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A Bountiful Feast

Nearly 50 entrees make Romantica much more than a pizza or pasta place.

W

hen the
always-
a-res-
tattrant site opened
again back in 2003,
it gathered a grow-
ing attention while
gaining popularity
because of good
food, good service,
cleanliness and low
price ... All quali-
ties that play important roles in a
restaurant's success.
But two consumer thoughts
were never addressed properly,
and so Romantica, one of this
area's better neighborhood low-
cost dining spots, in Applegate
Square, Northwestern Highway
and Inkster, Southfield, also gar-
nered a couple of wrong dining
conceptions as well.
Firstly, it is not a pizza and
pasta only restaurant ... And,
secondly, the dinner selection is
far from being small ... including
a wide variety of options that take
in almost 50 entrees among the
pasta, chicken, veal, seafood, fish,
etc., selections.
The first year of a new restau-
rant is usually considered to be
the hardest ... So much to prove
in what many times seems so
short a period ... When it gets to
three years, whatever "bugs" may
have existed are hopefully of the
past.
Romantica is an unpretentious
type of restaurant whose only frill
is being one of utmost cleanliness,

located in the former
locale of LeMetro at the
farthest (northwest) end
of Applegate ... Since the
operation was taken over
by Sue Massoud in April
2005, items have continu-
ally been added to the
regular fare, like tilapia,
$15.95; chicken Venezia
in a lemon garlic but-
ter, $14.95; veal piccata,
$16.95, or chicken picatta, $14.95,
etc. ... A big weekend seller,
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, is
the four-rib lamb chops rack,
$18.95.
Also available is a full-bodied,
delicious minestrone soup that
is an alternative "also includes"
choice with salad ... Pasta comes
with all dinners except pasta
choices, plus a basket of hot toast-
ed rolls that invites refills.
Seating at Romantic is about
60 in a 7-day-a-week eatery with
full bar ... Monday-Thursday,
11-9; Friday and Saturday, 11-10;
Sunday, 4-9.
Yes, it serves pizza, too, but
most are not the ordinary type ...
All are thin-crusted gourmet style,
12" medium and 16" large sizes.
Among the biggest sellers are
the highly noted nine Romantica
salads ... very popular at both
lunch and dinner ... Also the 10
appetizers, 11 sandwiches, veg-
gie subs, Italian subs, hot and
cold subs, (including pastrami
and corned beef, corned beef
and Swiss cheese, etc.), calzones,

sausage and pepperoni roll and
spinach roll, etc.
Convenience is no small asset
in a good neighborhood restau-
rant, especially in today's ventures
when gas prices many times
decree that close-by dining spots
provide a necessity.
In this sense, Romantica is cer-
tainly proven as a backyard gem.
REQUEST DEPT. ... by
Maddie Berkley ... The return
of turkey flambe at Giorgio's
Gourmet Diner, Orchard Lake
Road, West Bloomfield ... Turkey
leg flamed on a bed of rice in Wild
Turkey bourbon sauce.
QUESTION & ANSWER
Dept. ...
Q. "Last time we were in
Detroit, we were taken to a restau-
rant and had a pickerel that was
flamed in front of us. We can't get
it here and are coming in again
soon. Do you know of the res-
taurant that might have it? Also,
my husband, Lou, loves different
types of chicken. Do you know of
any?" ... Former Detroiter Donna
Barlow Stein, Merritt Island, Fla.
A. The only place around
here that I know of with flamed
pickerel is Hong Hua on Orchard
Lake Road, north of 12 Mile,
Farmington Hills ... Its two-
pound pickerel, enough for two,
is flamed tableside in a sweet and
sour or Szechuan sauce with a
touch of rum ... Also, the same
Hong Hua has an item not on the
menu that people rave about ...
White meat chicken with scallions

The Original

FREE! Caramel Apple Cake

with all Deli or Dairy Trays.
(All our award-winning trays come with

at the Vineyards

wicker baskets at no additional charge.)

Linwood and Elmhurst, Detroit,
back in the 1960s ... His par-
ents, Bill and Audrey Farber,
had another Farber Drugs then,
a couple of blocks away on
Linwood and Glendale, where
Bill was shot during a robbery
attempt ... Bill's brother, Al
Farber, was very active in many
Jewish goings-on hereabouts.
David's tins are covered with
Detroit landmarks of yesteryears,
Carl's Chop House, J.L. Hudson,
Stroh Brewery, Olympia, Tiger
Stadium, etc., and filled with
three sections of gourmet pop-
corn, cheese corn and DPC's pri-
vate-recipe caramel corn.
After the yummies are gone,
the one-size-only canisters are
great for home or office trash,
newspapers or magazines, plant-
ers or whatever the fertile mind
can think of.
They cost $27.99 and can be
gotten at DPC on Greenfield,
Detroit, or ordered at detroitpop-
corn.com Dave's staff will also
ship them for you if needed, with
a slight shipping charge.
CONGRATS ... To former
Detroiter Carole Goldman of
Delray Beach, Fla., on her 82nd
birthday, celebrated with table
for 15 at Pepino's ... To Wayne
and Debbie Lusky on their 26th
anniversary ... To Dr. Abe and
Sylvia Pearlman on their 90th
birthdays. 1—

and sauteed onions in sizzling
ginger sauce.
BEST BUYS DEPT. ...
From Thursday, Oct. 19, through
Sunday, Nov. 19, at Yossi's Israeli
Cuisine, Orchard Lake Road,
north of Northwestern, in the
Robin's Nest, West Bloomfield
Hummus appetizer, soup,
salad, 10 meatballs surrounding
a mound of seasoned rice, des-
sert (brownie or baklavah) and
pita bread, $13.95 per person, no
sharing ... With pop beverage,
add 95 cents.
THIS IS THE 23RD year
of the Michigan Jewish Sports
Hall of Fame, and the first where
a wrestler will be honored ...
Monday, Nov. 6, at Congregation
Shaarey Zedek, the late Bert
Ruby will be inducted with
Mathieu Schneider, hockey;
Marianne Ring Caplan and Larry
Stark, tennis; and Alvin Foon
Humanitarian Award recipient
Jerome Bettis, football ... Social
hour is 6 p.m. and sit-down din-
ner, 7:30-9 ... $180 adults, young
folks up to 13, $36 ... Call Elayne
Wolfson, community relations
director, for ducats, (248) 788-
0921.
SMALL WONDER THAT
the popcorn-filled canister idea
by Detroit Popcorn Company
would come from someone
whose family was so steeped in
Detroit history ... DPC owner
David Farber's grandparents,
Sam and Doris Farber, owned
the popular Farber Drugs on

32418 Northwestern Hwy., between 14 & Middlebelt

Danny's e-mail address is

dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net .

Do what Frank Sinatra, Dean
Martin, Judy Garland and the
Who's Who of showbiz did when
they wanted the ultimate of
luxurious catering!
They called SANDY HOFFMAN,
Former Caterer to The Stars.

(248) 229.1563

No obligation

248.855.9463

V(

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■ Best Sushi Bar in Town

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e,w Seoul. Garden.

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PHILIP TEWEL, Food & Beverage Director I
248-661-4050 Farmington Hills

■ BBQ Grill on the Table

Authentic Korean & Japanese Cuisine

CLASSIC CUISINE 5

AI'j r.; 16. Cuuncil of ( )).thodoN kabbls

Phone 1248) 827-1600

www.newseoulgarden. com
newseoulehotmail.com

Open Daily

Catering Available R,

27566 Northwestern Hwy.

October 19 • 2006

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