EXTENSIVE WINE LIST • LUNCH & DINNER

The Wait-Staff Now Makes
East Side Mario's Shine

about is something to say
about a national restaurant
chain that has local owner-
ship ... Especially when the
owners are tried and proven
restaurateurs, instead of in-
vestors in a name.
The franchise for East Side
Mario's in Michigan is owned by
Bonnie and Norman LePage ...
Pizza Hut and its parent compa-
ny, PepsiCo Inc., may have the
name and concept, but they're
only as good as the people who
put them into practice.
This is where Bonnie and
Norm come in, along with Ray
Nance, their highly knowledge-
able director and vice president
of operations for East Side
Mario's here.
Work on the third one start-
ed in January of 1996 and it
opened April 24, 1996, on South-
field Road between 12 and 13
Mile in the Southfield Commons,
former site of Restaurant Duglass
and Bangkok Club ... Also utilized
is the corner locale that once

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Ray Nance and Bonnie and Norm LePage

98

hor,,

KITCHEN OPEN UNTIL MIDNIGHT FRI & SAT
LUNCH MON - FRI
DINNER TUES - SAT

housed Mama Zelda's and Pyra-
mids.
Their first one was opened in
Rochester Hills, followed by Livo-
nia and now Southfield ... A
fourth East Side Mario's is slat-
ed for Clinton Township.
Being 100 percent restaura-
teurs, even the trend for more
booths was recognized by them ...
This is why their 250 seats on
Southfield Road include a dozen
more booths that were put in to
go along with the tables.
It was tough sledding at the be-
ginning ... what with the help sit-
uation as it is ... Like one time we
were there and asked for garlic ...
I'm sorry," said the obviously un-

dnond ,tuhnainf
veorm
anyed, ..s.eArvseur_,
It features authentic Mulber.
"but we a
ry Street scenes with colorful
pervisor found plenty, of course. pushcarts displaying pastas and
Another incident ... The wife produce, vintage store fronts com.
of one of the managers said that plete with awnings and signs,
if he wasn't home in a half hour hand-painted placards and bill.
she would leave him ... The fright- boards, apartment stoops and
ened gent left his keys on the desk replicas of the Statue of Liberty
and never came back ... Nobody and Brookl cynlasBsriiedNgee ‘. v
was there to replace
York and
him
Brooklyn sports memo-
There were many
rabilia fills the bar-
horror stores about the
lounge area ... A
service.
"sidewalk" around the
But heck, this isn't
interior perimeter of the
the first time harrowing
restaurant, circa 1950
service stories were such
street lamps, checkered
that they could almost DANNY RASKIN
tablecloths and dozens of
close a restaurant's door
LOCAL
multicolor, miniature
... And thankfully East
COLUMNIST
lights strung from the
Side Mario's here has
ceiling complete the
people like Bonnie, Norm and bustling, high-energy scene.
Ray who've been around the
But more important, even the
restaurant block many times and food has gotten better ... and the
can eventually cope with dark sit- prices are difficult to beat.
uations.
There's an Early Bird special,
Bonnie and Norm have Nor- 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., where broiled
man's Eton Street Station and he Canadian whitefish is served for
is director of operations for Mac $5.95, including redskin potatoes
with Italian seasonings and
spices, salad and bread
Also boneless fillet olsalmon,
$6.95; and rotisserie chicken
with angel hair pasta, $5.95.
First annual garlic festival
that was to end t he begin-
ning ofJanuary has been so
successful that its extension
went through today ... All fea-
tured dishes are prepared
with fresh, healthy garlic ...
and many will remain as spe-
cialty items.
Although long appreciat-
ed in New York's Little Italy
for its aroma and taste, gar-
lic's health benefits have only
been
hers
Among garlic's attributes, it
is said to increase the im-
mune system's reaction to
of East Side Mario's.
ieme and lower serum cho-
!.:.Istercl . Garlic has also
& Ray's ... Ray Nance, from 1978 been linkero the reduction of
through 1993, was employed by many types of cancer.
General Mills Restaurant ... Bon-
The name may be Italian, but
nie headed the original Nifty Nor- East Side Mario's serves more
man's and Townsend Hotel.
than traditional specialties.
It was bound to happen ... and
The menu is a unique mix of
has ... That they would eventu- Italian
i e r n nec s l due( d 'a cluck-
ba , including
breycfavorites
tIrc
emnec
ally mold together a good opera- en, veal and eggplant Parmi-
tion which is bringing customers giana, seafood linguine and
back in droves.
chicken cacciatore as well as thin-
The employee situation final- crust pizzas baked in a 900-de-
ly seems to be stabilized ... If you gree wood-burning brick oven
tried East Side Mario's on South- American fare includes rotisserie
field and weren't happy, try it chicken, hamburgers and ribs.
again and see the difference.
All dinners are served With
The world-famous Little Italy fresh baked garlic bread and un-
district of New York decor is strik- limited soup or salad ... A com-
ingly beautiful in its Old-World plete children's menu is available.
simplicity.
I couldn't write much about it i