Arts Entertainment
The Best Of Everything
Our Good Buddy
Its been a saucy 20 years for Buddy's Pizza
in Farmington Hills.
he year was 1982 ...
hint of Southwest seasoning
March 2 the date ...
... It is served with a side of
and it was a cold
sour cream.
one ... with six
Even a widely favorite
inches of snow and a snow-
BBQ Chicken specialty pizza
storm that swirled the chill
... marinated grilled chicken
from bone to bone.
with homemade barecue
But it didn't keep too many
sauce, red onions and
away from the opening ... as
Wisconsin
brick cheese.
DANNY
bundled-up crowds huddled
Buddy's in Farmington
RASKIN
lined up ... even though it
Hills, though is much more
Local
Columnist
was a Monday.
than a pizza stop ... It is a
Buddy's Pizza had finally
full-fledged restaurant with
come to the Northwest sector of met-
some of the best homemade soups
ropolitan Detroit ... opening its doors
you'll have anywhere ... The mine-
on Northwestern Highway off
strone soup is highly noted ...
Middlebelt in Farmington Hills.
Customers love its robust, fresh taste
The 20-year anniversary of this
and chunky goodness ... to the tune of
respected local chain is a memorable
over 120,000 gallons in the 20 years.
one ... but not because of the weather
Also made from scratch by Chef
... rather so due to the strides it con-
Laverne Hatchett, 19 years with
tinued to make throughout those two
Buddy's, soups like corn chowder,
decades.
potato leek, cream of mushroom, clam
Its tasty crunchy crust and healthier
chowder, etc.
characteristics are among salient rea-
Carol Jasinski, one of the best wait-
. sons why Buddy's square pizzas year-
ress-hostess-barmaid-etc. gals around is
after-year are award-winning pies ...
a 17-year stalwart at Buddy's of
Not adding oil or sugar to its dough is
Farmington Hills ... and among this
unusual in pizza crust making ... and
locale's most popular lassies.
few others have a lactose-free veggie
Since that March day in 1982, it is
cheese (with no saturated fat) ... Also
estimated that more than 10 million
pizza with no-fat cheese, too.
people have been served at Buddy's in
In the over 20 years, Buddy's Pizza
Farmington Hills ... going through
in Farmington Hills, has gone through over two million heads of lettuce,
over 2,800,000 pounds of cheese ...
over 200,000 gallons of sauce ... over
90 million pieces of pepperoni ... and
well over three million pizzas.
These are all not just regular square
pizzas, by the way ... Better most
should be called "innovative pizzas."
Like ... the Margherita Pizza covered
with Wisconsin brick cheese, topped
with diced tomatoes and roasted garlic,
lightly dusted with Asiago cheese and
sprinkled with basil and oregano with
Buddy's new zesty tomato basil sauce.
One of Buddy's most popular pizzas is
the Greek Pizza ... with the award-win-
ning dough covered with feta cheese,
braised spinach, roasted garlic, red
onion, diced tomatoes and a hint of dill.
Chicken Fajita, Steak Fajita and
BBQ Chicken pizzas are favorites, too
... The fajita pizzas are covered with
cheddar and Wisconsin brick cheese
topped with choice of steak or chick-
en, chunky picante sauce, roasted pep-
pers and onions, diced tomatoes and a
Robert Jacobs and Wesley Pikula at the helm of Buddy's.
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Ceiebi'ity Shoivroolit
IF 7096 East Fdurteen mile Road
11/29
2002
92
{Between Mound &Vat) Dyke)
(586) 268 "3200,,,
10.0410 • 0110 0 4114i
.
almost 90,000 gallons of highly touted
house dressing ... over 200,000 burg-
ers and about as many chicken sand-
wiches ... around 58,000 gallons of
pasta meat sauce, 50,000 gallons of
marinade sauce, etc.
Seating at Buddy's in Farmington
Hills is among the local chain's largest
... with 225, including the back room
and its main dining room ... Another
75 are in the well-appointed bar where
folks enjoy the many menu selections
to go with their beer or harder spirits.
It is open seven days ... Monday-
Thursday, 11-10; Friday, 11-11;
Saturday, noon-i 1; Sunday, noon-10.
It was at the Buddy's Pizza of
Farmington Hills where seeds of the
present Michigan Jewish Sports Hall
of Fame were planted ... by Buddy's
founder, the late Billy Jacobs, and
Alvin Foon and others who helped
crystallize Alvin's dream.
Owner Robert Jacobs, who is
founder Billy's son, and vice president
of operations Wesley Pikula, who has
been with Buddy's Pizza 27 years, are
credited with innovations that seem
uncanny but very much appreciated
by the tasting public.
One of the easiest things in the
restaurant business is to own a stay-as-
you-are mentality ... With Robert and
Wesley, the opposite is much more true.
Their way of thinking is that
Buddy's food can always be made bet-
ter ... You won't find too many in the
restaurant business today who think
this way.
It is a wonderful trait shared by
many in former years ... much to the
satisfaction of returning customers.