tert

Michigan's finest upscale,
yet casual American bistro
Savor the taste that is the
talk of the town

The Best Of Everything

Bringing a little Italian sunshine from Florida.

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

Hours:

11:30

Mon-Wed

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

2/27
1998

no

Oust South of 14 Mile Rd.)

(248) 549-7700

T

he word "authentic" is
among the most abused in
American dictionaries.
Italian ones, too.
So when a restaurant opens with a
very strict use of the word, it could be
squinted at with furrowed brow ...
until customers discover that it was
built on this claim.
Since opening Nov. 8, II Posto Ris-
torante, Franklin Road off Northwest-
ern Highway, in the building that for-
merly housed Mardi Gras among
other ill-fated and successful opera-
tions, has gotten folks nodding their
heads in approval.
Everything is prepared by order ...
Nothing is made ahead of time ... Not
even the salads.
And the want to create an authen-
tic Italian atmosphere and feeling is
brought out with all Italian servers ...
No rushing or pressure on customers.
The complete European service at
dinner, with everything served table-
side from carts, is in a very seldom
seen class of its own.
Even the food is different ... With
so many dishes not seen at other Ital-
ian restaurants ... Like the bresaola
della valtellina appetizer of cured beef
served in a sauce of extra virgin olive
oil and lemon ... Or one that few
places prepare, carpaccio a la piemon-
tese, thin filet slices with parmigiano
and truffle oil. -
Seating is for 100, including a pri-
vate room of 24 ... In late spring, a
porch will open with 25 or 30 more
seats.
The place is hardly recognizable
from its former Mardi Gras, Salvatore
Scaloppini's, Benny's, Marlowe's,
Vineyard's Annex, etc., sites ... An
entire remodeling, from wall to wall,
has accomplished an elegantly lit Ital-
ian setting enhanced by the European
flair for open graciousness.
The warm and large look is fur-
thered by wood wall areas, five large,
gold-tone padded booths, mahogany
furniture and chairs, framed European
prints brought here by ownersGianni
and Christina Belsito.
He was born in Bisignano, Italy,
and served his apprenticeship in a
Merano, Italy, restaurant where
Gianni met Christina, who is respon-
sible for the Charming Ii Posto decor

... He was on the kitchen staff of a
are frozen for all-year consumption.
cruise ship, had his own restaurant in
Almost every dish at II Posto seems
Verona, Italy, and moved here from
so much unlike those at other restau-
Naples, Fla., where his other Ii Posto
rants ... They may have the same
Ristorante still exists but with a large
name but there is a different taste to
chunk sold to Gianni's former
the delicate palate.
executive chef and sous chef,
Gianni's rack of veal is
who operate the place.
prepared two or three times
Why, you may ask, would
weekly ... And a special on
anyone want to leave the par-
the nightly menu a couple
adise of sunny (most years)
of times a week might be
Naples, Fla., for the unpre-
the veal chop Valdostana
dictable Michigan weather?
the real one ... with Fontina
They still own an interest in
cheese, prosciutto, porcini
the restaurant there, but came
mushrooms and white truf-
here to get away from short
fles.
DAN NY
seasons ... They say that about
A true Naples, Italy, dish
RAS KIN
70 percent of their customers
of utmost authenticity is Ii
Local Co lumnist
in Naples were from the
Posto's zuppa di pesce a la
Detroit area and many con-
Napoletana (clams, mussels,
vinced them to come here.
shrimp, snapper, langostine and cala-
Gianni knows changes of weather
mari sauteed in olive oil, red pepper,
... Before they opened in Naples, Fla.,
garlic, white wine and fresh tomato.
he was restaurant manager, which in
And folks would be hard pressed to
Italy is Mr. Everything from cook to
find the scaloppini al Barolo e fiinghi
dishwasher, of a hotel dining room
porcini (veal scaloppini sauted in a
Barolo wine sauce and
porcini mushrooms)
elsewhere.
And where can you
get filets like rossini
(foie gras, cognac,
vodka and white truf-
fles) or voronoff
(cognac, vodka, mus-
tard and touch of
cream?)
In the front area of
Ii Posto Ristorante is a
skirted antipasto dis-
play table for customers
to see and select various
items for servers to
bring them.
Ii Posto makes its
own fresh pasta, and
Gianni and Christina Belsito of Il Posto.
some of the desserts,
that sat 120 in a grill ... and 1,500
including tiramisu and panna cotta, a
people for weddings, etc. ... both
double cream pudding.
kosher in a separate kitchen, and non-
Dining is on large dishes amid a
kosher.
gracious look of orange-painted brick
You won't find too many places
and dark woods ... White linen table-
with white Italian truffles that "grow
cloths and white linen napkins
where only the dog can find them" as
enhance the Italian delights brought
they say in Italy about the under-
by tuxedoed servers.
ground-grown culinary wonders ... Or
The Ii Posto difference has made
porcini mushrooms from Italy that
many friends.
grow only in September, October,
BANDING TOGETHER in a
November and parts of December, but strong organizational bond to fight for

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