Arts & Entertainment
BEST OF EVERYTHING
Trash The Tuxes!
Mario's Italian Grill in Troy opts for informality, family pricing.
I
t is not out of the ordinary by any
means ... Opening a restaurant and
discovering that the intended concept
was a mistake ... Many restaurateurs
around the country sometimes realize it too
late, with the end result being forced to close
because of losses incurred through their
wrong step.
The lucky restaurateur will realize it' n
time to make necessary changes ... And
be wise enough to bury self-pride, take the
financial licking it may have imposed and
go to something that hopefully will work.
This is the case with the formerly titled
Cafe Mario's of Troy ... Its new name of
Mario's Italian Grill, John R, just south of
15 Mile, Troy, has gone in another direction
without looking back.
No more tuxedoed server uniforms with
bows and vests ... The more casual look is
of polo shirts and black pants ... A more
streamlined, same lunch and dinner menu,
has done away with out-of-budget prices
with many of the favorite items retained at
more within-reach cost ... Like the signa-
ture filet with zip sauce; complete meal at
dinner is $21 ... At Mario's of Detroit, it is
$29 ... In Troy, a 6-ounce filet can now also
be gotten for $15.95 ... The five veal dishes
are all $15.95, and four chicken orders,
$13.95 ... With complete dinner (soup,
salad, entree, potato, vegetable, pasta, add $5)
at Mario's Detroit, the veal dishes are $26.
Being more of a family oriented spot now,
with informality more the motif, a Monday
night special is featured of all-you-can eat
pasta and pizza, $9.95 adults, youngsters
12 and under, $6.95 ... Also a half-pound
Black Angus hamburger and beer on
Saturdays, lunch and dinner,
LOOKS LIKE A lot of moms
$4.95.
and dads won't have to be con-
A daily all-you-can-eat,
cerned with gas costs to amuse
made-to-order pasta bar has
the kids ... No more traveling to
been added ... with prices
Canton for their fun time at Jungle
ranging from $6.95 to $8.95 ...
Java ... Second one will come
After selecting your pasta, it is
this fall to the northwest on 12
brought to you at the table ...
Mile and Middlebelt, Farmington
An important thing at lunch,
Hills ... The former Merchamnt
particularly when time may be
of Vino spot in Merchant's
Danny Raskin
of the essence, is folks served
Senior Columnist Marketplace will be divided for
and able to be out in half-an-
the youngsters' entertainment
hour.
while their parents relax.
Inside seating is about 150, with another
WHERE TO GO FOR lunch will now
150 on the popular well-appointed outdoor
be like a smorgasbord decision for urol-
patio ... Hours are seven days, Monday-
ogy doc Scott Sircus and his staff ... After
Thursday, 11-10; Friday, 11-midnight;
years on 12 Mile, between Greenfield and
Saturday, noon-midnight; Sunday 1-10.
Southfield, Southfield, where his favorites
And, of course; the one-pound lobster
included Sweet Lorraine's and Beverly Hills
for $11.95 is still every Tuesday at both the
Grill, Dr. Sircus has moved his offices to the
Mario's Italian Grill in Troy and Mario's
Beaumont Medical Center, Orchard Lake
Detroit.
Road, south of 15 Mile, West Bloomfield ...
Informality, more features of family inter- You can imagine the staff's many smiles
est and lower prices may be the key that
with their new location smack dab in the
owner Vince Passalaqua has been, searching middle of Michigan's most populated res-
for to gain success at the Troy location.
taurant area.
FORMER LOCALE of Angelo's Bistro
ALTHOUGH ALREADY taken over
in Sugar Tree, Orchard Lake Road north
by new owners, Caffe Milano, Northwestern
of 15, has been completely gutted and will
at Franklin and 12 Mile, Southfield (former
open as Noor, a Middle-Eastern bakery and
Excalibur), won't unveil its more varied and
market ... To my recollection, it will be the
lower-priced menu until the liquor license is
first non-restaurant in that space.
officially transferred in October and the name
NO MORE RE OPENINGS or leasing formally changed to Pi ... Until then, free bev-
to another restaurant by the previous owner
erage will come with all pizza, pasta, chicken,
of its former Orchard Lake Road, Farmington veal or fish dishes at lunch ... Fish and meats
Hills, location ... Tirami-Su is closed again,
will include a salad at no charge as well.
but this time the building and land have been
HE HAD ALWAYS expressed a strong
sold lock, stock and barrel ... New tenant will desire to some day sing at a Detroit Tigers
be Taco Bell and/or a subsidiary.
baseball game, but never expected that
-
it would one day also be with Hollywood
superstars Tom Hanks and Ron Howard,
among over 41,000 screeching fans at
Comerica Park.
After Eugene Zweig made his wish years
ago, local ad son, Marshall Zweig, had him
record the national anthem at a local record-
ing studio ... Marshall forgot about the disc
before mentioning it to a client, who sent the
recording to the Tigers' office and Eugene was
given his wish.
He has been a member of the
Congregation Shaarey Zedek choir and
choir conductor over 20 years ... plus being
a cantorial soloist at other temples and
synagogues.
No, Eugene wasn't auditioning for Hanks
or Howard, here on tour, but wife Barbara
says his singing might have helped in beat-
ing the Chicago White Sox.
REUNION DEPT. ... Togetherness
by Oak Park High grads will be a combined
one for both the 1965 and 1966 graduating
classes ... Saturday, Sept. 2, at the Westin
Hotel, Southfield ... Contact Linda Ketterer
at (248) 661-0193, or e-mail her at
lkett24@hotmail.com .
CONGRATS . . To Lou Grant on his
80th birthday ... To Sol and Shoshana
Winkler on their 60th anniversary ... To
Kim Botsford on her 50th birthday, cel-
ebrated with table for five at Pepino's
To Dr. Michael and Marilyn Kent on their
35th anniversary ... To Philip Reggio on his
birthday ... To Craig Stoller on his birthday
... To Michael Freud on his birthday.
Danny's e-mail address is
dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net.
•
Restaurant
THE GALLERY RESTAURANT
Italian Cuisine
248.476.0044
Enjoy gracious dining amid a beautiful
atmosphere of casual elegance
For the
month of
July, take an
additional
10% Off
your entire bill
if your name is
BREAKFAST • LUNCH • DINNER
OPEN 7 DAYS:
MON.- SAT. 7 a.m.- 9:30 p.m. SUN. 8 a.m.- 9 p.m.
Bloomfield Plaza • 6638 Telegraph Road and Maple • 248-851-0313
Carla
not valid with
any other offer
141950
"Any Event" Catering • Banquet Room Available
Buy any dinner entree and receive
f,00
off
/
0 off the second dinner entree
4700
Salads, pizza, sandwiches and ribs for 2 excluded.
One coupon per table
Expires: 8/31/06
Farmington Hills • Corner of Grand River & Haggerty Road
Auburn Hills • 1 1/2 miles south of the Palace of Auburn Hills
1136730
August 3 • 2006 51