Broiled whitefish is a big seller, as is poached and grilled salmon and sea bass. Veal and eggplant parmesan topped with mo77.nrella cheese ($15.95) is heavi- ly ordered. One item not on the menu, the 10-ounce New York sirloin steak, served with vegetable, pasta, salad and bread, is quite a buy, $14.95 ... as is the one on weekends, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, four lamb chops, $18.95, also with vegetable, pasta, salad and bread. The calzones with homemade mari- nara sauce on the side indude many not seen in this area ... Piz Calzone, Deli Calzone, Verde, Originali, Mezza Luna, Stromboli, Steak and Cheese. Romantica is much of what you would want in a neighborhood restau- rant ... Intimacy, friendliness and a lot of good flavors without overpriced turnoffs ... It is the kind of restaurant that brings . people back. YOU CAN FORGET that crazy rumor about Matt Prentice closing Milk & Honey kosher restaurant at the Jewish Community Center on Maple at Drake in West Bloomfield ... "Business has never been better," says Matt, "and Chef Evan Metz from Coach Insignia was just promoted to the Chef de Cuisine posi- tion at Milk & Honey under Executive Chef John Helzer, and the food is spec- tacular." Prentice said the false rumor was cre- ated by a bitter former employee. "Milk & Honey has also opened a meat kitchen, and is executing both meat and dairy functions at the JCC and all over town. Our catering volume doubles every year, and we have more bookings already for 2005 than we exe- cuted in 2004, and we are not even in 2005 yet. "So, will Milk & Honey close? The answer is yes if it is Shabbos, and other- wise no as it has two years left on its lease, which I intend on honoring." By the way, the new name of Unique Restaurant Corporation is now Matt Prentice Restaurant Group ... Unique may be a copyrighted name but it has been infringed upon too many ways, says Matt, so the change ... At least this name can't be copied ... unless there is another Matt Prentice out there. MORE FALSE RUMORS as reality finally and hopefully may come true by early spring ... An excellent local seafood restaurateur may be taking over the prime former Big Daddy's location on Orchard Lake Road in West Bloomfield. NOT STANDING STILL on its high quality food laurels that has made it one of Michigan's finest gourmet Chinese restaurants, Hong Hua, on Orchard Lake Road between 12 and 13 Mile in Farmington Hills, has gone even further along its better health route Added now are lower salt items along with the highly-received low-carb dishes ... Talk among the owners, Peter Chan, Danny Yu, Gary Yau and Shetwai Sew, is Hong Hua might be also coming out with menu items that'll include vegetari- an dishes having the taste of its meat counterparts, but made strictly with veg- etable products. CONGRATS ... To Natalie and Bill Carroll, former Ford Motors public rela- tions gent and sometimes Jewish News scribe, on their 50th anniversary ... To Beverly Sharg on her birthday, celebrat- ed with table for nine at Angelo's Bistro ... To Spencer Litwin on his third birth- day ... To Debbie Beckwith on her birthday ... To Shirley and Leo Kaplan on their 60th anniversary, celebrated with table for 15 at Sposits, West Bloomfield. MAIL DEPT ... "We enjoyed Yossi's food here in Israel 10 years ago when he owned a restaurant in Haifa, and we remember the pancakes of Lisette. Please give them our good wishes with their new restaurant," wrote Benjamin Zack. ... (The new Yossi's Israeli Cuisine is off Orchard Lake Road, north of 14 Mile on the north side of Robin's Nest in West Bloomfield.) AMONG THE BEST SET J FRS at Boneyard Bar-B-Q on Orchard Lake south of 14 Mile in Farmington Hills, continues to be its small and luscious barbecued lamb ribs ... Even more so now that Danny and Gail Djordjevski and son Gordon, have learned further buying and preparation secrets for the tasty and meaty bones ... Next comes the barbecued baby beef ribs they are expecting to soon serve. TAKE YOUR PICK ... a luxury Ferrari for about $225,000 or Maserati for around $99,000 or a jar of Cafe Cortina's fine new Sughetto sauce for $7.99 ... You can buy either one at Cauley Ferrari Maserati on Orchard Lake in West Bloomfield ... The deli- cious tasting spaghetti sauce is also avail- able at Hiller's, Whole Foods, Nino Salvaggio's, Vic's and Papa Joe's. WHERE THEY ARE DEPT ... Well-liked deli counter man and former owner, Stan Snitz, is now general man- ager for his nephew, Todd Stern, at Small Plates on Broadway in Detroit. GET WELL WISHES ...To Lois Sposita, co-owner with hubby, Joe, own- ers of Sposita's Italian Restorante in West Bloomfield, recuperating at home ... To Dr. Milton Goldrath and Dr. Allen Berlin. ❑ Danny Raskin's e-mail address is dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net There's nothing like fondue to bring you closer together. The *e Melting Pot a fondue restaurant Dip into something different.' 888 W. Big Beaver Road • Troy • (248) 362 - 2221 Come dip into one of the area's most romantic restaurants. Here the only thing that will melt faster than the cheese fondue is your heart. Call for reservations. NOW OPEN! Enjoy $10 off The Big Night Out Present this ad and receive $10 Off Valid towards the purchase of any combination dinner or four-course ndue dinner for two. No cash value. Cannot be used with any other offer or for gratuity. One offer per couple Valid at Troy-MI location Sunday-Thursday only. Not Valid on holidays or special events. Expires 3/3/2005 Over 80 locations nationwide I www.meltingpot.com 923180 Now Offering a Full Line of remium Liquor. 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