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Arts ati ntertai

The Best Of Everything

A 5-Star Honor

Tribute's Chef Takashi Yagahashi earns
James Beard Foundation Award.

poached chicken with Dijon
and toasted pinenuts, lobster
tots, wonton shrimp, three-
cheese pizzas, tuna tartare,
efore he recently
etc.
retired for private .4
And a sumptuous buffet
reasons as maitre'd
table laden with ... seared
and manager of
tuna with noodle salad and
Tribute restaurant in
citrus vinaigrette, poached
Farmington Hills, Mickey
DANNY
salmon
with pickled fennel,
Bakst always said, "-When you
RASKIN
asparagus
with Saffron aioli,
come to Tribute, you get a
Local Columnist Rosemary and garlic roasted
dinner that is truly planned
domestic Kobe beef top
by an artist. The work that
Takashi is doing is, and I feel this very round, toasted couscous with rata-
touille, tomatoes with fresh Mozzarella
objectively, as good as or better than
and balsamic vinegar, antipasto platter,
anybody cooking in America today."
etc.
He was, of course, referring to
Achille Bianci, who has replaced
Takashi Yagahashi, Tribute's executive
Mickey as interim maitre d' at Tribute,
chef who has received the very presti-
is a long-time Epoch employee and
gious James Beard Foundation's Best
only recently was maitre d' at
Chef in the Midwest Award.
Lattitude ... following the closing of
They opened Tribute together ...
Too Chez, where he served for many
Mickey coming here from Tapawingo
in Ellsworth, Mich., and Takashi from
Ambria in Chicago ... and became
close friends ... The two built the
restaurant into national five-stardom
status and onto Gourmet magazine's
GOOD
highly touted "50 Best Restaurants In
EMPLOYEE Dept.
America" list ... achieving an ambition
Reem Thomas ...
to someday be compared with restau-
at
Vineyards
on
rants like Taillevant's in France or Jean
Northwestern
George's in New York.
Highway ... friendly,
So it would be only natural that
helpful and a lot of
Mickey should be there and at the
smiles ... as "Little
microphone ... at the surprise party
Miss Everything"
given in honor of Takashi at Forte in
cashier, sales gal,
Birmingham, another in the Epoch
decorator, etc., goes
Restaurant Group along with Latitude
about her work in
in Bay Harbor.
Mickey Bakst paid tribute to Takashi Yagahashi.
pleasing ways.
So many familiar faces as 170 peo-
YOU HAVE TO
ple jammed Forte to honor Takashi ...
years as maitre d'.
be quite a lobster lover to chaw on
Molly Abraham, Detroit News; Sylvia
LARRY BROWN, new coach of the that dinner-for-two being given
Rector, Detroit Free Press; Luciano and
Detroit Pistons NBA basketball squad,
through Aug. 31 at the Palm
Monica Del Signore, owners of Bacco
won't be second to his older brother,
Restaurant on Crooks in Troy ... One
and Fonte de Amore; Ric Bohy, Hour
Herb Brown, former Piston coach,
split jumbo five-pounder and choice
magazine; Linda Bacharach, Oakland
when it comes to international coach-
of either two mixed green or Caesar
Style magazine; Marshall Chin, Mon
ing.
salads, choice of any two side dishes
Jim Lau, Achille Bianci, Toni Wisne
Herb led the U.S. men's basketball
and two cups of coffee ... $75.
Sabina, CEO of Epoch, etc.
team to a gold medal in the 2001
NEW MAGAZINE ... Michigan's
Forte's executive chef, Tim Voss,
Maccabiah Games in Israel ... and
Top Most Eligible Bachelors/Bachelorettes
who came from the Park Avenue Cafe
guided the Israel Sabres to the
will tell the state's top single men and
in Chicago to work at Tribute with
European Professional Basketball
women out of the almost 3 million
Takashi and Mickey, showed why he,
Championship in 1975.
unattached folks.
too, is highly acclaimed for his culi-
Larry will coach the USA basketball
Michelle Bennet of Ann Arbor,
nary expertise ... passed hors d'oeuvres
squad in the 2003 Olympics ... but
author of the book, The Houston
of hot seared foie gras with pineapple
has already served on five previous
Bachelors, which became a huge suc-
on toastpoints, duck confit sopesitos,
USA basketball coaching staffs.
cess in Texas, plans to create bachelor
portabello and Chevre roulade,

DANNY RASKIN
Local Columnist

HOWIE MANDEL

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

FREEDOM HILL

Enjoy entertainment under the stars! Acts such as
Tony Bennett, Ringo Starr, The Beach Boys and
Hank Williams, Jr. have played the Hill! For our
summer line-up 2003 visit www.freedomhill.net .
Please call (586) 268-7820 for season ticket and
sponsorship opportunities.

LEE GREENWOOD

Grammy Winner and one of country music's
brightest stars, Lee Greenwood captivates
audiences with a variety of musical styles
from movies themes to his patriotic anthem
"Goa Bless the USA".

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

andiamoitalia.com

6/13

2003

70

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

THE POSTER you see around
town of "The Purtanos" was shot at
the original Buddy's Pizza on Six Mile
and Conant in Detroit.
Dick Purtan is the boss fellow with
black shirt and long cigar ... He sure
doesn't look like a tough guy ...
Anybody who knows Dick is familiar
with his being too much a great and
well-loved guy to be anything else but
Mr. Nice.
In the picture too, is the Purtan's
People cast of Dick's radio show over
WOMC-FM, 104.3.
Folks who purchase a Margherita
pizza or Sicilian pizza at Buddy's dur-
ing "The Purtanos" 4-month charity
promotion will have a portion of the
proceeds given to Gail Purtan's
Ovarian Cancer Research Fund at
Karmanos Cancer Institute ... She is
Dick's wife.
A COUPLE OF products by
Andiamo Restaurant Group's corpo-
rate chef, Aldo Ottaviani, have reached
super market shelves.
Now his homemade signature
dessert delight, Tiramisu, is in the
frozen dessert sections at Hiller's, Papa
Joe's, Nino Silvaggio and Westborn
markets ... His pasta sauces are also at
Farmer Jack
Emporium markets
and all seven
Andiamo restau-
rants.

B

