Cuisine to
Dine for
Best Of Everything
20 Years Of Fine Italian Dining
At Very Competitive Prices
Renown. Chef
Louai
Sharkas
invites
you to
experience
the taste
everyone is
talking
about.
Michigan's
finest upscale,
casual
American
bistro.
Now open
for lunch.
F
olks who enjoy Italian din-
ing without paying for
ambiance or reputation
might be interested in a
place that serves Provimi veal among
its dishes at prices low enough to
attract attention.
On the corner of John R and
Maple in Troy is Capraro's Italian
Den, where an item like veal parmi-
giana can be gotten for $11.95; or veal
marsala, $12.25; or veal piccata,
$12.25 ... Each served with soup or
salad, pasta or potato and homemade
bread.
And the full-bodied minestrone
soup is chock full of spinach, green
beans, garbanzo beans, kidney beans,
pinto beans, pasta shells, potatoes,
tomatoes and celery.
All the dishes ... four chicken, five
fish and seafood, and eight regular
menu specialties (veal medallions
sauteed in a creamy horseradish sauce,
$12.25, etc.) are complete dinners
"Oakland Grill gets wows for
class act."
— Observer & Eccentric
"Oakland Grill's food and ser-
vice shine."
Detroit Free.Press
, IIMIMMINXSOMSS,
"Oakland Grill is a winner.'"
-- Daily .
Our meal at Oakland Grill was exc ep
tional and it left us talking about OUT
food all weekend long."
-- Oakland Press: ,
Available
for
private
engagements
Saturday
afternoons
and Sundays.
Hours:
Mon-Wed
11:30 a.m. -
12:00 midnight
Thur-Fri
11:30 a.m. -
2:00 a.m.
Sat.
5:00 p.m. -
2:00 a.m.
32832 Woodward
Oust South of 14 Mile Rd.)
Royal Oak
(248) 549-7700
Reservations accepfed.
Capraro's Nick Kopanakis.
that include the above-mentioned
accompaniments ... Seven pasta items
come with everything except, of
course, pasta.
At least 12 more daily specials too,
like the eight-ounce Capraro steak
topped with mushrooms and natural
juices, $8.95 .. Or 16-ounce choice
cut T-bone steak with mushrooms and
au jus, $11.95.
When owner Nick Kopanakis took
over Oct. 30, 1978, his main interest
200 in the main dining room, plus a
was to give a good Italian meal at a
bar area with 16 stools.
low price.
This wanted type of restaurant
This he has done successfully, but
makes its own lasagna, gnocchi, can-
in much too quiet a way.
nelloni, ravioli, sauces, soups, etc. ...
Those who know about Capraro's
The Italian bread too.
Italian Den swear by it for good food
Biggest seller at Capraro's Italian
at low prices in a very clean
Den is the veal parmigiana,
atmosphere.
followed by veal marsala
What many may not know
and veal piccata
is that the fresh, tasty and
Whitefish, pickerel, salmon
healthy sauces there are all
and tuna dinners are also
made with low-fat olive oil
heavy on the orders.
and no sugar.
The low price _structure
Capraro's Grecian influence
even takes in a Sunday buf-
with use of a lot of olive oil is
fet from 11 to 3, with a
a health factor appreciated by
variety that includes salad
many.
bar, roast beef, turkey,
DAN NY
The former owners used to
shrimp, tortellini, mostacci-
RAS KIN
make their own sauces, too ...
Local Co lumnist oli, escalopped potatoes,
But with fat.
beans, baked cod, lasagna,
Nick is a restaurant man
pancakes, bacon, eggs made
from away back ... capable of
to order, etc. ... $7.95
doing whatever is needed.
adults and $5.95 kids 10 and under.
He has done it all ... from busing
Capraro's Italian Den is open
tables to washing dishes to mopping
Monday-Thursday, 11 to 10:30;
floors to bartending to cook-
Friday and Saturday, 11-11:30;
ing, which Nick does a lot
Sunday, 11-8:30.
of.
The night hostess, Florence Jarson,
Also owning his own
has been there since it opened ...
restaurants ... like the former Server Delphine Babich and day wait-
Stephenson Club on John R
ress Halina Van Hee are also 20-year
and 10 Mile in Hazel Park,
veterans.
and Flim Flam on Grand
Nick's two sons, Michael, 30, and
River and Middlebelt.
Johnny, 22, are both with dad ... Mike
Although it doesn't have
cooks days and Johnny helps at night,
the lavish decor of many
cooking, managing and hosting ...
other Italian restaurants,
During the school season he is a
Capraro's has the main thing sophomore in marketing at University
... a look of cleanliness.
of Detroit.
And being the restaurateur
There is a lot of private parking at
that he is, Nick knows that
the casual dining Capraro's, and future
you can have the best food ...
plans include a patio, more music,
the lowest prices ... the finest
windows, redo of the bar sector, etc.
service ... But everything goes
But the low prices will remain the
down the tube if you don't
same.
have a clean operation ...
Capraro's Italian Den is one of
which is why he dotes on this those types of restaurants you enjoy
important factor.
going to because of the confidence ele-
The white linen napkins
ment that comes with consistency.
are neatly folded on white
That the prices are so low is a high
linen tablecloths covered
point much appreciated by cost-con-
with glass-like Lucite tops.
scious folks watching their dollars as
It is a family restaurant in
well as their intake of properly pre-
every sense of the word ...
pared food in an atmosphere of clean-
with a separate children's
liness.
menu for kids 10 and under ... Also, if
NOSTALGIA WAS at its highest
wanted, every entree on the menu will
ebb for the recent gala opening of the
be prepared in a child's portion.
'20s and '30s photo exhibition at the
Pizzas — round or square — are
Maple-Drake Jewish Community
heavy sellers at Capraro's Italian Den
Center.
... both classic original style and
Cars of the eras, photo exhibits
Chicago stuffed ... Also nine specialty
from sports to places of yesteryears, to
gourmet pizzas that are winning com-
big-time and small-time hoods, to
binations.
street scenes, synagogues, etc.
Capraro's Italian den seats about
Inside Shifman Hall, transferred