Andiamo Italia
is pulling back
the curtain...

* to let the *
* Stars Shine!

The Platters

(with Sam Butera)

Nov. 4, 5, & 6..All seats S30-S35

Paul Antra.

Nov. 18 & 19..All seats $305100

Sha Na Na

Aug. 13 & 14..All seats S30-S35

The Scintas

Sept. 22, 23, 24..All seats S30-535

Selected "Best Italian Restaurant" by
Gourmet Magazine '96.'97, and '98

8/6
1999

visit us at: www.andiamoitalia.com

106 Detroit Jewish News

The Best Of Everything

Mystery Muncher Nostalgia

Detroiters, celebs used to flock to
downtown hotel dining rooms and nightclubs.

he Mystery Muncher
writes ...
"Being a nostalgia buff,
I get a kick out of looking
back and seeing how some things
change and others stay the same.
"In 1961, guests of Detroit hotels
would get the red carpet treatment
from the 1,101-room Sheraton-
Cadillac, which catered to 358,560
occupants in 1960 and called it an
average year.
"Hotels come and go, but there will
never be another Statler. Its elegant
Terrace Room was a mecca for celebri-
ties and Detroit night-lifers. Hotel
dining rooms in the Detroit area now
are rated about average and expensive.
It doesn't appear these eating spots
today have a captive audience of weary
travelers; neither are they in great
demand by outsiders.
"Hotels like the Statler and Book-
Cadillac were very much a part of
Detroit after dark. Stars shone in the
Terrace Room, - where you dined to the
strains of Carmen Cavalerro and lis-
tened to the song stylings of such
show stoppers as
Hildegarde and Freddie
Brisson.
"The Book Casino,
Wonder Bar, Flame Show
Bar, Club Gay Haven,
Bowery, Oriole Terrace,
Frank Gagen's, Elmwood
Casino in Windsor, Alamo
and so many more
nightspots we remember all
provided enough entertain-
ment and variety to keep us
stepping.
"If you want to see
headliner stars now, you
turn on TV instead of dri-
ving over to the Elmwood
for super-greats like Sammy
Davis Jr. We'll probably
never see another like
Elmwood Casino or
Darbys.
"And there was no shortage of places
to wind up an evening on the town. •
Darbys was the first choice of many.
Robin Hood's, Sutton & Clemens, and
Brothers on Livernois were frequented
by those wanting.to prolong the night
out with coffee and sociability.
"There'll be no second time around

Timbers on Grand River in Novi, and
for the glittering places where we
Red Cedars on Telegraph in
dined, danced and were royally enter-
Southfield.
tained by the best. Those were the
"If Chinese food was your thing, .
glory days of Detroit.
you had your choice of golden restau- •
"Back in 1977, Detroiters went to
rants: Gold Coin on 10 Mile, Golden
the dinner-theater at Botsford Inn to
Bowl on Coolidge (still
see I Do! I Do! with perennial
there), Golden City on
favorites Phil Marcus Esser and
Dequindre, Golden Palace
Nancy Gurwin. The price was
on Southfield Road, Golden
$13.50 per person.
Phoenix on Maple (now on
"Omelets were out and
Orchard Lake Road),
crepes were in. Charity balls
Golden Star on Woodward
were out and disco was in. But
(still there) and Golden
you were assured that if your
Wheel on John R.
tastes in food or entertainment
"Good food and the
weren't popular, an our could
D ANNY
amenities that go with it
quickly become an in.
RA SKIN
never go out of style.
"Restaurants, of course,
Columnist Runaway favorites included
Local
have always been known by
London Chop House,
their names. But in the Detroit
Pontchartrain Wine'Cellars, Joe
area, names could be confusing and
Muer's, Mario's and Dearborn Inn.
you may have found yourself in the
"Other restaurants mentioned in
wrong place.
a 1985 listing of wining and dining
"E.G. Nick's (formerly Win
places were Justine, Van Dyke Place,
Schuler's) is still on Maple Road in
The Money Tree, Roma Cafe,
West Bloomfield. There was also
Restaurant Duglass, Chuck Muer's
Nicky's at the Top of Troy Building,
River Crab, Elizabeth's, Golden
Niki's on Main Street in Royal Oak,
Mushroom, D. Dennison's in
Nick's on Woodward in Ferndale, and
Farmington Hills, Carl's
Chop House, The Sheik,
C h um,' s and LaRotisserie.
Some critics hailed
Aliette's Bakery, a small
bistro in Detroit with
French classics cooked to
order-Farm House in Hazel
Park, for short ribs, grilled
lamb chops and homemade
pies and cakes; the Embers
in Mt. Pleasant, featuring
seafood de jonge; Chaim
Sweeney's in Dearborn and
Peabody's in Birmingham,
for steaks, barbecue ribs
and whitefish.
"Detroit and surround-
ing areas were restaurant
towns from escargot and
lobster to pizza and pasta.
With all the new glamour spots,
Rikki's American Grill in the
with elaborate decor or artificial
American Center, Southfield.
ferns and questionable antiques, and
"Then you had Red Coat Tavern
top
chefs and prices to match, good
on Woodward in Royal Oak (still
old standbys like Lelli's and Joe
there), Red Dragon on Long Lake
Muer's were mentioned by the sea-
Road in Troy, Red Hut on Campbell
soned diner as outstanding .
in Royal Oak, Red Lobster all over,
"You could be away from Detroit
Red Parrot in the Michigan Inn on
for years and still walk into
J.L. Hudson Drive in Southfield, Red
Pontchartrain Wine Cellars and get
Devil on Fenkell (still there), Red