CELEBRITY
SHOWROOM

The Best Of Everything

Hungarian Open

Center Court restaurant in Franklin Racquet Club
serves up yesteryear's tastes of Little Hungaria.

ELVIS TO THE MAX

25 Years ago Elvis left the building. Now he returns,
or so you will think, to play for you at Andiamo. It's
Elvis to the Max with Max Pellicano, his Las Vegas
Dancers and special guest comedian Paul Locrichio.
Come sing along with all of your favorite Elvis hits.

HOWIE MANDEL

A star everywhere you look: television, film
and the stage, comedian Howie Mandel has
been entertaining audiences for yeari Come
laugh the night away with Howie, one of today's
most successful comedians.

GLADYS KNIGHT

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member, living
Motown legend Gladys Knight performs all her
Grammy winning hits including - Midnight Train
to Georgia- and "Neither One of Us (Wants to
be the Fist to Say Goodbye) ... Come see Gladys
Knight in a rare Detroit appearance.

CHOOSE ANDIAMO FOR YOUR
BAR/BAT MITZVAH, WEDDING,
ENGAGEMENT PARTY, REHEARSAL
DINNER OR ANY SPECIAL OCCASION.

andiamoitalia.com

2/21

2003

East 14 Mile Road. West of Van Dyke.
Warren, Michigan

Saturday 9-7 ... closed Sunday through
winter.
Come sometime this summer, the
new entrance at Franklin Fitness &
Racquet Club will open ... and as folks
enter, will be located almost directly in
front of the Center Court restaurant.
In the meantime, entrance is via the
same one as usual ... Just say "restau-
rant" to the desk person and walk
right on in.
After Little Hungaria closed, Sonja
was at various operations as catering
manager.
She is very adept as well with Jewish
dishes such as cholent ... the highly
popular slow-cooking delight made
with beans, etc ... Cholent is unequiv-
ocally Jewish cuisine ... but it also has
a Hungarian touch ... evolving into
"Shalet" one of Hungary's national
dishes.
Cholent is a huge favorite ... espe-
cially on a cold winter day ... and we've
been having plenty of those lately.
Tell Sonja you want cholent on a
given day or evening and she'll have it
for you.
Center Court restaurant has only
been open since Jan. 12 ... is fairly
well-hidden and very little known
except by members at Franklin ... But
this is expected to change quickly ...
especially with
the presence of
Sonja Szakal.

bout 25 years ago, a
restaurant usually found
little 40-seat
within the confines of a
Hungarian restau-
health club.
rant opened on 12
For sure, though, there are
Mile in Berkley.
also many items for the
Uritil it closed for various
health and diet conscious ...
reasons in 1980, Little
Seven salads, plus tuna and
Hungaria was noted for won-
chicken salads ... vegetarian
derful Hungarian food and
dishes and sandwiches like
DA NNY
Gypsy music.
the excellent portabello
RAS KIN
Today, the owner of that
mushroom grilled and served
Local Columnist
lovely little restaurant is the
on an onion roll with roasted
new owner and operator of
red peppers, grilled onions
Center Court restaurant in the
and Swiss cheese ... Asian salmon,
Franklin Fitness & Racquet Club on
whitefish Florentine, etc.
Northwestern Highway north of 12
And if you want a good egg white
Mile in Southfield.
vegetarian omelet, try the one at
Sonja Szakal never lost her keen
Center Court, with its thin egg layers
knowledge of Hungarian cuisine and
over and under the freshly cooked veg-
although those dishes are not on the
etables.
Center Court menu, they are available
Sonja is from the old school of
at all times ... lunch and dinner.
cooking ... preparing things from
In a front showcase are luscious
scratch is important ... like forming
dishes like chicken paprikas with
her own patties for hamburgers and
dumplings, stuffed cabbage, veal
turkey burgers, making a chopped
paprikas, palacsinta (veal, chicken and
dessert crepes), Hungarian goulash,
cucumber salad, garlic and artichoke
chicken, etc. ... These are the real
HIS GOLDEN
authentic things ... no impersonations.
Mushroom
And if there are any other
restaurant may be
Hungarian items folks may want, just
closed, but for-
tell Sonja in the morning and she'll
mer owner Reid
have them ready for your dinner.
Ashton, still
The Center Court daily menu for
keeps his fingers
lunch and dinner may not reflect the
in the dining
Hungarian dining standouts ... but
game ... Plus in
they are very prevalent.
the catering game
In fact, the menu has a continental
... Reid is a board
flavor that doesn't include Hungary ...
member of the
There's Mexican taco salad, Italian
Michigan
grilled chicken or fettuccine Alfredo,
Culinary Food &
Japanese teriyaki grilled chicken with
Wine
rice, Thai chicken pad, Israeli kosher
Extravaganza,
Sonja Szakal owner-operator of the Center Court restaurant
hot dog, Middle Eastern fattoush
helping to coor-
salad, Chinese oriental salad, Greek
dinate its eighth
salad, Asian salmon, American grilled
bread that is served as people are seat-
annual affair Tuesday, March 4 at Mac
portabello, hamburgers, turkey burg-
ed, superb chicken noodle soup and
& Ray's Banquet & Conference
ers, etc.
chili (both featured daily) and soups-
Center in Harrison Township.
Center Court restaurant opened Jan. of-the-day like Hungarian cauliflower,
AFTER SEEING the hit movie
12 and may not be the fanciest type of pasta fagioli, New England or
Chicago, Dee Shapiro envisioned her-
eatery ... But the ambiance is, impor-
Manhattan clam chowder with choice
self in the co-starring Renee Zellweger
tantly, a very clean one ... as is the
consistency and full-bodied goodness,
role of Roxie Hart ... After all, she's a
kitchen ... and seating is not limited as mushroom barley, etc. ... also, desserts
dancer too.
it was at Little Hungaria ... Center
like apple pie, raspberry bread pud-
But Dee's dream was recently rele-
Court seats 140 ... and also has a full
ding and noodle kugel.
gated to being selected for the enter-
bar with beer, wine and other alco-
Center Court restaurant is open
tainment following her competition in
holic beverages.
seven days a week ... Monday-
the Global Grand Challenge held at
This is not your ordinary type of
Thursday, 11-9; Friday, 11-10;
the Indianapolis Marriott.

A

74

C