Oakland Universit 's MEADOW•BROOK T HE A T R E A Professional Theatre The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams March 16- April 9 A special 50th anniversary production of an American classic • DANNY RASKIN LOCAL COLUMNIST T "A magnificent play" 0 00111 -New York Times Illlllllq 1111 11111 FOR TICKET INFORMATION CALL MEADOW BROOK THEATRE (810) 377-3300 41111 k Presented with the generous support of T/1:K2/AsrEP ? ® (810) 645-6666 mictugan COMIC, I',. art, and ndti n HUDSON'S, HARMONY HOUSE & BLOCKBUSTER MUSIC 00 itzThRsorlis 91)11110000111,,, BuddysBar-,13.Que; IP 0"ILIB TICKLING GOOD"06000 . Coming in April ... TOP BLUES BAND Saturday Nights 9 - ? HAPPY HOUR MON.-SAT. 3-6 PM RESTAURANT & BAR Dine In • Carry Out • Catering WEST BLOOMFIELD 6676 Orchard Lake Road At West Bloomfield Plaza (North Side) South Of Maple (810)851-4250 • Fax 851-7871 ettrica 4 Italian Restaurant Lunch ■ Dinner ■ Cocktails Banquets ■ Open Sundays 680-0066 645 E. Big Beaver Road, 'Troy COCKTAILS STEAKS, SEAFOOD, DAILY SPECIALS! ENTERTAINMENT TRY OUR SUNDAY BRUNCH 10:30-2:30 2555 W. 12 MILE AT COOLIDGE WEDNESDAY - IRISH NIGHT THURSDAY - NEW WORLD RENAISSANCE BAND FRIDAY & SATURDAY BILLY ROSE QUARTET (810) Restaurant, Like Area, Has Seen A Transformation 399-6750 he old building was falling apart ... and dangerous with ceiling wood that had become bowed ... The only air conditioning came from open doors and fans. But the reputation that has fol- lowed Mitch's on Cass-Elizabeth Lake Road in Waterford is such that makes this dining institu- tion a legend revered by three generations. Back about 43 years ago, the former Dave's Tavern soon be- came Mitch's Tavern & Grocery, owned by Ella and George Mitchell, who began serving Greek salads, pizza, ribs, some other items and Ella's rice pud- ding. In 1965, both the tavern and grocery operations were made into one restaurant, with Ella and George turning it over to their sons, Tony and Bill, who transformed Mitch's into a 165- seat dining spot ... Minor alter- ations were made at the old building, but as the years went by, the structure continued to de- teriorate so badly that something had to be done in a much bigger way. In 1980, a new building of dark wood, brick walls by booths, stained glass, etc., was erected at the site, fronted now by a large parking lot. The food menu that had ex- panded remained the same until two years ago when emphasis was placed more on fresh fish and a gourmet-like variety of dish- es. During a week now, 150 pounds of whitefish is served; 70 pounds of salmon; many pounds of cod and other seafood items, like crabcakes, $14.95. But baby-back ribs is still the best seller at Mitch's, with over 600 pounds gone through each week ... Dinners for two are still there with half slab of ribs and half lemon herb baked chicken or a full slab of ribs with Greek sal- ad and choice of potato or spaghetti, $19.95. Some 300 pounds of pasta weekly make it a second choice ... with whitefish the largest fa- vorite among Mitch's fresh fish- es. Now solely owned and operat- ed by Tony Mitchell, his wife Jo Ann does office chores and works on parties with Executive Chef Josef Foreman. One of the pictures on a wall at Mitch's, painted by local artist Harold Cohn, a former Les and Sam Gruber friend, looks like it could be one of the tuxedoed wait- ers at their former London Chop House coming out of the kitchen with tray held high. The old Mitch's building was a knotty pine restaurant where people waited outside to get in and rarely minded it ... Being there seemed something special to them ... Seating today is for 325 among dark woods, bricked interior areas, stained glass, etc., in a more modern yet still com- fortable surrounding of intima- cy. the breadsticks are made at Mitch's. With him, too, came smoked chicken calzone, beef and mush- room calzone, regular stromboli and vegetarian stromboli ... Oth- er features now at Mitch's include hot walnut loaf, shaved walnuts, brown rice, basil and emmenthal cheese wrapped in Napa cabbage, accented with twin sauces of tomato coulis and lemon pepper cream, $12.95; and a vegetarian sandwich he calls a PBT (porto- Tony Mitchell points to the original Mitch's. It is open seven days, Monday Bello, basil and tomato), with to Thursday, 11 a.m, to 10 p.m; smoky grilled portobello mush- Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sat- rooms, also known as vegetarian urday, 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Sun- prime rib, on sourdough bread, day, noon to 11 p.m. ... Only the served with a fresh fruit salad, dinner menu is available on Sat- $6.95. urday and Sunday. Few places anywhere have the The difference in food prepa- walnut loaf, or voodoo stew, a ration and presentation can be dark Jamaican soup swimming attributed to the addition of Chef with clams, crabmeat, shrimp Josef Foreman, whose extensive and scallops, $7.25 ... Italian background included being exec- wedding soup with breast of utive chef at De Ja Vu, north of chicken, miniature Italian meat Columbus, Ohio; executive chef balls, fresh vegetables and orzo at Gerardi's in Muirfield, Ohio; pasta is $4.95 ... Soups of the day chef and pastry chef at the Wa- at Mitch's are $2.50. tergate Hotel in Washington, Customers enjoy the potato D.C.; and executive pastry chef crusted whitefish with shaved at Oakland Hills Country Club redskin potatoes, served on a bed ... Josef also had his own pastry of mandolin vegetables, $13.95; business in Columbus ... Work- and fricassee of scallops with its ing as a baker for his grandfather sauteed scallops, leeks and red outside of Columbus taught Josef bell peppers accented by cham- many things and is a main rea- pagne sauce and served in a phyl- son why he is so proficient with lo basket, $15.95. desserts ... He also makes his The menu is a very imagina- own sourdough bread and tive one ... hardly the kind you spinach tomato bread ... Even would expect from Mitch's ...