Andiamo Italia
ispulling back
the curtain...

The Best Of Everything

Sans Pork

* to let the *
4( Stars Shine!

Stir Crazy Cafe offers healthy, Pan Asian fare.

together custom concoctions and
including an outside patio ... the only
ike the flames that lick from
sauces
that
Stir
Crazy
chefs
take
and
one
at Great Lakes Crossing ... that
its woks, the stir-fry craze
put
into
water-cooled
woks
for
deli-
seats
around 40.
continues its hot upward
cious treats.
The striking decor inside has an
trend as openers of Asian
This method of fire in the
open display kitchen with a
restaurants jump on this culinary
center
of a lot of water was not
sea of gleaming stainless
bandwagon.
designed by an Oriental, but a
steel and brick; Oriental
But there are those who open this
Jewish
gent
in
New
York
...
flair in the beige murals on
concept and step aside to hopefully
After
a
couple
spoonfuls
of
walls,
decorative paper lamp
enjoy their laurels ... And then the few
canola
oil,
a
theatrical
burst
of
shades,
honey-hued wood
others whose staffs are trained to look
flame from Stir Crazy's cus-
and curved bars ... There are
for continual betterment.
tom-designed 750-degree
huge oversized chopsticks c ,
Stir Crazy Cafe, the Pan-Asian
stove's
top burners and a few
for giants standing around -\
restaurant that opened in April in
shakes of the wok, the chef
the restaurant ... plus a
Auburn Hills' Great Lakes Crossing,
returns your creation fresh, flu--
painted green dragon hold-
D ANNY
Baldwin Road Exit off I-75, is in the
grant,
piping
hot
and
healthy
ing chopsticks in a disarm-
RA SKIN
latter category, with a Mongolian
...
all
in
about
three
minutes
ing
and upbeat look ... The
Local Columnist
Garden and barbecue service where
from
start
to
finish.
atmosphere
is high energy
customers may create their own stir-
Or, customers can select
and fun, with many natural
fry dishes.
from the large menu offerings that
materials such as wood, slate and
But Gary Leff, the founder and
include traditional and creative dishes,
bamboo combined with whimsical
president of the operation here, as
each with signature Stir Crazy ingredi-
Asian-inspired artwork and artifacts to
well as three others in suburbs outside
ents made from scratch daily.
create a sophisticated, yet festive and
of Chicago since 1995, goes further
Crazy
Chow
Fun
is
a
one-of-a-kind
casual
environment.
with the American curiosity about
dish
with
extra-wide
noodles
supplied
With
four Stir Crazy restaurants
world cuisine and the ever-present
to no other restaurant or market out-
now in business, Gary plans to open a
interest in healthful foods.
side Stir Crazy Café ... Or, try wok-
total of 25 units by the year 2000 ...
"I wanted to get creative and make
seared
tuna sashimi served rare with
His next one is slated for Boca Raton,
it more of an experience, the way
grilled shittake mushrooms drizzled in
Florida ... Within a year, Gary is look-
restaurateurs have done with Mexican
a light soy wasabi sauce ... or sweet
ing to open another one in
and Italian over the past 10 years —
and
sour
chicken
...
tender
crispy
Birmingham, Mich.
use fresh, bolder ingredients and a
pieces
tossed
with
green
peppers,
red
Stir Crazy Cafe makes its own gin-
more stylish decor. Asian food was
peppers,
onions,
carrots
and
pineapple
ger
ale, vegetarian and spring rolls,
never a casual experience, so I saw the
in a sweet and tangy sauce ... There's
potstickers, sauces, soups and just
opportunity to do something fresh."
even cold lo-mein style noodles tossed
about everything except the grown
In his travels, Gary noted public
with
scallions, cucumbers and bean
vegetables ... Even its own desserts,
acceptance of Thai, Vietnamese and
sprouts ... in a signature peanut sauce.
like Asian Tirimisu, made with sake
Japanese restaurants but saw that there
Seating
is
for
about
159,
not
and
lemongrass ... Its banana wontons
were very few mid-scale casu-
are a big favorite, filled
al Asian concepts ... "The
with
bananas and white
category was still dominated
chocolate, sprinkled with
by ma and pa restaurants, "
cinnamon-sugar and
he says ... The more progres-
topped with vanilla ice
sive efforts were only hap-
cream and homemade
pening at higher-priced
caramel sauce.
restaurants ... There was
Non-alcoholic frozen
nothing really creative occur-
beverage
creations are here,
ring in the mid-price range.
too, like fresh mango
Gary's menu at Stir Crazy
spritzer or fresh passion
Cafe locally contains nothing
fruit spritzer ... Also Asian
made with pork .. This is
beers, sakes, exotic mango
most unusual and certainly
margaritas, mango daiquiris,
away from the cooking of
Stir Crazy Mai Tais, passion
other Asian ethnic restau-
fruit cocktails with vodka,
rants.
amaretto; Thai chi, a Thai
Also, his are not stir-fry
iced coffee with vodka and
operations only ... Guests
coffee liqueur, etc.
have their option of visiting
"I don't think we'll ever
the Asian market bar to put
Gag Leff is °under and president of Stir Crazy Cafe.

L

e

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

8/20
1999

visit us at: www.andiamoitalia.com

94 Detroit Jewish News