The Best Of Everything
A Touch Of Class
Rugby Grille has provided elegant dining for 15 years.
... and also from her for-
makes up the culinary excellence at
111 any of your best
mer
restaurant
employ-
Townsend's
Rugby Grille.
restaurants sel-
ment, Le Cirque in New
HE CERTAINLY DOESN'T waste
dom blow their
York.
much time in opening a new kind of
own horn when
Ester
Maffezzoli,
venue.
a special occasion arises ... just
Rugby Grille's newest
It follows right on the heels of con-
going about their business in
maitre
d'
...
and
it
has
had
struction
word about Matt Prentice
the only way they know how
the
best
...
joins
the
very
opening
the
new Coach Insignia
... with elegant class.
D
ANNY
fine
list
of
hosts
whose
tradi-
restaurant
on
the 71st and 72nd floors
This past year, Rugby Grille
RA SKIN
tion of customer satisfaction
of the Marriott Hotel in Renaissance
in the Townsend Hotel on
Center.
Local Columnist have affably embraced this
Townsend Avenue in
upscale
restaurant.
Now Matt and his Unique
Birmingham, quietly celebrat-
Dating
back
to
her
high
Restaurant
Corporation plan to open
ed its 15th anniversary ... No fanfare
school
days
in
Milan,
Italy,
Manuela's
Thunder
Bay
Brewing Co. ... this
... No recognition of the fact ...
prime
focus
has
been
in
the
food
spring
in
Auburn
Hills' Great Lakes
Nothing special about the birthday.
industry, graduating from its Hotel
Crossing.
Even regulars who swear by Rugby
Openning of Coach Insignia is
Grille as their absolute favorite fine din- and Catering School ... and some of
Europe's
finest
dining
establishments
expected
this summer.
ing restaurant in this area may not be
...
The
Hythe
Imperial
four-star
hotel
QUERIES
DEPT. ... from Allison
aware of this milestone.
in
Hythe
Kent,
England,
four-star
Meyers
...
"Do
you know if Marilyn
To numerous show business, sports
Hotel
Carlton
in
Amsterdam,
Brooks
is
still
in
business? It used to
and public-eye attractors who see
Holland,
and
four-star
Hotel
President
be
located
in
West
Bloomfield around
upscale eating spots all the country
in Milan ... Before com-
the 1980s I think.
over, this is listed among their most
ing to Rugby Grille, she
Do you remember
desired restaurants when traveling ...
had
been
at
Il
Posto
any
of the old
The intimate and cozy Rugby Grille
Ristorante
in
employees?
It was
seats around 48 in the dining room
Southfield.
my
favorite
store.
and another 38 in the Gallery hall
The
dishes
prepared
Please
answer
area.
by Chefs Brown and
through your col-
White linen napkins on marble-
Loc are not your usual
umn. I am a regu-
inlaid wooden tables, cherry wood
dining fare ... Each pos-
lar reader."
doors and walls, etched frosted glass, a
sesses
its
own
character
Answer: I
five-stool bar, etc., are among a soft,
...
with
innovations
that
remember
the
well-designed decor done in a most
please
discriminating
Marilyn
Brooks
graceful refinement.
palates.
ladies wear store ...
The server while we were last there,
Chef
Brown's
reputa-
The only person I
Robert "Utah" Anderson, is one of the
tion is centered on fresh
knew there was
reasons Rugby Grille has so many
salesgirl Nancy
return visitors ... The waitpersons are a and imaginative culi-
nary
delights,
many
of
Saltzman, sister of
joy to watch ... with affable politeness
which
are
far
and
away
local architect
and efficiency ... topped only by their
unlike
the
ordinary
Howard
Nudell
deftness in preparing tableside
Server Robert "Utah" Anderson
styles
of
preparation.
