUNCHEON
BUFFET
MON. - FRI. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT
ITEMS GALORE INCLUDING 4 ENTREES!
ff50 $3 CHILDREN
10 & UNDER
ADULTS
• EXOTIC DRINKS • CHOICE COCKTAILS • PRIVATE DINING ROOM • CATERING • LUNCHES
THE GREAT WALE
35135 Grand River (Drakeshire Shopping Center)
476-9181
avice- 4
Italian Restaurant
Lunch ■ Dinner ■ Cocktails
Banquets ■ Open Sundays
680-0066
645 E. Big Beaver Road, Troy
T
hey don't come any higher Healthy dining, Joe is considered
than a gold medal with dis- tops in his field ... He's on VVDIV-
tinction ... This is the ab- TV, Channel 4, every other Sun-
solute ultimate in victory day morning at 5:30 am. with his
at the Culinary Olympics in taped "Health Talk" show, spon-
which the world's finest chefs vie sored by Henry Ford Hospital,
for honors every four years ... It demonstrating Heart Healthy
means a perfect score by the recipes.
judges ... 36 to 40 percent gets
The Pomodoro menu is filled
the gold ... 40 and over gets the with Per Il Vostro Cuore ("For
gold with distinction.
Your Heart") items ... lower in
Joe Beato, owner of the new fat, cholesterol and sodium ...
Pomodoro Ristorante on the While executive chef at Henry
south side of W. 12
Mile Road, between
Farmington and
Drake, ... outside
front of the Arbore-
tum Office Center
building, was a
member of the 1988
Michigan Culinary
Team that compet-
ed the world over,
ending up at the
Culinary Olympics
in Frankfort, Ger-
many.
This was the
squad that took 13
gold medals, includ-
ing three with dis-
tinction ... one of
which went to Joe,
who featured garde
manger (cold food
specialties like
seafoods, galan-
tines, pates, hors
d'oeuvres, etc.).
In 1992, Joe co-
managed the Michi-
gan Culinary
Olympic team (with
Dan Hugelier of
Schoolcraft College)
... He had been se-
lected by the Michi- Joe Beato:
gan Chefs du Gold medal winner.
Cuisine Association,
of which he is a 12-year member, Ford Hospital, Joe was the guid-
and twice elected its Michigan ing force behind its excellent
Chef of the Year, to form a team HeartSmart program ... He was
for the Culinary Olympics ... It private chef for the Ford family
captured five gold medals.
in their hospital suites, and the
From the tip of his toes to the second floor dining room that
top of his chefs hat, Joe Beato is served Ford administrators and
a food man ... One with the pride doctors ... Also the many world-
that comes from many years' ex- wide dignitaries and sports fig-
perience in satisfying customers ures who stayed at Henry Ford
... He presently also owns 11Cen- Hospital ... After 19 years, Joe
tro Ristorante on Lothrup, which left to open 11 Centro on Lothrup.
has gathered much favor among
You might call Joe a chef's chef
suburbanites.
... Why not? ... Others do ... And
Joe has been very careful to his immense knowledge of Ital-
present a menu that meets the ian dining is certain to vault Po-
many guidelines of fine classic modoro upwards in culinary
Southern Italian dining by stay- circles.
ing away from complicated-
There is no such happening as
sounding dishes while retaining a hungry customer staying that
a close palate friendship with way very long, where Joe is con-
taste buds.
cerned ... This is why, as soon as
And when it comes to Heart Pomodoro guests sit down, lunch
or dinner, a basket of focaccia
bread is immediately brought to
dip in the amoghio (tomato re-
duced sauce, Italian herbs, spices,
a hint of garlic and infused with
extra virgin olive oil which also
surrounds the sauce in a very
tasty presentation).
Waitpersons like Ron Stem,
son of Bob and Fran Stem, make
certain to carry out Chef Joe
Beato's strict orders that nobody
stays hungry for long ... If they
do, Joe sure wants to
know about it in a
big hurry.
Pomodoro seats
202 in the dining
mom, about 60 at an
outside balcony patio
and another 250 in
the downstairs pri-
vate banquet room
with its separate en-
trance, elevator, two
wet bars and prep
kitchen.
Murals are every-
where, hand-painted
by Joe's brother, Vito
Beato, who also did
all the restaurant's
painting and deco-
rating ... A large one
immediately greets
people as they enter
Pomodoro ... Vito's
works are every-
where in the restau-
rant ... hanging
fruits, tomatoes (Po-
modoro in Italian), a
huge sector with
wine jugs painted on
an entire wall behind
a raised stage, etc. ...
Authentic old jars
imported from Italy
are filled with olive
oil, garlic, basil, fresh
vegetables, beans, legumes, pas-
tas, etc.
Owner Joe Beato is Po-
modoro's executive chef ... with
Greg Fahoome his very capable
chef du cuisine ... White linen
napkins go side by side with the
white linen tablecloths covered
by white butcher block paper, as
colored crayons stand in a glass
for customers to doodle to their
hearts' content.
With all dinners, plus the
amoghio sauce, are soup or salad
(choice of two soups, minestrone
and the day's feature), side of pas-
ta and bread basket filled and re-
filled with focaccia barese, a
bread from the region where Joe
is from, Bari, in southern Italy.
Almost everything is home-
made at Pomodoro ... soups
sauces, cannolis, tiramisus, and