•••111•••••••• • The Best Of Everything 11 I Celebrity Showroom • iiiingsYou Its Great 2000 • • Parade of Stars! • 94e 9 , rearede Wetoted, • eft .54situt VaeleAtea4 e. • ae • • &emai l* riadeame, ftedater,„ • • .5444etaitid Attention Grabbers • 411 • • • • • • • • • • E NIGHT. OliLYil, t 0,3 LS • FRIDAY, JAN. 28 • • • • "THE GOLDEN BOYS" AVALON, • • FRANKIE FABIAN & 110 Wed., Thurs. & Fri. February 23, 24 & 2S 'BO BY RYDELL Fri., April 6 et 7 • * Thurs. THE DANNY-e (i • & Thurs., May 17 & 18 • Wed. FRANKIE • VALI. MARONA SHOW and the "'FOUR SEASONS Thurs., July 20 • • OAN RIVERS Sat. & Sun., Sept. 30 & Oct.) * TOM ONES irk • Wed. & Thurs., Oct. 25 & 26 I )' DON RICKLES • Fri. & Sat. , • Thurs., Nov. 9, 10 & 11 • • ) PAUL ANKA Celebrity Showroom • 7096 East Fourteen Mile Road 1 / 2 8 2000 88 4110 (Between Mound &Van Dyke) (810) 268-3200 Fabulous hotels, shows and fine dining outshine the gambling for some in Las -Vegas. Excalibur; Luxor and Mandalay Bay ... here is a certain charisma The famous roaring lion's head with its about Las Vegas that comes open mouth was taken down from in in the form of individual front of the MGM because many charms of excitement. Orientals felt it was like they were being As gaming casinos and hotels spring swallowed ... and wouldn't come in ... A up all over the country ... the statue of a huge lion without emphasis many times is far from an open mouth was put up at subtle. the cost of a couple million Rather than shove its gam- dollars. bling intent down the throats of So much to see and do ... visitors, Las Vegas, however, The Mirage with its volcano would seem to present it in a erupting outside every few more round-about way ... minutes after dusk ... Treasure Obviously, gambling is there in Island with the sea battle out- a very big fashion ... but not side every 90 minutes ... without attractive diversifica- Caesar's Palace, inside the DANNY tion. Forum Shops, with two RASKIN The hotels themselves, par- shows featuring statues that Local Columnist ticularly on the Las Vegas Strip, come to life daily and in are mind-boggling attention the shops' newer wing, grabbers. Atlantis weaves together fire, water and New hotels like the Paris, Bellagio, special effects. Venetian, New York, New York and At Rio, Chemed productions every Mandalay. Bay are being built at well two hours are complete with suspended- over a billion dollars each .. and extrava- from-the-ceiling floats, costumed gantly designed to be very lavish attrac- dancers and lively music ... Lions are at tions. play in the Lion habitat at MGM Their beauty is stunning and in very Grand ... Flamingos and penguins have stylish class. their own homes in an outside park at One of the older hotels, Caesar's Palace, which is in a luxurious rank of its own ... can be termed as something of a design leader, as well ... with style treatments that many of the newer hotels seemingly have copied. The next one to come this year will be an all-new Aladdin Hotel ... on the same Strip grounds where the former wonderful hotel with the same name is being replaced... Then comes San Francisco, on the Strip site where the Frontier will be torn down. On Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue, where once only the Tropicana held a supremacy, the overly-big MGM Grand stands as the world's largest hotel ... in the same area that years back was "too far away" ••• along with today's Monte Former Detroiter Bob Anderson is Carlo; New York, New York; a singer-impressionist hit in Vegas. AUBURN HILLS Lelli's of Auburn Hills, 8135 Opdyke Road, Auburn Hills, (248) 373-4440. The second of Lem's traditionally fine Italian ristorantes is located across from the Pontiac Silverdome. Besides elegant surroundings, it features the same excellent food served by the Lelli family ince 1939. Reservations are accepted for any evening except Saturday Mile Road, Berkley, (248) 548- a consisten tly :," . .:4100,..hood family restaurant. " "F *ittilittio*ornu is one that dining.The 141440.4re pizzas, fish, -10,- te4$even . days a week tiOtting is also available titij **tia-o.4*'plsuai Road, Bloomfield *0 winning chicken corned beef. fresh - : Wads and tradition- ing too at this Ic Deli uel cheesecake Bong the desserts *46 **44-tA eYari regular k!':ti family . W6odwarcl, Detroit, aeen an Italian itiOilai dishes menus of Italian special- light presentations by FARMINGTON HILLS Desert Sands, 29222 Orchard Lake Road, Farmington Hills, (248) 855-1122. Middle- Eastern dining is featured by Hassan Bazzi, for- iner maitre d' at the Original Sheik in down- town Detroit. Daily specials at lunch and din- ner Full menu carryout with , catering available. Complete liquor service. intelligent Chicken, 32431 Northwestern Hwy., Farmington Hills, (248) 855-4455. The wide variety of specialty items are together with a complete menu of charbroiled or rotis- serie chicken for both dining in the 40-seater area, and carry-out, 7 days a week. Soups, chili, salads and side dishes are homemade. Also homemade are the popular cookies and brownie& Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum, 31005 Orchard Lake Road, Farmington Hills, (248) 626-5020. One magazine said that there was no place like,it in the country. The Guinness Book of Records has featured its accomplish- ments. Lunch and snacks are available with table seating amidst video games, antiques, nos- talgic posters, flying miniature airplanes, enter- tainment attractions, pinball machines, etc. It is open seven days a week. Vineyards Cafe & Catering, 32418 Northwestern Hwy, Farmington Hills, (248) 855 - 9463. This is a many-faceted type of opera- tion. Nibbles and Nuts at the Vineyards, and traditional Jewish dishes prepared by Shirlee Bloom, using only kosher products in her sepa- rate kitchen, makes it much more than lust a DINING GUIDE on page 92