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 • 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 • • • • • • • Join Us In June For The California Adventure Live Music & Dancing Wednesday thru Saturday • Sunday Brunch 1 lam - 2 pm Adults $13.95 Children 11 & Under $6.95 810-851-8888 Reservations Are Welcome • • • • • • • • • • • 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 . • . PLANNING AN AFFAIR? Consider Monchelle Lamoure or Cafe Lamour For Your Next... • • • • Shower Brunch Bar Mitzvah Bat Mitzvah • • • • Rehearsal Dinner Small Wedding Birthday All-Style Catering Choice dates available for August thru Fall, 1996 104 e re ,/l/ c:Aeleve,/,,x, :94'eria • ..'''}f , %17.-4:;-Alice.c..it',..xor orele.. • .....4'.e.etX:eZ14,geiejrez, bin 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.