Arts Life

The Best Of Everything

'Round Town

The latest news —from milestones to menus.

juniors in the garde manger (cold buf-
fet) class taught by Chef Doug Ganhs.
Prestigious judges, all master chefs,
were Helmut Holzer, Texas; Noble
Masi, New York; Frank Agnotti,
Florida.

GOOD EMPLOYEE DEPT..:

Marco D'Aguanno, server-busperson
at Sposita's Italian Ristorante on 14
Mile ... Smiling, courteous, efficient ...
and very entertaining with his magical
tricks to entertain restaurant guests.
MAIL DEPT ... From Bernice and
Al Kesner of Las Vegas ... The
American arrived at Paris airport and
fumbled for his passport.
"You have been to France before,
Monsieur?" the customs officer asked
sarcastically.
The American admitted that he had
been to France before.
"Then you should know enough to
have your passport ready for inspec-
tion," snapped the irate official.
The American said that the last time
he came to France he did not have to
show his passport.
"Impossible. You Americans always

Irwin Cohen ... on his
ISA 'N' DATA:
same-day
happening.
The former stu-
Irwin's
latest
book,
dent who intro-
Comiskey
Park,
a history of
duced his grandson
the
Chicago
White
Sox, was
• to Joe Cornell was himself
released
in
Chicago
area
barely old enough to take les-
stores
...
on
the
day
that the
sons thousands of students ago.
1,000th
copy
of
his
Echoes
Almost $10,000 was raised
of
Detroit's
Jewish
for the City of Hope ... in
D ANNY
Communities was sold.
memory of his former recep-
RA SKIN
The sales count of Irwin's
tionist, Helen Rosenberg ... as
Se nior
Jewish
history of Detroit
Joe and wife, Kathy, came
Col umnist
was
at
995
until Federation
here from California where,
mission-goers
to Israel held
they live ... to be at the 75th
a
bus
meeting
...
Four
of
his bus-
birthday shindig and reunion for Joe.
mates
bought
books
to
take
as gifts
Almost 200 attended as generations
on
the
trip.
joined in the fun ... dancing, meeting so
Then Alice Berlin stepped up and
many they hadn't seen in years and
took
number 1,000.
enjoying the kosher stations of Adat
NEW
RESTAURANT by Maher
Shalom caterer Jeffrey Rosenberg ... Five
Shakarma,
chef-
food stations depicted the years of Joe's
franchisee
opera-
ownership of Joe Cornell Dance Studio
tor of Anita's
... 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980 and 1990 ...
Kitchen on
sliders and coneys, roasted chicken and
Orchard Lake
pasta, Mexican, whitefish, Chinese.
Road near 14
Watching Joe dancing with former
Mile,
will soon
students and their parents was a big
open
...
La Basha
treat ... as gals kept cutting in to dance
restaurant
will be
with the terpsi master .... Joe hasn't
on 12 Mile and
lost a step in his smooth gliding over
Orchard Lake ...
the dance floor. '
Anita's
Kitchen
IT HAS BEEN open only a short
remains
at its
while, but word of its friendliness and
present
location
willingness to satisfy has been coming
until February
with regularity.
2005, when the
Romantica Italian restaurant, which
lease
expires ...
recently opened in Applegate Square,
Both
are expected
Northwestern and Inkster, is the
to
serve
much of
fourth occupant at the locale ... Ala
the
same
Middle- Joe and Kathy Cornell
Cart Cafe, Bernardi's and LeMetro
Eastern food.
preceded it.
have to show your passports on arrival
FIVE GOLD MEDALS were
Seating is for about 75 at lunch
in France."
recently won by students in the
and dinner ... Monday-Thursday; .11-
The American gave the Frenchman
Oakland
Community
College
9; Friday and Saturday, 11-10;
a long hard look. "I assure you, young
Culinary
Studies
Institute,
Orchard
Sunday, noon-9.
man, that when I came ashore on
Ridge Campus on Orchard Lake
Romantica may be a small restau-
Omaha Beach in Normandy on D-
Road.
rant, but the list of dinner and lunch
Day in 1944, there were no damned
The
honors
were
awarded
at
the
selections is large enough to be the
Frenchmen on the beach!"
American Culinary Federation (ACF)
envy of many other such dining spots
From insurance man Howard
... 13 gourmet-style pizzas, 10 appetiz- Culinary Salon in Novi's Trade Center.
Camden
... "A client told me about
Asa Schwartz, son of Suzie and the
ers, nine salads, 11 sandwiches, three
going to a newly opened restaurant in
late
Myron
Schwartz,
won
his
gold
vegetarian subs, seven regular subs, 10
West Bloomfield. 'The food was terri-
with an excellent Country Capon
American and Italian hot and cold
ble,' he said. 'It smelled and looked
Platter
of
smoked
capon
breast
with
•
subs, 10 calzones ... plus almost 40
bad and should have been buried. I
shiitake
mushrooms,
spicy
leg
and
dinner entrees ... plus daily specials.
think it was made from garbage. My
thigh with roasted red pepper wrap
Lunch and dinner prices are quite
biggest complaint is that they served
and a sun-dried tomato and basil
reasonable.
such
very small portions.'"
galantine.
DOUBLE MAZEL TOV goes to
BIRD DOG DEPT ... From Sy
The five gold-medal winners are

D

.

IA

4/30

2004

46

Manello ... "New restaurants often
have their share of opening-night jit-
ters. However, most of these seem to
be completely ironed out at the new
Italian country eatery Johnny Cirano's
in Commerce Township. My wife,
Pearl, and I recently ate dinner there
and were very pleased. The waitperson
was attentive and pleasant; the food
came hot and was flavorful. This. was a
very good dining experience."
WHEN ORDERING IT by any-
thing but the correct name, your serv-
er at Zinc on Orchard Lake Road,
may not know what is asked for.
It's not on the menu so can confuse
your waitperson into thinking you
want a hamburger sandwich ... Ask for
the 16-ounce Mushroom Bordelaise
Burger entree ($15) ... It comes with
those delicious Dauphinoise potatoes.

WHERE THEY ARE DEPT...

Dimitri "Jimmy" Syros, former owner
of Dimitri's of Southfield ... He lives
in Tampa, Fla., with wife, Naomi ...
and owns the Plaka Greek restaurant
in Tampa Springs.
ANSWERS TO QUERIES ... No,
George Golematis does not share in the
profits of his former restaurant,
Giorgio's Counterside Diner on
Greenfield in Oak Park ... George sold
it outright to a,former employee ... and
devotes 100 percent of his time to his
Giorgio's Gourmet Diner on Orchard
Lake Road in West Bloomfield.
KORN KORNER ... Lady came out
of the drugstore with medicine for her
sick child and discovered that she had
locked her car with the keys in it.
She frantically prayed to God for
someone to help her when a car
stopped and a man got out asking if
he could be of assistance.
"Yes," she said eagerly, "my daughter
is very sick. I stopped to get her some
medication and locked my keys in the
car. I must get home to her. Please,
can you help me unlock my car?"
"Sure," he said, walked over to the
car and in less than a minute the car
was opened. She hugged the man and
through her tears said, "Thank you so
much! You are a very nice man."
He replied, "Lady, I am not a nice
man. I just got out of prison today. I
was in prison for car theft and have
only been out for about an hour."
The woman hugged the man again
and with sobbing tears cried out loud,
"Oh, thank you, God! You even sent
me a professional!" ❑

Danny Raskins e-mail address is
dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net