OSMEILVAVAS.ILEttESWAV.S.VAM.M.V.V 0
STONE CRAB
original employees are still there
... A year ago, Big Daddy's
Parthenon had 20 waiters and
waitresses ...Today, 16 original
floor employees, 12 Greek wait-
ers and four waitresses, contin-
ue to sing "Happy Birthday" for
celebrants and yell "Opa!" as they
flame saganaki at tables ... It is
also the only Greek restaurant in
Michigan where 99 percent of the
waiters are Greek ...quite an as-
tounding statistic.
As evidence of the increase in
business, Big Daddy's Parethenon
used to go through 800 loaves of
Greek bread in a week ...The
count today is over 1,400.
No more $2 mandatory charge
for valet parking ... It's compli-
mentary now.
Why is the service so good at
Big Daddy's? ... A big reason is
that no waitperson has more
than three tables ... Other Greek
restaurant servers may have as
many as eight ... Also, each wait-
er has his own busperson ... At
most places in downtown De-
Suburban
competition for
Greektown.
troit's Greektown, for example,
there is one busboy for every
three waiters.
General Manager Todd Stern,
son of Aaron and Roz Stern, came
from the Rattlesnake Club after
helping Uncle Stan Snitz as
counter man and other chores
when he had the Stage Deli on
Nine Mile in Oak Park ... Rick's
brother, Barry, is that smiling
young man hosting in the
evening ... and Rick's wife, Ric-
ki, handles the oodles of catering
for them, plus hostessing.
Tommy Peristeris and Rick
Rogow constantly receive re-
quests to open or take over man-
agement of new restaurants ...
not much wonder.
The maintenance of continued
success in the restaurant busi-
ness is never simple.
Give the Big Daddy's
Parthenon gents a lot of credit ...
In one year, they've made it look
easy.
HOW MANY times have you
attended a social function and
searched for your table with so
much disgust that you almost felt
like going back home?
Among its many wonderful ac-
complishments in helping
mankind, Michigan Cancer
Foundation also does the little
things ... like making sure you
find your table at their affairs.
The 10th annual Angels of
MCF shindig at Ritz-Carlton Ho-
tel made a lot of closer friends
...with probably the best inno-
vation in party-giving to hit this
hemisphere.
Plus a Ritz gal with a map to
direct people, there were table
numbers in brass picture frames
boldly standing out on every table
... No more squinting through
angry eyes, no more bending over
with the chance of falling flat on
your face, no more asking people
if they knew where your table
was hiding and the others say-
ing, "Why ask us? We're looking
for ours, too."
What a great sight ... the
numbers in a bold, easy-to-read
script ... decorating each table
with welcomed authority.
Everything was too simple for
Iry Dworkin ... He had to come
up with some sort of complica-
tion, and did ... During the cock-
tail hour, Iry didn't hear wife,
Olga, telling of their sitting at
table 16, and went to table 25, in-
sisting that was his table card
number ... Iry was correct except
for one thing ...It was for a pre-
vious MCF affair.
Nice to break bread with such
fine people at our table ... Car-
diologist doe Gerald and Dorothy
Timmis, Olga and Iry "25"
Dworkin, and Dr. Avraham and
Tirza Raz ... He's the excellent
Israeli cancer research doctor
working with Michigan Cancer
Foundation.
About 160 people enjoyed the
Ritz-Carlton waitpersons with
white gloves and white jackets
serving lobster ragout in puff pas-
try, Boston bibb lettuce with bal-
samic vinaigrette dressing, pink
grapefruit sorbet, roasted rack of
lamb with pistachio crust, or
salmon, duchess potatoes, choco-
late shell filled with fresh rasp-
berries and strawberries ...
Plates were on hand-embroidered
tablecloths that Helen Zucker-
man had special ordered.
Each year, David Hermelin
writes lyrics to the tune of "You're
Adorable," sung to Helen from
song sheets.
Simone Vitale's band, which
has become one of Michigan's
leading musical groups, had peo-
ple dancing until the final minute
... Quite a tribute since almost
all never stay till the end ... Even
John Bloom did his bouncing jit-
terbug style on a disco that Si-
mone's band, eight including two
excellent female vocalists, inter-
spersed with Latin, pops, yester-
year's music and medleys of
today.
After dinner, Pierre Fracalan-
za ended his entertaining stint
with a special "This is the Mo-
ment" tribute to Helen and the
work MCF Angels have done ...
Names of the group's founders
were flashed on a screen as
Pierre played and sang the very
apropos song.
But with all its wonderful
work, Michigan Cancer Founda-
tion Angels still has a dilemma
each year ...What to do for an en-
core. 0
SEASON HAS
ARRIVED, LARGER
AND SWEETER
THAN EVER!
Stone Crabs flown in Jet-Fresh every
Monday and Thursday! „„_c'
i ~
111
•
•
• MIR
WE'RE OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK!
... at 621 S. Opdyke Rd. in
Auburn Hills, Michigan
Just like Joe's Stone Crab of
Miami Beach, but closer to home!
(810)
332-7744
AIMIIMIMMICISWAVVISSIM1111W4114
w
chef Greg upshar — Too din's allinaty
mastermind, will cater cutting-edge, visually stim-
ulating cuisine to your kitchen, your living room,
your conference room, you town. This holiday
season, let him create festive food that you and
your guests will nem- forget. Call us:
T 0 0