THE NEW
re
HAKATA
JAPANESE RESTAURANT
An Intimate Italian Place
Is A Fine Family Affair
(Formerly Nipponkai)
IS OPEN
I
Authentic Japanese Dining
Lunch and Dinner
Featuring Elegant Cuisine at Reasonable Prices
In An Atmosphere of Gracious Warmth
• Private Japanese Booths
• Sushi Bar
• Cocktails, Including Sake
Open 7 Days
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Lunch: Mon.-Fri. 11:30-2 p.m.
Dinner: Mon.-Sat. 5:30-10:30 p.m.
Sunday 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
737-7220
Fax: 737-7223
32443 Northwestern Hwy.
Between Middlebelt & 14 Mile
Banquet Facilities
& Private Rooms
Are Available
a
a
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Join Us In June For
The California Adventure
Live Music & Dancing
Wednesday thru Saturday
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Sunday Brunch
1 lam - 2 pm
Adults $13.95
Children 11 & Under $6.95
810-851-8888
Reservations Are Welcome
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The.-Thur. 5-11 pm Fri.-Sat. 5-12 pm Sun. 11-2 & 3-8 pm ID
4102 Or c hard Lake Road At Pontiac Trail in theMaw ;2f01-chaidlike . •
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PLANNING AN AFFAIR?
Consider Monchelle Lamoure or
Cafe Lamour For Your Next...
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Shower
Brunch
Bar Mitzvah
Bat Mitzvah
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Rehearsal Dinner
Small Wedding
Birthday
All-Style Catering
Choice dates available for August thru Fall, 1996
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t's like a little farmhouse pasta dinner entrees, guests are shrimp and artichoke hearts ...
home of yesteryears ... Sort of also given salad, pasta choice and boneless breast in marsala cream
a reincarnation of what could bread basket.
sauce with porcini mushrooms,
easily pass for the abode of
The veal piccante at Little etc.
someone's great-grandmother.
Italy is a standout ... prepared in
And pasta ... like linguine
The little Victorian home of an olive oil and white wine sauce pescatore of shrimp, scallops,
days long past, built more than with capers and artichokes ... and clams and mussels in a light red
100 years ago, seats only 50 peo- most important, slices of lemon sauce with peppers and musl-,-_/
ple in three small dining rooms between each piece of provimi rooms; a pumpkin tortellini in
but is considered one of the milk-fed veal.
gorgonzola cream sauce; shrimp
biggest gourmet desirables
Grandma Maria's favorite dish in a cream sauce with white
around in Italian dining.
is the veal pizzaiola, with mush- wine, scallions and Romano
Former partner Al Valente rooms, peppers and onions, that cheese, served over fettuccine ...
loves little restaurants ... His is still made at Little
about eight, including
Maria's Ristorante of West Italy ... Customer veal fa-
homemade gnocchi.
Bloomfield has seating for only vorites are many, in-
The quaint Little
60, and the closed La Luna cluding being prepared
Italy restaurant ir -'
Grancafe in Birmingham sat just in lemon butter, white
Northville, with white
55 ... Al's newly opened Villa wine and olives, topped
linen napkins and
Maria on Maple and Haggerty by three shrimps; layered
white linen tablecloths,
seats around 65.
by prosciutto and moz-
has a small staff ...
Little Italy on East Hutton off zarella in a red sauce DANNY RASKIN
Most of them have
Main Street in Northville is with white wine; veal,
LO CAL
been there since its
owned by Al's son, Jeff, and shrimp and lobster in
COLU MNIST
opening.
nephew John Gallagher.
marinara sauce; about 10
One of the former
The quaint restaurant setting, preparations in all.
home's little closets was made-/
formerly Elizabeth's, was opened
Atlantic salmon, with toma- into a romantic dining area
by them Sept. 28, 1988, with the toes, garlic, olives, pine nuts and which many people request with
same windows that at one time raisins, goes over big ... Also the its two-top table ... Shelves above
looked out over acres of farm- lemon sole with white wine, but- the walls around the restaurant
land.
ter and lemon ... Snapper Por- are lined with wines, olive oil, etc
John is also Little Italy's ex- tuguese is prepared with ... Customers benefit from Little
ecutive chef and learned to cook tomatoes, garlic, olives and white Italy's smallness because of the
from Grandma Maria Valente, wine ... over 10 water-catch se- warmth and personal attention
now 96 years old, who taught lections.
... John and Jeff know their cup--/
him the basics of Italian cooking
The beef preparations also tomers and understand likes and \
... The many innovations of pas- have special flavorings ... beef sir- dislikes for desired satisfaction.
tas are Jeffs teachings.
loin, Italian sausage, veal, stewed
The Valente and Gallagher
All dishes on Little Italy's with tomatoes, peppers, onions restaurants are true family op-
menu are made to order and the and mushrooms over polenta
erations ... John's brother, Robert
creations of John and Jeff ... The A grilled tenderloin steak is mar- Gallagher, who ran the entire La
latter is executive chef at his inated with Little Italy's zip Luna Grancafe and did its cook-
dad's Maria's of West Bloomfield sauce, etc.
ing, is now at Al's Villa Maria ...
on Walnut Lake Road, where
Chicken is nattily dressed Jeff's brother, Mike, cooks with
John, 17 years ago, began work- gourmet style, too, like boneless him at Maria's of West Bloom-
ing in the kitchen with Jeff, mak- breast layered with prosciutto, field.
ing pizzas and pastas ... At that eggplant and mozzarella in a red
Little Italy is open for lunch
time, Maria's of West Bloomfield sauce with white wine; boneless Monday through Friday, 11:30
was a little pizzeria seating 40 ... breast in butter, lemon, white a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; dinner Monday
It has since moved a couple of wine and olives, topped with through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 10
walls and taken out the
huge pizza oven ... When the
capacity grew a whopping
20 more, John waited on ta-
bles, managed the front and
cooked one or two days for
Jeff, to whom John gives
much credit for his cooking
talents.
Regional Italian cuisine
is the standby of Little Italy,
whose biggest sellers are
veal and seafood.
A relish tray is presented
before all dinners ... capona-
ta (mixture of eggplant,
onions, peppers, tomatoes,
celery, carrots, tomatoes,
some extra virgin olive oil,
pepperoncini and cherry
peppers), salami, mortadel-
la, and lupine beans that are
eaten after easily sliding out
of the skin ... With all non- Little Italy's Jeff Valente and John Gallagher.