Shop was devoted to those who
believed that all good comes from
the sea ... The menu featured a
high concentration of things like
clams, oysters, lobsters, king crab
and fish galore ... Many folks who
dined on lobster in some of the na-
tion's top seafood restaurants
honestly said that the ones they
had at the Clam Shop were the
equal to, or better than, any lob-
ster they had ever eaten.
Leo Adler's Harbor Bar at the
foot of Fairview by the Detroit Riv-
er had a small but good menu
with the kitchen and dining room
under the direction of communi-
ty-ites Wyn and Harold Landis ...
Out of their tiny kitchen came
such wonders as a superb eight-
ounce hamburger, and cheese
blintzes that always tasted like
more ... They also served a dilly of
a tenderloin filet, chops and some
tasty pancakes, eggs and assort-
ed sandwiches ... But the blintzes
were the specialty of the house.
Maria's on Puritan, owned by
Claudio Mencotti, blossomed
from a humble pizza parlor into
a fine Italian restaurant ... you
could get 18 different kinds of piz-
za but the emphasis was more
and more on the sophisticated
dishes from the Italian peninsu-
la ... maitre d' was Arminio Bel-
tramello, who was spectacular as
he handled great flaming dishes
with an imperious disdain that
would draw applause from the
most experienced firemen.
Turn your back and
another restaurant
opened.
There were three Vanelli
brothers ... They came from the
north of Italy, where the natives
were said to be tall and frequently
blond ... Not so with Sam, Joe and
Al ... They were neither tall or
blond ... In fact, Sam Vanelli
didn't have much hair at all ...
The three brothers kept going to
Italy and each time they returned
to Detroit with new recipes ...
Many of the items had never been
seen before in this area.
The beautiful Riverview Room
at J.L. Hudson was at one time
known simply as the J.L. Hudson
Tea Room There were two or
three of them ... Time was when
"Meet me outside J. L. Hudson's
Tea Room and the first ones there
get in line" was almost exclusively
female ... but along with the
handsome females in the
Riverview Room on Woodward in
downtown Detroit, were also
many men who, it seemed, were
just finding out what the girls had
always known ... that you couldn't
get a better lunch for a more mod-
erate price in the city of Detroit
... It was on the 13th floor and
gave a fine view of the city and
the Detroit River ... Many who
had the Maurice salad there said
it couldn't be beat.
Hedge's Wigwam on Woodward
at 10 Mile in Royal Oak, had a
magic quality for children ... There
was the simulated giant wigwam
on the roof and the entrance
guarded by some of the sternest
looking wooden Indians you would
see anywhere short of a Broadway
cigar store ... It was a cafeteria
filled with so many good things to
eat that people would have liked
to put it all on their trays ... which
many almost did.
Aliette's Bakery on Porter was
the sort of place for which that
overworked adjective, "intimate,"
must have been coined ... It sat
only 39 people, which resulted in
a race for reservations.
The original Benno's, owned by
Benno Steinborn on Agnes in De-
troit, was hard to find and im-
possible to get into without calling
a week or so ahead ... The un-
marked door was locked and a
bell summoned a waitperson who
looked over prospective customers
with the eye of a speakeasy door-
man ... The hassle was worth it,
once inside ... Benno served only
40 dinners a night ... each pre-
pared with care ... Here, in the
cool green and white room, pheas-
ant and beef Wellington were
available ... Sounds snobbish, but
it wasn't ... Just excellent.
The Grecian Gardens on Mon-
roe was the most formal, but also
the most entertaining restaurant
in Greektown ... While you en-
joyed your moussaka or lamb and
imported Greek wine, you were
entertained by strolling musi-
cians in Greek costume at a table
in the front room ... or by an en-
tire band in the back dining room.
Jim's Garage, owned by Jim
Constand, across from Cobo Hall
on Larned, was a fine place to
hob-nob with the downtown De-
troit execs at night, or on their
lunch break ... Many a big deal
was hatched over a bowl of Jim's
French Onion Soup, by some big
wheels sitting amidst a decided-
ly automotive decor ... Buinpers,
head lamps, even parts from the
engines all hung from the ceiling.
Folks found nothing elaborate
or pretentious about the atmos-
phere at Mexican Village on
Bagley ... Just a homey, old-fash-
ioned restaurant serving up some
of the best old Mexico had to of-
fer, in quantities not to be quib-
bled with ... Being located in the
"Little Mexico" of Detroit added
authenticity, as did the cheerful
waitresses who served you tacos
to chicken mole, and everything
in between.
Paradiso Cafe on Woodward,
had been a bustling Italian
restaurant as long as anyone
could remember ... It had outlived
most of its neighborhood and was
in an enviable spot as the area
started coming back ... Service
was mature and comfortable
...There were nearly a dozen va-
rieties of homemade sauces for
the half dozen pastas. ❑
Your Hosts: Tommy Peristeris & Rick Rogow
Welcome to the best Greek food this side of Greektown
featuring the finest lamb chops among other excellent Greek favorites.
JOIN US FOR LUNCH OR DINNER
Open 7 Days • Cany-Out Available
LINE JAZZ
THURSDAY & FRIDAY
8 p.m. to 12 Midnight
featuring
Millie Scott and Kevin Crosby
11111W. '
frAMY51--
pai-11E-NoN
Let Us CATER Your Next Affair.
We Accept Reservations For
Alt Private Occasions
6199 Orchard Lake Rd. (N. of Maple) 7374600
***************************
F rt_ E
POUND OF LO-FAT OR NO-FAT PASTA
WITH PURCHASE OF ANOTHER POUND OF
LO-FAT OR NO-FAT, PASTA, EQUAL OR GREATER VALUE
CHOOSE FROM OUR VARIETY OF 12!
• Expires 1-11-96
• Not Good With Any Other Offers
I SEE OUR HUGE SELECTION OF SANDWICHES AND SALADS!
IMF 111
LET SHIRLEE BLOOM
RiCA 4
E IPRESS
CATER YOUR NEXT AFFAIR
SEE OUR MAYFAIR ROOM
ALL TRADITIONAL DISHES ARE MADE
FRESH DAILY USING ONLY KOSHER
PRODUCTS IN THEIR PREPARATION
32418 NORTHWESTERN HWY.
• DINE IN CAFE
• CARRY-OUT
• GIFT BASKETS & TRAYS
FAX:
855-9463 626-8468
***************************
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