Best Of Everything

The Art Works Are Gone,
But The Food Is Top-Notch

Michigan's finest upscale,
yet casual American bistro

Savor the taste that is the
talk of the town

"Oakland Grill gets wows for
Observer & Eccentric
class act."

—

"Our meal at Oakland Grill. was
exceptional and it left us talking
about our food all weekend long."
Oakland Press-,::.

—

Tuesday through Thursday evenings and
complimentary fray-passed Sushi in the
lounge every Thursday evening

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.

Please join us for happy hour,
Monday thru Friday, 4-7 p.m.

Domestic beers

$2.00

Imported beers

$2.50

Well drinks

$3.00

Available for private
engagements Saturday
afternoons and
Sundays.

32832 Woodward > Royal Oak

The main dining room seats 150
ou glance about and wonder
and
a bar-lounge has three high-top
why this looks more like a
tables
seating 12 and a bar with 10
restaurant now than an art
padded
stools.
museum.
Another room, used for smokers,
Then you notice that the antiques
the Martini Room, is also available
and artifacts that used to clutter up
any
day for banquets.
the former Daniel's Restaurant are
Executive
Chef Marlene Fuhrman
gone.
graduated
six
years ago from the fine
One of the previous owners also
culinary
program
at Schoolcraft Col-
had an antique gallery in Royal Oak
lege,
learning
her
trade from some of
... and many of the fine antique pieces
America's
finest
certified
master
were his ... including paintings that
chefs.
were for sale.
She and her experienced kitchen
The beautiful antiques were show-
staff
do their own butchering of meats
pieces to be sure, but were more for
and fishes, make the soups
being enjoyed as look-at
and sauces and prepare the
pieces instead of surroundings
fresh catches of the day ...
for a true restaurant that
Also
the stuffed trout,
needed air to breathe.
stuffed flounder, stuffed
Owners of the new Fleet-
sole, etc., which are on the
wood on 6th, which took over
daily lunch and dinner spe-
the former Daniel's site on
cials.
Sixth Street off Main in Royal
Biggest dinner sellers at
Oak, were aware of this fact ...
Fleetwood
on 6th are the
and no doubt wanted to
chicken
Wellington
and
restore a restaurant atmos-
nine-ounce
filet
...
Also
D
ANNY
phere in which customers
available are baked or
RA SKIN
would enjoy the food without
Local Columnist broiled whitefish, honey-
being distracted by museum-
roasted salmon and spa
like pieces.
salmon
for the calorie
Now mind you, there's
counters.
nothing the matter with having art in
Specials might include sauteed
a restaurant ... In fact, I like the soft-
perch,
beef pasty, seafood pasta,
ness and beauty that it presents.
beef
roulade,
stuffed chicken breast,
But enough is enough ... Too much
etc.
can be overbearing ... And I would
Seth Petty is manager day and
rather the restaurant concentrated on
evening
... Keith's wife, Rebecca
good food and good service in a clean
Wadle,
is
evening hostess Thursday,
atmosphere.
Friday
and
Saturday ... along with
I remember one time at Daniel's
Gerry
Fuhrman,
Chef Marlene's
when a man, very hungry, was ready to
mother.
walk out in disgust because his wife
The sandwiches that can be gotten
seemed more interested in
the antiques than she was
in the food ... The woman
eventually sat down, but
by then the fellow was
probably too weak from
hunger to walk away.
When the new owners,
Keith Wadle, Ron Wadle
and Ron Sarcevich,
opened the Fleetwood on
6th doors with general
manager Carmen Young
on June 9, 1996, it was to
do what a restaurant
should ... Provide good
food and hopefully good
service.
It is a seven-day-a-week
operation ... Monday, 11-
10; Tuesday-Wednesday,
11-midnight; Thursday
and Friday, 11-2; Satur-
Carmen Young and Keith Wadle of Fleetwood on 6th.
day and Sunday, 4-2.

y

at lunch are served evenings, too,
even though not listed on the dinner
menu.
This, Keith feels, is a facet that
makes Fleetwood a true restaurant ...
The fact that any lunch item can also
be gotten at dinner time.
Keith also owns Cadillac Cafe,
where Carmen is its general manager__
as well, going back and forth from one
another ... Cadillac Cafe is on
Grand River and was the former
Chuck Muer's Clamdiggers, Diggers
and Johnny Magnum locale ... Partner
Ron Sarcevich continues to work at
booking banquets at his Vladimir's on
Grand River.
Entrance to the dining room has
been, made larger and opened up to-
get away from the previous claustro-
phobic feeling ... Also, mirrors were
placed on the main dining room back
wall and behind the bar which has
been extended for more space and
stools.
Former dark walls have been
livened up by beige coloring ... White
linen napkins and white linen table-
cloths stand out.
There is live entertainment Thurs-1
day, Friday and Saturday, with jazz,
blues and standards ... On evenings
when there is no entertainment, a
piano in the bar lounge plays by itself
... And you can swear that an invisi-
ble ghost or something is sitting there
tickling those ivories.
Besides the Cadillac Cafe, Keith's
restaurant experiences take in busilK,,,
tables and washing dishes at Machus
Sly Fox, and waiting on tables at
Machus 16, now Dick O'Dowd's.
A noteworthy 91 is the most
recent proud score given
to Fleetwood on 6th by
the Oakland County
Health Department.
There is no more
beautiful breakfront or:_g
curio cabinet ... The
antiques that were
everywhere, it seemed,
at the former Daniel's
are no more.
Being a restaurant
instead of a cluttered
showpiece has many
advantages.
Food and service
must come first ... T.. here
certainly is a place for
antique-looking, but in
a restaurant the prepara-
tion and presentation of
food are essentials, along
with competent service.

(Jusf South df 14 Mile Rd.)

12/19

1997

128

(248) 549-7700

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