The Best Of Everything
STYUS
Thurs. & Fri.
Sept.
Fri. & Sat.
Oct. 18 & 19
elebrity Showrooin
096 East Fourteen Mile Road
6/21
2002
84
(Between Mound & Van Dyke)
. (586) 268-3200
40 4111411 4011 00 II 41Ik
Diner Phenom
In West Bloomfield as in Oak Park, little Giorgio's scores
with gourmet dishes at regular prices.
is a phenomenal success story in the restau-
It is bigger than the Oak Park spot ... with seat-
rant business and worthy of being told over
ing for about 50 at the new Giorgio's Gourmet
and over again ... about a simple little diner
Diner in Sugar Tree Plaza on Orchard Lake Road,
that turned into a culinary happening of
north of 15 Mile.
much note.
Steak Diane in burgundy wine sauce with mush-
The story began in 1981 when George
rooms, onion and garlic ($13.95), Steak au Poivre
Golematis bought the little Spiro's Coney Island
with Burgundy wine sauce, fresh ground pepper chut-
restaurant on the corner of Lincoln and
ney, Dijon mustard and flamed with cognac ($13.95),
Greenfield in Oak Park.
Beef Carpetbag cooked with Bordelaise sauce and
DAN NY
Imagine the surprise to see George, former
flamed with Wild Turkey ($13.95), 14-ounce New
maitre d' pride of upscale Benchmark restaurant at
RAS KIN
York sirloin cooked with crushed black peppercorns
the Michigan Inn, behind the counter and even
Local Columnist and Bordelaise sauce, flamed with brandy ($14.95),
more a shocker to discover that he was the owner.
Shrimp Scampi sauteed in lemon butter, garlic and
Being short on cash, all he could do was buy a lit-
dry vermouth and served over rice ($13.95), Cherries
tle Coney Island restaurant that could barely make ends meet.
Jubilee flamed with Kirsch cherry liqueur poured over ice
Then came the windfall idea. Why not try doing what
cream ($4.95), flambeed Bananas Foster ($5.50) and so much
George knows best? Change the name to Giorgio's and
more ... at astoundingly low prices.
make gourmet dishes including the flaming favorites he did
Flaming is now confined to the open stove area behind
tableside at the Benchmark?
the counter but flames continue to flick happy twinkles.
And so was born the highly successful Giorgio's Counterside
The best seller at Giorgio's Gourmet Diner in West
Diner ... with little stoves on the long counter ... a couple of
Bloomfield is the excellent fresh Lake Superior whitefish
booths ... and other seating for a whopping 34 people.
...12 to 14 ounces grilled and served with lemon butter,
Word soon got around that you could get gourmet dishes garlic and dry vermouth sauce ($12.50) ... or it may be
at prices folks paid for regular fare.
ordered dry, with no garlic and only lemon or oil used ...
It wasn't long before lines began forming around the corner. It is nothing for George to go through 700 pounds of
Later, a customer suggested that George move... his little whitefish in a week.
restaurant had gotten too small ... So he sold it to his
Also the superb Ruby Red trout which, George remem-
cousin Peter Kotsogiannis, who couldn't use the
same name so changed it to Peter's K ... keeping the
identical concept and reputation.
George moved his Giorgio's to the former
Tweeney's locale in Birmingham ... with its much
larger capacity seating, elegant atmosphere and big
overhead ... All of which he needed like the
proverbial hole in a head.
But the charm wasn't there ... and prices had to
be hiked higher in what was now a large full-scale
restaurant ... no longer a little diner.
Giorgio's closed ... and Peter's K flourished.
Then came the unbelievable ... As fate would
have it, Peter wanted to move back to New York
and open a small Italian restaurant.
He asked George's brother Bill, who worked for
Peter, and now operates the Oak Park restaurant, if
George would like to buy the place back.
George Golematis now owns two Giorgio's diners.
Would he? ... And how! ... with no more drastic
changes ever again from his little diner successful concept.
A short while ago, George finally realized another big
bers having to take when he ran out of whitefish in Oak
ambition ... To open a second operation exactly like the
Park and this was as close as the fish vendor could come at
one in Oak Park in West Bloomfield.
the time ... It is a wonderful piece of fish, 12 to -14 ounces
Same menu ... Same prices ... Same counter ... but
prepared the same as the whitefish ($13.50) ... 350 pounds
more booths.
cooked weekly is normal.
His second dream happened Feb. 8, 2002 ... when
Georgio's is also noted for its separate pasta menu, which
George finally opened what seemed like what the world
has gained much favor because of the variety and low prices.
was waiting for ... In the first week, over 4,000 people
Since opening, over 300 orders of Spaghetti Bolognese
packed in ... without the Giorgio's sign even up yet.
($9.95) a week are filled in an 11-item choice of pasta dishes
Getting in was sometimes a problem for some ... but
that also includes Spaghetti Salmone ($12.50) with fresh salmon
found to be very much worth the short wait ... as so many cooked in a tomato and optional cream sauce ... Penne Scampi
have since discovered.
with fresh broccoli and garlic all sauteed in olive oil ($12.95) ...