THE BEST OF EVERYTHING Sleeping Beauty Lepanto is a jewel in downtown Royal Oak. A s it continues its climb toward further recognition as a region with restaurants to be reckoned with, Royal Oak is revealing even more good dining spots that have seem- ingly been lying dormant ... not receiving proper Danny Raskin acknowledgement. Senior Columnist Sleeping good ones like Lepanto on Fourth, between Main and Washington, have been around for years, but are only recently being discovered by the masses. It had been on Main Street 11 years before mov- ing to its present location five years ago ... originally opened by Christopher and Laura Claire and named after his grandmother, Lily Lepanto ... Many of the recipes served today by Lepanto are those of their grandmother and mother, Barbara Lepanto Claire. In fact even one of the servers, Meghan Rooney, is also a family member ... Her brother, Christopher, opened its doors in 1988, and she has never left. Lepanto is now owned by localites Mike Nash, Rob Jackier, Eric Hurley, Ralph Gustayson and Marty Tuchman, also owners of the popular Mr. B's restaurant group; who took over in May. The restaurant, with its new striped awning, dark woods, burgundy linen napkins, fine waitpersons wearing black shirts and white ties, etc., seats 98 in the dining room, plus 13 at a bar that serves 64 wines by the glass and is popular for dining at as well ... An outside patio seats another 16. . Executive Chef Dennis Skief, a certified chef member of the American Culinary Federation in Columbus, Ohio, still uses Lepanto's old-fashioned Italian pasta machine for his pasta dishes like roast duck on ravioli and lasagna, which ranks among its top pasta sellers ... No. 1 is the arrabiata with toma- to, garlic, vodka, hot peppers and basil. Nobody in this area has the "candy wrappers" of pesto filled with fresh spinach, ricotta and mascar- pone cheeses on marinara sauce ... and is a true destination dish because of both its deliciousness and rarity. His Chilean sea bass with a hazelnut sauce is choice ... as is the smoked salmon filet with white wine and capers ... and a popular stuffed tenderloin. Lepanto is again a seven-day-a-week restaurant ... dinner only ... at one time closed on Sundays and Mondays ... The hours now are Monday-Thursday, 5-10; Friday and Saturday, 5-11; Sunday, 5-9 ... Live entertainment is on Monday evenings with two strolling Gypsy guitarists. Constantly used pizza ovens put out six gourmet pies for appetizer or entrees. Many folks will recognize a couple of the wait- persons ... Meghan Rooney was at Maria's on Grand TN October 27 2005 River in Rosedale Park four years before coming when her brother Christopher, opened Lepanto in 1988 ... Marisa Pleshakow, a former Style, the Magazine Waitress of the Year, was at Maria's in Rosedale, on Greenfield and in Ferndale, 10 years before joining Meghan ... Both are among the best in Michigan, so very personable, knowledgeable and efficient. A restaurant like Lepanto does much for the com- munity in which it is located ... It not only brings people, but makes sure they leave with satisfaction. "I MET ELVIS Presley in 2004 at a Kalamazoo supermarket while driving in from Chicago:' says localite Richard Steinhart ..."He couldn't talk long because he said he was having lunch that day with Glenn Miller and Amelia Earhart and Jimmy Hoffa was stopping by:' New CD by Richard and the Bunker Boys, is called "Elvis Has Left the Building" ... with Chuck Litvin, Berkley, and William Stein, Farmington Hills, among the five-man musical aggregation. Richard wrote all eight songs, including the title tune which he says Elvis Presley helped him write ... On one of them, "If I Could Be Here" Richard says that he and Elvis sing together ... elvishasleftthebuilding.biz has the Elvis story, and thebunkerboys.biz is the group's Web site. CALL CAME FROM Missouri City, Texas, that had Ron Asmar, owner of Vineyards, Farmington Hills, thinking a joke was being played on him ... The caller, Becky Carver, wanted a Wilno kosher salami overnighted as a High Holiday gift for her boyfiend, former Detroiter Howard Fishman ... Becky thought it only came in one size ... and with overnight shipping the Wilno kosher salami was a whopping $114.95 ... Howard's brother, Charles, lives in Farmington Hills. CONGRATS ... To Ed and Shirley Rosenberg on their 59th anniversary ... To Rose Light on her 75th birthday. LOOK FOR Irvin "Mr. Baseball" Cohen at the Jewish Community Center Book Fair's Local Author section on the upper level (by the balcony) ... Sunday, Nov. 6, in West Bloomfield ... His Echoes of Detroit's Jewish Communities and Tiger Stadium will be on sale ... along with Irwin's latest, on Cincinnati's Crosley Field. ROBERT PORCHER is getting his voice in shape for all the times he'll be asked about the Detroit Lions ... Their former all-pro lineman gets the Alvin Foon Humanitarian Award, Monday, Nov. 7, 6 p.m., at Adat Shalom Synagogue on Middlebelt between Northwestern and 13 Mile, Farmington Hills ... Seated dining, with kosher caterer Jeff Rosenberg's waitpersons, will be back for Michigan Jewish Sports Hall of Fame's 21st Annual Induction Dinner. ❑ FUgen you work this hard to raise money, YOU'RE CAREFUL HOW IT'S SPENT. With so much effort behind each dollar we raise, we're particular about where those dollars go. That's why we support only the most promising programs. Learn more at komen.org or 1.800 I'M AWARE®. The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation This space provided as a public service. ©2005, The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Danny's e-mail address is dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net. 75