J.TORIMEHEN

"Detroit's big nightclub with
name entertainers was in Wind-
sor. The Elmwood Casino was fea-
turing Tiny Tim when the
Detroit-Windsor Freedom Festi-
val celebrated the U.S. Fourth of
July and Dominion Day in 1970.
"Shoppers had lunch at Hud-
son's Riverview Room, where the
favorite for 20 years was Maurice
salad. The salad or chicken pot
pie, another standby, came to
$1.90 with coffee.
"The first floor La Mediterra-
nee in Hotel Pontchartrain offered
luncheon entrees such as half-
cracked Dungeness crab or broiled
rib steak in the $3 range.
"A crock of onion soup, a glass
of wine, French bread and French
pastry were available there or out-
doors in Le Sidewalk Cafe for
$2.25. Dinner at La Mediterranee
was a la carte. Entrees such as
breast of chicken saute or veal
parmigiana were $5.75.
"The Salamandre Bar served
men only at lunch and the
Cabaret La Boheme at the Top of

The Sheraton had
358,000 guests
in 1960.

The Pontch offered the best view
of Detroit and Windsor, plus danc-
ing.
"The Towne Room off the main
lobby of the Sheraton-Cadillac
tried for a French atmosphere and
missed. Striped awnings and
posters looked like decorations for
a junior high school dance. More
popular was the Motor Bar Steak
House on the lower level with
dark wood walls and waitresses
in dirndl dresses. Dinner was
$4.50 to $7.50.
"Tourists loved Sanders for the
egg salad sandwich/hot fudge sun-
dae type of lunch or for chocolates
to take back home. They also fre-
quented Quikee Donut and Cof-
fee Shops spotted all over
downtown as places to make the
budget or expense account bal-
ance.
"A decade later, a lot or stran-
ers came to town for the July
Republican Convention. Restau-
rateurs complained about the lack
of the expected avalanche of din-
ers who were being entertained
at hotels and private parties and
stayed away from Detroit eater-
ies in droves.
"But the GOP conventioneers
found their way Down Under —
a relatively new restaurant un-
derneath Hart Plaza. But the eat-
ing spot didn't get unanimous
rave notices.
"A few patrons complained
about paying $6.95 for five fried
shrimp. Others found the seafood
chowder so thick it stuck to the
roofs of their mouths. A monster
sandwich called Doug's Favorite
got mixed reviews. It was ground

beef and cheese topped with chili
and sour cream.
"Most enjoyed people-watching
in Down Under and its decor of
shimmering plum with overlap-
ping palm fans made into hang-
ing lights.
"Piper's Alley on St. Antoine
caught the fancy of some visitors.
One favorite was the Mezza, an
oval platter of tomatoes and feta
cheese, cucumbers and black
olives with a dollop of house dress-
ing. The dressing of sour cream,
mayonnaise and spices was a good
dip for fried zucchini at Piper's Al-
ley.
"Other goodies were pita bread
stuffed with hamburger, tomatoes
and onions, fried oysters, burgers
on pumpernickel and chicken sal-
ad with almonds and yellow
raisins.
"A quickie survey of where a
few conventioneers did venture
forth and enjoyed included the
London Chop House, Caucus
Club, Joe Muer's, Chuck Muer es-
tablishments in the Pontchartrain
Hotel, Greektown, Mario's,
Pontchartrain Wine Cellars, Ben-
no's, Jim's Garage and Aldo's.
"To some, their visit to the Mo-
tor City would be incomplete with-
out a stop at Kowalski's sausage
store on Holbrook. A few even
packed rings of Polish sausage in
their suitcases for the flight or dri-
ve home.
"Out-of-towners bought pista-
chio nuts at the Eastern Market,
sipped Faygo red pop and Ver-
nor's ginger ale, used their calo-
rie allotment on Sanders' hot
fudge sundaes and munched the
made-in-Detroit Olga sandwich
— pita bread wrapped around a
filling of lamb, beef, tomatoes,
onions, seasoning and yogurt-fla-
vored sauce.
"On Lafayette Boulevard,
where the Coney island was born
in the 1920s, tourists ordered the
famous hot dog with mustard,
chili and onions and few could
stop at only one.
"Others tippled Detroit's own
Stroh's beer, created by a native
family in 1848, a Bullshot of vod-
ka and beef bouillon concocted by
Lester Gruber of London Chop
House fame, and Cold Duck, first
mixed in Pontchartrain Wine Cel-
lars, which started serving the
wine cocktail in 1987."
CONGRATS ... to Joan and
Bernie Rappaport ... on their 25th
anniversary ... to Sandy Gantz
on her birthday ... to Norman
Freilich ... on his 88th birthday.
60TH ANNIVERSARY of the
Silverstein Family Club was cel-
ebrated with a picnic at Southfield
Civic Center on Evergreen ... The
first meeting had only two dozen
relatives ... This year's roster of
over 100 members spans five gen-
erations.
DISH OF THE WEEK ...
Snapper wrapped in rice paper
served with carrot curry sauce at
New York's Pan-Asian Mirezi
restaurant on Fifth Avenue. rl

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