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Everything
Danny delivers six decades
restaurant reminiscences.
udd Greco Sal Richards • ulius Larosa
DANNY RASKIN
Local Columnist
A
o
?s, I,4
gy
3/29
2002
84
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Celebrity Showroom "
7696 East Fourteen Mile Road
(Between Mound & Van Dyke)
(810) 268-3200
s the Jewish News celebrates
its 60th anniversary, the
question most asked of me
during the past 60 years of
writing a Jewish News column certainly
has to be, "What is your favorite restau-
rant?"
Looking back and thinking ... Fnever
did have a favorite ... Seems like so many
were noted for different foods, idiosyn-
crasies, personalities, etc. ... that. went to
make up pet spots to remember.
When it came to food, all-around
menu selection ... and a personality its
very own, the London Chop House on
Congress with partners Les and Sam
Gruber and Joe Woolf, has to be among
the top choices in this exalted category.
Where to go after the theater or a
night on the town was never a problem
... Darby's on West Seven Mile, owned
by Sam Boesky, always came to mind ...
Come to think of it, for so many years
Sam used to taste the food before it was
served to the customer ... and never
gained a pound ... or so he said.
Then there was Rocky's Pizzeria on
West McNichols ... with an owner,
Rocky Laudazio, who wasn't happy
unless he gave the most food in town ...
and to boot, went to almost every table
playing the concertina.
Among Italian restaurants, few were
more unsung than Cardinali's on
Mitchell, with its rose-flecked wallpaper
in a little trattoria that was simplicity
personified ... with excellent food ... and
wine served in cups.
The best delicatessen? ... This would
really be a very tough baby to choose ...
Lefkofsky's in the Broadway Market,
Boesky's, Leinoff's, Ben & George's,
Wilson's, Liberman's, Max's, Lefkofsky's
on Dexter, Nate's, Pedman's, Hy
Horenstein's, Bread Basket, Marty's,
Nosherie, Lou's, Brothers, Billy's,
Piccadilly, Stage, Katz's, Northgate,
Joey's, Modern, Danny's, Deli Unique,
Plaza, Pickle Barrel, Irving's, Esquire,
Empire, Flashenberg's, Benny's Sabra,
Dave's, Sol's, Eliot's, Three Roses, Harry
Boesky's ... and so many many more
much too numerous to mention.
Rough to beat the Japanese food at
Daruma on Cass, where no knives or
forks were available ... only chopsticks ...
take it or leave it.
I don't think there were too many
places with more veal choices than
Darlin' Lilly's on Orchard Lake Road ...
where the chef boasted of having a selec-
tion of over 60 preparations to serve.
One of the most popular meeting
places was Jakk's on Greenfield-, owned
by Dick and Agie LaCombe ... a stomp-
ing ground for good food and fun ... and
where people would most likely meet
people they always seemed to feel would
be there.
The top choices for a great Caesar
Salad prepared tableside were at
,
Meyerson's Aged & Rare on West Grand
Boulevard, and Bonaventure in Troy ...
made on a rolling cart before you with
the proper ingredients ... The Caesar
salad was another contribution of the
London Chop House to the gastronom-
ic culture of Detroit ... introduced here
at the internationally-famed Chop.
Among the best French-Italian dining
spots was Hugo's on Woodward, where
French people visiting here used to say
Aurelio Ugolini's escargots de Burgoyne
were the finest in the world.
Little contest for many when it came
to health food restaurants ... Healthy
Jones on Northwestern Highway, owned
by Joan and Dr. Donald Wittenberg,
was far and away among the very best.
Tough to beat the banana cream pie
that Cream of Michigan on Pingree and
12th used to make and serve ... Many of
the Purple boys loved that banana cream
pie so much ... they'd leave whatever pie
was still on the plate ... tell Johnny they'd
be right back ... attend to some business
... and return to finish it.
For lobsters ... it was hard to beat the
Clam Shop on East Grand Boulevard ...
where Dave Goldfine had 1 1/4-
pounders with the option of a yummy .
peanut butter topping.
When it came to kosher food ... folks
went to Kozin's on West Seven Mile
Road, owned by Bill and Mae Kozins,
because of the home-cooked dishes they
were able to get amid a very modernistic
atmosphere ... and dance floor.
Buddy's has always been away up there
for the best square pizza ... and those
with good rounds were many ... One of
the best frozen ones was by Frank and
Maria Mencotti, who made the first here
and sold it to Wrigley Super Market.
A fine wiener schnitzel (or just plain
veal cutlet) was at Little Hungary on 12
Mile Road, owned by Sonja and Bob
Szakal ... even though it is an Austrian
dish ... About veal cutlets, don't know
why, but so many Chinese restaurants
through the years always had good ones.
Among the best hamburgers ... and