Best Of Everything

Iley Vepcatz and
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You're invited, to
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Swing
Sensation
Celebration,

Thursday,

February 25th
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it 'Dig /MIA Music

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Dance Lessons from
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Dance Studio

$4.2g 'Premium
4 Martinis St
20% Orr
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ADMITS 4 PEOPLE

(248) 926-5300

6041 Haggerty

2/12
1999

Between 15 Mile & Pontiac Tr.
West Bloomfield
Open Daily 11 a.m

WI Detroit Jewish News

Loads Of Experience
And A Simple Concept

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leisurely dining ... amid classic
it remained in their garage five years.
ake it simple and they
American cuisine that includes spe-
The Fox & Hounds on
will come ... The words
cials like meat loaf, beef stew,
Woodward, where John was general
of this restaurateur could
Salisbury steak, lamb shank, turkey
manager, was being remodeled in
go something like this.
dinner, etc. ... Also prime rib every
1993 ... He showed the picture to
And that John Rugani is ... at his
Friday and Saturday ... and chicken
interior designer Hank Glukman and
dining field of dreams ... the kind he
pot pie on Monday nights ... Garlic
it was hung on a wall at Fox &
has always wanted to call his own.
mashed potatoes is a regular.
Hounds ... When Brandy's was
Back in 1940, when
Besides the Fox & Hounds, John
opened by John, he called F
Telegraph Road was a two-
was also general manager three years
& H owner Kevin Downey,
lane highway, the restaurant
at Copper Creek before his own .
and asked to have the pic-
was called Old Heidelberg,
Brandy's ... This is where he mer
ture hang in "my own
noted for its German cuisine.
partners-to-be Don Hardy and John
place" as a memento of two
Today on Telegraph, just
Light, who were customers there.
loves... John's wife and
north of Square Lake Road,
Dinners on the reasonable-priced
Brandy's ... Their 6-year-old
it is named Brandy's ... serv-
menu include soup or salad, potatoes
daughter, Spencer, is his
ing classic American food.
or vegetable, and bread basket.
other love.
Old Heidelberg was pur-
One of the items, from Graczyk's
When John took over,
chased in 1950 and turned
days at the Vineyard's on Franklin
the employees all remained
DAN NY
into the Town & Country
and Northwestern, is chicken a la
from before ... including
RAS KIN
Bar ... Strictly a tavern with
Lichter, named after Vineyard's regu-
Local Columnist Lynn Bradbury, evening bar
very little food ... Sam
lar Dr. Lichter ... chicken breast
gal for 11 years ... and 15-
Pappas bought it in 1968
baked in a casserole dish with white
year veteran chef Alan
and renamed it Brandy's after his
wine, butter and Parmesan cheese ...
Williams.
favorite drink ...brandy and water ...
Also from the Vineyard's is Brandy's
Simple but good items are fea-
He put in booths, wine barrels for
tured daily ... Like bar-b-q salmon
decor, etc., in his efforts to have a
that is broiled, taken out and
cozy dining room with a homey
brushed with the barbecue sauce
atmosphere ... Then Freddie Graczyk
made by Brandy's ... and then put
acquired it around 1982 or 1983.
back in the oven for about a
Now it is owned by John and
minute ... Even eight-ounce veal-
partners Doug Hardy and John
burgers are served both lunch and
Light ... with the keyword ...simplic-
dinner at Brandy's ... lean meat
ity ... in its menu listings and all-
pattied up at the 96-seat restau-
around styles of presentation.
rant.
This makes for relaxed dining in a
Maryland crab cakes are a big
casual atmosphere of ease ... John
favorite ... a combination of king
has always felt that diners are too
crab and lump crab ... Also the
often uncomfortable in their
shrimp tempura with a stone-
attempts to make selections from the
ground mustard sauce made at
menu ... Even the items themselves
Brandy's from John's recipe ...
are sometimes too complex, he feels
Chef Alan concocted the barbecue
... with a lot of good taste taken
sauce that goes with its ribs and
away by additions of unnecessary
chicken fingers, too.
herbs and spices.
Brandy's is open Sundays, 5
Why too, he perceived, should
p.m. to 9 p.m. ... Also lunches,
people be forced to buy a whole bot-
Monday through Saturday, 11-4
tle of wine if they wanted the best ...
p.m.; dinners, Monday through
Hence his large vino list with 20
Thursday, 4-10 p.m., and Friday
good red or white wines by the glass.
and Saturday, 4-11 p.m.
John Rugani of Brandy's.
The soft lighting and comfortable
Brandy's Back Room, formerly
ambiance is enhanced by dark woods
the Tack Room, is a beautifully
and clever styles in decor ... One of
apple beignet ... apple slices dipped
done, very warm and light area that
the pictures above a booth has a love
in a thin batter and sauteed ... served
is now used as a smokeless room ...
story attached to it ... John Sand his
with Stroh's vanilla ice cream and
and for private parties up to 60.
wife, Kristen, were dating and saw
cinnamon nuts ... Its bread pudding
When John and his partners took
the picture in a dumpster of a
has fresh blueberries inside, topped
over, Sept. 14, 1998, they immedi-
Canton Township restaurant ... John
with
cream anglaise ... Everybody
ately went the simplicity route in
took it out and had the picture
loves
the Sanders hot fudge sundae.
John's dream of an easier way of
reframed ... They were married and