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EVER THING
Old Country Cuisine
Greektown's Cyprus Taverna celebrates 13 years of stardom.
A
slice of Detroit history
has given the region
a coveted place in
International dining note.
Few towns in America can
boast a Greektown such as that
in Detroit, where its merchants
have contributed so much in
monetary and self-effort to the
city's preservation.
Among those whose authen-
tic Greek food continually has
copiers scratching their heads
in wonderment at the elegant
Greek tastes is Cyprus Taverna
on Monroe, celebrating its 13th
anniversary.
Owners Vassos and Eleni
Augoustic purchased the former
Old Parthenon restaurant in 1992,
and opened in May of 1993 as
Cyprus Taverna.
Together, with one of
Greektown's most highly touted
executive chefs, Demetrios
"Jimmy" Papatriantafyllou, its
authenticity is without question
as old country recipes are incor-
porated into dining offerings with
delicious touches of goodness ...
Jimmy being among Greektown's
best-known personalities is no
small reason for Cyprus Taverna's
large following and why its food
excellence has won so many
awards ... Many of his dishes
are seldom matched in their
authentic goodness, like the spe-
cial lamb reganato with its old-
country goodness and so tender a
knife is hardly needed ... Jimmy
marinates the lamb two days and
slowly bakes it three hours - ...
He is the only one
night overflow and
that uses kosher salt,
private parties ... it is
oregano and freshly
open seven days a week,
ground pepper in its
Monday-Th LI rsday and
preparation.
Sunday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m.;
Few chefs can
Friday and Saturday,
boast of secret
11-4 a.m. ... The
preparations similar
Fridays and Saturdays
to those presented
also have an after-hours
by him ... Cooking
menu that includes
in Greektown since
sandwiches and appe-
1962, Jimmy, former
tizers as well as the
co-owner with Gus
usual Greek fare.
Anton, of New Hellas, takes pride
Grinding its own lamb and
in the salmon stuffed with mush- doing the butchering itself are
rooms, crabmeat, shrimp, etc.,
admirable restaurant traits, as is
which is his own creative work
the restaurant's cleanliness.
of art.
Jimmy's sea bass is among
One of the recipes brought
Greektown's best, along with
back years ago by Jimmy from
its lamb chops ... and dishes
his home in Makrakomi, Greece,
like Cornish Hen with chestnut
is for the tasty Kleftikon ... The
and pinenut stuffing are choice
tender lamb may not be on the
orders.
regular menu but is a much-
Cyprus Taverna is also more
requested dish.
than just a sit-down restaurant
Also not on the menu is anoth- ... It is not known if, when there
er large seller, Cyprus Taverna's
are 20 or more people, any other
Chicken Kapama, a moist, fresh-
Greektown restaurant will come
ly-cooked delight with mush-
to homes, bringing warmers, nec-
rooms and wine sauce.
essary help if wanted, etc.
Among the biggest reasons that
Vassos' wife, Ileni, makes many
Detroit's Greektown has survived
of those desserts served at the
these many years is its food ...
restaurant, including the yummy
Regulars like Joe Vicari, owner of
Cyprus Pineapple Cake.
the Andiamo Restaurant Group,
A Greek restaurant owned by
number Cyprus Taverna among
Greeks, operated by Greeks and
their favorites ... Local personal- boasting an exalted Greek execu-
ities and show biz folks appearing_ tive chef, is a highly prized one
here also count it as one of their
... In these days of destination
Greektown pets.
dining and value, an eatery like
Downstairs seats about 90,
Cyprus Taverna is a treasure to
with another 90 available upstairs cherish.
for the usual Friday and Saturday
RECENT HEAT wave forced
"Blue Ging er features the best of
Malaysia,I4etnam & Japan."
—Danny Raskin, November 26, 2004
Romantica restaurant, Applegate
Square, Northwestern and
Inkster, Southfield, to close for
the day when its air conditioning
unit conked out ... Some folks
saw a closed sign in the window
and passed the false rumor that
Romantica had been shut down
completely ... Couldn't be further
from the truth with its seven-
day-a-week operation still doing
a big business.
ANOTHER RESTAURANT
opening by Red Robin, across
from Costco at Commerce
Crossing, is the continuation of a
success story ... The first fran-
chised Red Robin restaurant here
was in 1993 at Novi Town Center
... and followed in 1994 with one
that closed on Maple and Orchard
Lake Road, West Bloomfield ...
Today, the local Red Robin fran-
chise by the same family num-
bers 17, with 16 in Michigan and
one in Toledo.
REOPENING OF Shiraz
steakhouse by Matt Prentice
on Telegraph, north of 12 Mile,
Bingham Farms, might have
been near some sort of record
for closing and opening again of
the same restaurant ... Morels
remains closed.
NEW ASIAN VILLAGE,
hoping to open this December,
will have Raymond Wong, local
Chinese restaurant gent, as its
operations director ... He'll con-
tinue to manage Shangri-La in
Orchard Mall, West Bloomfield,
on Saturdays and Sundays ...
Asian Village will be next to the
dannyraskin®sbcglobal.net.
BLUE GINGER
Jew's
Monday-Saturday
Lunch Specials
RESTAURANT
1 whole sandwich & soup or french fries
11:00 am - 3:00 pm
*Try our authentic Bubble Tea (our specialty)
Quality casual dining
for the entire family
*Low-Carb/Low-Calorie Fresh Shrimp Roll
1186 Maple Rd. • Walled Lake
*Lunch Specials: $5.95-$6.95
248- 669-8240
Tues-Thurs 11-10 • Fri-Sat 11-11 • Sun 4:30-9
6635 Orchard Lake RI • (in 01(10re lard Mall)
248.737.7918
July 27 • 2006
Danny's e-mail address is
Our homemade is really made from scratch!
Vietnamese I Japanese I Malaysian
50
Renaissance Center, Detroit, over-
looking the Detroit River.
MANY MEMBERS of the
medical profession, like foot spe-
cialist Dr. Michael Salter, are so
good at being amateur restaurant
food critics that patients listen
carefully when the docs tell of
dining spots recently visited by
them.
WHERE THEY Are Dept. ...
Simon Rotberg, wine aficionado
for many years in this area, now
lives in Longmont, Colo., with
wife, Marty ... and is still active
with vino for parties there and
hereabouts.
CONGRATS ... To Karen
Gordon on her 40th birthday ...
To Allen Goldsmith on his birth-
day ... To Pearl Marton on her
85th birthday ... To Dr. James
Labes on his birthday ... To
Elaine Lichtman on her birthday
... To Lauren Kunin on her 11th
birthday
REUNION DEPT. ... 40th
anniversary shindig by Detroit
Vernor Elementary and Junior
High class of 1966 has been set
for Saturday, Oct. 21 ... More info
by calling Carole Karbal Blender,
(248) 646-1680.
SHOPPER'S SPECIAL ...
Folks like those sanitary wipes
they can peel off at store entranc-
es of the Hiller's Markets to wipe
the handle of many-times used
carts ... A huge health precaution
at no charge. 7
iN
•Mon-Sat 7-9
•Sun 8-3
• Children's menu
• Carryout
$3.95
2 choices daily!
After 2:00 pm daily
15% OFF
Total Bill
Not good with any other offer or special
e.vp 8/7/06
•
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