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- CelebIity

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Showroom

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• BringsYou Its •
Great 2000 •
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Parade
of Stars! •
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The Best Of Everything

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AUBURN HILLS

Leaving private clubs proves lucky for
MotorCity Casino's executive chef.

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Gamble Pays Off

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• Wed. &Thurs.,
• May 17 &III •
• FRANKIE
• 4f , VALI-1,k* •
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• *Fail R T740(
• SEASONS •
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Sat & Sum -#4 •
• Sept. 30 & Oa. I
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• JONES •

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• * Oct. 25 & 26 •
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• * DON* •
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RICKLES •

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"No wonder my friends said the
ichael Russell, executive
scale and pace of running this kind of
chef at the MotorCity
food operation would burn" meout in
Casino, writes:
no time. Or that I'd hate coming into
"The doomsayers
the city on a daily basis. Or that a
were wrong. It's been more than two
huge staff of young, mostly city work-
months now since the MotorCity
ers, would prove frustrating.
Casino in Detroit opened in
"On the contrary.
the old Wonder Bread Bakery,
Despite the fact that we've
and I haven't yet tucked my
been progressively busier and
tail between my legs and raced
busier since we opened our
back to the Bloomfield Open
doors in December, I'm hav-
Hunt Club to try to reclaim
ing a ball. Things get over-
my old job.
whelming at times —
"You can't blame my old
Martin Luther King Day and
friends and customers from
the Auto Show weekend, for
doubting that this incredible
example, and we're expecting
D ANNY
transition was going to work.
a crush of folks when Ford ,
After all, I'd been at private
RA SKIN
hands out its huge annual
clubs for 18 years — including Local Columnist
employee bonus checks in
tours at Wabeek Country Club
March — but I love it! It's
and the Detroit Yacht Club —
just been an absolute ball.
and my staff at the Hunt Club was all
• "I love the change of pace. The
of 17. We cooked in small volumes at
challenge is never-ending. And whip-
what has to be considered a relatively
ping the staff into shape has been far
leisurely pace. Oh, sure, we had our
easier than I thought. I don't know if
busy times and our hectic nights, but
it's the fringe benefits we have here, or
nothing compared to this.
"As executive chef at
MotorCity, by way of contrast, I
head up a staff of more than
300. I have 11 sous chefs and
nearly 200 line and prep cooks.
I oversee all the food. operations
at four restaurants, and the
numbers are just dazzling.
Consider some of them:
• We serve 4,000 meals a day
to paying customers at the
Classics Buffet, where the menu
is changed every single day,
***Jr
unlike many casino operations
*swee"
who are lucky to change their
buffet menus with the seasons.
And we serve up another 3,000
meals to employees.
• We also serve up to 250
dinners at our upscale signature
restaurant, Iridescence; some
1,250 meals a day at the Deli
Unique, and another 300 meals
or so at our Middle Eastern
restaurant, La Shish.
• We've served as many as
2,400 pounds of crab legs in a
single day.
• We get three food deliveries
a day, seven days a week, 365
Michael Russell, certified master the
days a year.

Lelli's of Auburn Hills, 885 Opdyke Road,
Auburn Hills, (248) 373-4440.The second of
Lelli's traditionally fine Italian ristorantes is
located across from the Pontiac Silverdorne.
Besides elegant surroundings, it features the
same excellent food served by the Lelli family
since 1939. Reservations are accepted for any
evening except Saturday.

12 Mile Road, Berkley, (248)

~x~

There is nothing like a consistently

dable neighborhood family restaurant
an and American menu is one that
4,40
-teetziftkctit:Confidence in casual dining.The
round and square pizzas, fish,
are served seven days a week
dinner. Everything is also avail-
:but.

Il~ HILLS

Deli 6646Telegraph Road, Bloomfield

.932-0e00. Award-winning chicken
'aired/kis° serving corned beef,
:10Oasted,,t4ey, sandwiches, salads and
4:,
rit
ilAiltri2.farty trays and catering too
e deli_ Carnegie Deli
's Brownies are among

Woodward, Detroit,
been an Italian
dishes
with
4itbinus of Italian spe-
light presentations

G7TON HILLS

Desert Sands, 29222 Orchard Lake Road,
Farmington Hills, (248) 855-1122. Middle-
Eastern dining is featured by Hassan Bazzi,
former maitre d' at the Original Sheik in
downtown Detroit, Daily specials at lunch
and dinner. Full menu carryout with catering
available. Complete liquor service.

Intelligent Chicken, 32431 Northwestern
vvy., Farmington Hills, {248) 855-4455.The
ide variety of specialty items are together
with acomplete menu of charbroiled or rods-
for both dining in the 40-seater
-out, 7 days a week. Soups, chili,
sties are hornernade.Also
. -popular cookies and
oWnies.

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Celebrity Showroom

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7096 East Fourteen Mile Road'.

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