Auburn Hills, is noted for its varied and extensive selections that allow meat eaters, vegetarians and diet- watchers to enjoy their choices with- out fear of overly spiced food ... In fact, a number of items on menu are prepared without spices or can be ordered that way with no loss of taste. AS FLAMES continually lick from its woks, the Stir Crazy Cafe in Auburn Hills' Great Lakes Crossing on Baldwin Road, is a twofold operation ... Guests also have their option of vis- iting the Asian market bar to put together their custom concoctions and sauces which Stir Crazy chefs take and put into water-cooled woks for deli- cious treats ... After a couple spoons of canola oil, a theatrical burst of flame from Stir Crazy's custom-designed 750-degree stove top burners and a few shakes of the wok, the chef returns your creation fresh, fragrant, piping hot and healthy ... all in about three minutes from start to finish ... Or folks can select from the large menu offerings that include traditional and creative dishes. SITTING IN A strip shopping cen- ter on Opdyke Road in Auburn Hills, Fran O'Brien's Maryland Crabhouse soothes many palates with its fine sea- farin' offerings. The Maryland crab cakes are excel- lent ... and the fresh fish, crab legs, the big seller clam bucket, full-bodied clam chowder, pasta, etc. ... including 10 kinds of crab selections and fried 'whole Ipswich clams, a big Boston favorite. SINCE OPENING in 1997 at Somerset Collection North on West Big Beaver in Troy, Capital Grille has maintained an average customer count of almost 3,000 a week ... It is acclaimed as one of America's finest upscale steak houses ... with the spe-. cialty of dry aged steak ... a concept where steaks are kept on the premises in temperature-controlled rooms of 32-34 degrees for a minimum of 14 days to four weeks, depending on the cut of meat and personal preference, before being served. But lost in the shuffle is its fish ... like the salmon, which Capital Grille buys and cuts locally for lunch and dinner ... In the same regular delivery are excellent swordfish steaks, flown in fresh, never frozen ... The Troy locale has the highest seafood sales percent- age in the Capital Grille system ... even loftier than that of Boston, from where it also has flown in . regularly the two-, three- and four-pound fresh cold-water lobsters. THE OVER 300 trademark carica- tures on the walls at Troy Palm on Crooks Road in Troy, take a distant second fiddle to the good food and service ... Steak has been king for many years at the Palm restaurants nationwide ... The prime aged steaks and jumbo boiled, slightly charred, lobster are its most wanted and best items ... At the Troy location, 12- pounders are not a novelty anymore. Its original Italian heritage has not been forgotten ... with Italian specialty dishes that are choice. THERE'S NO mistaking that it's a Chinese restaurant serving traditional dishes from all regions of China ... But the food at P.F. Chang's at Somerset Collection South in Troy continues to be noted as highly sophisticated ... the best of traditional Chinese ...blended together with American-style affability to make for an upscale bistro opera- tion ... Its menu that reaches into the five provinces of China in presenting high-quality offerings, have a variety that seems to include something for everyone ... The preparations are very Chinese but very modern. MORE ON THE Nu-Asian style is Mon Jin Lau on East Maple in Troy, whose cuisine also takes in other sec- tors like Vietnamese or old Cathay to modern China or French colonial Peking ... Mon Jin Lau seems to have no boundaries when it comes to food, incorporating much of Asia in its culi- nary presentations ... Traditional Chinese dishes like egg foo young, chop suey, chow mein, etc., are made, but in the Main, Szechuan, Mongolian, Malaysian, Mandarin, Japanese, Hunan, Thai, Shanghai, Vietnamese, etc., are the Nu-Asian item requests. MARIO'S OF TROY, on John R and Maple, is smaller than its sister restaurant in Detroit, but serves pretty much the same menu ... at lower prices ... The steaks at Mario's of Troy enjoy the exact same marinating process of soaking in garlic oil as that done on Second Blvd. TROY'S SOMERSET Inn on West Big Beaver is one of the better infor- mal dining spots in the area ... The prime rib at Crumpets is a standout ... and steaks' are properly aged and pre- pared with juicy tenderness ... In the morning, Crumpets is a popular coffee shop ... Then it becomes a fine casual dining restaurant for lunch and dinner ... Salmon, broiled whitefish and perch are highly requested items ... as is an 18-ounce porterhouse. Li Danny Raskin's e-mail address is dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net Hardware • Plumbing • Cabinetry • Doors • Glass • Countertops ... and more ONE STOP SHOPPING FOR ALL BUDGETS and ALL TASTES! Natural Surfaces 3147 Oak Va ey, A nn r or, MI 48103 734-997-0636 • 734-997-0751 fax Granite, Marble, Slate, Limestone, Concrete www.expressionsinhardware.com , IYIPM4gm.441 4. lir ,,a* K47444 4,42t, 4,..e4;; .‘v West Bloomfield NOW OPEN 4301 Orchard Lake Rd. Crosswinds Shopping Center 248-626-7600 248-626-7602 Fax FREE Add 6 wings to any half SIDE SALAD ft: grinder when you order 1 $ any 16" pizza. .1 Not valid with any other offer. Not valid with any other offer. Make any of our 1/2 grinders a Low Carb Wrap & medium pizza"' with 1 topping and a 2 liter r i 11E5 0 i SAVE 1.00 Valid at Crosswinds, Valid at Crosswinds, L West Bloomfield Bellacinot location only. West Bloomfield Bellacino's location only.' J L Not valid with any other offer. Valid at Crosswinds, West Bloomfield Bellacino's location only. 5.99 .J Not valid with any other offer. Valid at Crosswinds, L West Blooinfreld Bellacino's location only. 860090 6n, 4/1/iitt g_a.he Great Italian Food Rated 31 / 2 Stars By The Detroit News 2080 Walnut Lake Road West Bloomfield, MI Available for parties Call: 248-851-2500 for reservations Closed Monday • Tuesday - Thursday 5-10 Friday - Saturday 5-11 • Sunday 4-9 859560 7/ 9 2004 43