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"The Tradition Continues"
SINCE
1920
Fine Cuisine In A Relaxed,
Contemporary Setting
Authentic Italian Specialties • Extensive Wine List
Tender, Delicious Steaks • Fresh Seafood • Comfortable Lounge
WHERE OLD
FRIENDS MEET
Larco's Tradition
Is More Than Name-Only
DANNY RASKIN LOCAL COLUMNIST
680.0066
he tradition continues ...
and what a wonderful
dining continuance it has
been.
Or should I say a legend car-
ries on because that is what Lar-
co's became years back when it
was on West McNichols (Six
Mile) just west of Livernois ... a
legendary place to eat that will
not be forgotten.
And this is what Mark Larco,
son of Pete Larco, one of the three
owners with brothers Nick and
Mike, has successfully strived to
do with eye-opening results.
His Larco's in Troy, on East
Big Beaver, east of Livernois,
about two-and-a-half miles from
Somerset Collection, is noticing
former customer stalwarts as
well as second and third genera-
tions who heard so.much about
Larco's they couldn't rest with-
out seeing what it was all about.
Only 2 1 /2 Miles East Of The
Sommerset Collection
TOO MANY PEOPLE
ARE DINING OUT
IN OAK
COUNTY
Mark was a high school stu-
dent when he left regularly at
noon to bring hot soup from Lar-
co's on West McNichols to feed
Detroit Lions like Joe Schmidt
and Alex Karras during practice.
As was the Larco's of yester-
years, the Larco's of today is also
a free-standing building ...
opened in March 1990, seating
150 in booths and at tables ... A
lower level banquet area seats
another 128 ... It had been the
former Saravalle restaurant and
gutted about 80 percent by Mark.
In the foyer as you enter hangs
a picture of Pete, Nick and Mike
... It is also on the Larco's present
menu ... When Mark had his car-
ry-out operation in Southfield, a
woman called about her having
a painted picture of his family ...
The treasure turned out to be a
hand painting of a photograph
taken in the 1950s at the wed-
WE NEED YOUR HELP TO FEED OUR HUNGRY
is
Food Bank of Oakland County
OUR OWN
cb
/c.-1 HOMEMADE
MEATLOAF
TOTAL B ILL
FRIDAY & SATURDAY
3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Not Good With Other Coupons
Expires 7-20-95
L
FRIDAY & SATURDAY
$595
ALL DINNERS INCLUDE: SOUP, SALAD,
POTATO, VEGETABLE & BREAD BASKET
SHIVA
DINNERS
and
BEAUTIFUL
PARTY
TRAYS
•
Free
Delivery
Open
Mon.-Sat.
7 a.m. -
8 p.m.
Closed
Sundays
DELI AND GOURMET RESTAURANT
21754 W. 11 MILE RD. • HARVARD ROW • 352 - 4940 FAX: 352 - 9393
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• 1 Co Coup
8-31-95
SIAM SPICY Mfgati
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AUTHENTIC THAI CUISINE
32425 Northwestern (Bet. Middlebelt & 14 Mile) • 626-2092
74
I Visit Our Other Siam Spicy
Location, 2438 Woodward, Royal Oak • 545-4305 I
The famous photograph: Pete, Nick and Mike.
The original Larco's on West
McNichols, was opened in 1950
... Pete and Nick used to work as
waiters at Lelli's, and Mike was
a tool-and-die maker ... Pete
headed the kitchen, Nick took
care of the butchering chores in
the basement area, and Mike
was boss of the bar ... Their
sister, Antoinette, was cashier,
hostess, etc. ... In all, they made
a wonderful combination that
would receive many accolades.
When Larco's on West McNi-
chols opened, it sat 175 ... and af-
ter being remodeled, went to 375
... Many celebrities from the
worlds of sports and theater as
well as local personalities, were
regular patrons ... The celebs
continue to come to Larco's in
Troy.
ding of their sister Antoinette, to
Jim Ney.
Biggest seller on West McNi-
chols was the filet with that su-
per special steak sauce for which
folks drove miles ... In a week at
Larco's of Troy, it goes through
about 800 steaks covered with
the original recipe seasoned mix-
ture.
It is also big on fish, selling
about 200 pounds of salmon a
week, bought whole, butchered
and cut on the Larco's premises
... Both pickerel and whitefish
are also prepared with much reg-
ularity, with over 100 pounds of
each sold weekly.
Most of the recipes used at
Larco's in Troy were at the Lar-
co's on West McNichols ... Pete's
son, Mark, has made certain that
there would be no deviation from
the success of his father and un-
cles.
He was only 11 when Grand-
ma Marie Angela Larco taught
him how to make pizza and
spaghetti sauce ... Mark worked
at the initial Larco's washing
glasses for bartenders, and by the
end of summer was a very youth-
ful bartender in the upstairs bar.
Larco's in Troy is a long way
from the Larco Brothers carry-
out Mark owned in 1982-1990
with brother Mike and cousin
Duke, and then solely by himself
in the Village Plaza on 12 Mile
and Evergreen ... As the lone
owner, Mark also took over the
store next door for a little 90-
seater sitdown restaurant.
But his stature as a fine
restaurateur didn't take complete
hold until he opened Larco's on
East Big Beaver in Troy ... where
so many cus-
tomers come in
and still tell sto-
ries of those days
on West McNi-
chols.
At the Larco's
in Troy, Mark and
Susan have cap-
tured so much
of what Pete,
Nick and Mike
stood for in the
restaurant busi-
ness ... Quality
with personable
and hospitable at-
tention.
White table-
cloths and white
napkins bring out
the sea of clean-
liness ... sur-
rounded by a
display of 1950
Italian pottery, fixtures import-
ed from Italy, and four different
kinds of wood (oak, cherry, wal-
nut and walnut burl).
Waitpersons wear tux shirts
and black bow ties ... Designs be-
tween booths and around the
restaurant are all different, some
with copper and some with brass,
and windows are elegantly
graced by shutters.
But the food at Larco's in Troy
is the main throwback to those
days of yesteryears when Pete,
Nick and Mike welcomed people
from everywhere.
The hearty minestrone soup,
always a Larco's favorite, is from
the full-bodied recipe of West Mc-
Nichols ... made without cream
and chock full of vegetables ...
And those who remember or