I
am
told
that
delights.
de-boning Dover sole tableside at
His
track
record
is
after
40
years
in
Watching Robert is a beautiful expe-
Rugby Grille.
impressive ... Scottish
the retail business,
rience ... His artistic presentations are
chef of the year, a
Marilyn Brooks
wonderful.
member
of
the
Scottish
Culinary
herself
has
retired
from
her Yorkville-
Both the Caesar salad and Dover
Olympic
Team
that
won
four
gold
based
boutique
in
Toronto.
sole, among others, are tableside
medals, six silvers and four bronzes in
LOOKS LIKE ZINC restaurant
offerings.
Frankfort,
Germany.
may
finally be about ready to open ...
The beef served at Rugby Grille is
The
Rugby
Grille
kitchen
serves
on
the
site of former Pizzeria Uno in
also elegantly prepared ... after being
until midnight on Sundays through
West Bloomfield ... A target date of
dry-aged for 28 days.
Thursdays ... and until 1 a.m. on
sometime this February doesn't look
Executive Sous Chef Viong Loc is a
Fridays
and
Saturdays.
improbable.
graduate of the Culinary Institute of
Townsend
Hotel
managing
direc-
COLLECTION BY Marvin
America at Hyde Park, N.Y. ... and
tor,
Peter
Wilde,
may
have
been
a
Yagoda,
owner of Marvin's Marvelous
responsible, with Executive Chef
fine
rugby
player
back
in
his
Victor,
Mechanical
Museum in Farmington
Colin Brown, for the fine dining
British
Columbia,
Canada,
days
...
Hills,
couldn't
be further in theme
kitchen preparations.
and proud of his team ... But per-
from his place of fun.
Chef Loc's wife, Trisha, is pastry
haps more so with the team that
Exhibit of Marvin's collection ...
chef noted for her luscious desserts
1/23
2004
50
Feb. 5-March 25 ... in the Janice
Charach Epstein Gallery at the Jewish
Community Center in West
Bloomfield, will be of dolls made by
Holocaust survivor Magda Watts
...Making the dolls from scraps of
clothing and barbed wire which she
gave to Nazi officers in the camp
saved her life.
SHE LOVES BIRDS ... but not
their food ... That's why Susan
Kleinpell looked about for a healthy
snack that doesn't taste like birdseed.
After playing around with different
combinations, she came up with a gra-
nola filled with lots of nuts and dried
fruit ... No added fat which is common
in most granolas ... Fat in her mixture
is only from the almond and pecan
bits.
Along with the nuts are whole
rolled oats and coconut ... The gener-
ous amount of almonds and pecans is
slowly toasted and then blended with
Michigan tart red cherries, cranber-
ries and golden raisins.
Sue's granola is made at the
Cranbrook Educational Community's
Science Institute Cafe kitchen after it
closes in the afternoon ... Plus being a
fine snack, it is also mighty flavorsome
on cereal, too ... Seems to give it the
added lip-smacking goodness that fits
right in for a great healthy taste.
It is available at Papa Joe's on
Woodward in Birmingham ... and
online at wwvv • kinaslakeandcrane.com
b
... Also, I don't think Sue will mind if
you call (248) 760-0955.
REUNION DEPT ... Person to call
for more info on the Oak Park High
class of 1974 30-year shindig ... Sept. 4
at the Birmingham Community House
... is Larry Maloff, (248) 988-7556 ...
Class Web site is
www.ophsclassof74.com
KORN KORNER ... A waiter
brought the customer the steak he
ordered, with his thumb over the meat.
"Are you crazy?" yelled the customer.
"You have your hand on my steak!"
"What?" answered the waiter. "You
want it to fall on the floor again?"
OLDIE BUT GOODIE ... A cus-
tomer walks into a restaurant and
notices a large sign on the wall.
When his waitress arrives, he orders
elephant burger on rye. She calmly
writes down his order and walks into
the kitchen, where all hell breaks loose.
The restaurant owner comes storm-
ing out of the kitchen. He runs up to
the customer's table, slaps five $100
bills down on it and says, "You got me
this time buddy, but I want you to
know that's the first time in 10 years
we've been out of rye bread!"
❑