Arts & Entertainment E BEST OF HING k- Mexican Hat Dance Ole Ole celebrates five years in Novi under an old name. T here's no denying what kind of restaurant it is, even if the former name remains on it ... Getting a sign to tell that it owns a new name has just taken much longer than expected. So until the signage change comes about, Ole Ole Mexican Cantina will sim- ply have to exist on the reputation it built under the former name of Southwestern Bar & Grill, which the present sign still says ... In this case, living on that repute is not such a bad thing. Code enforcement rulings have pre- vented changes being made at the Ole Ole site on 14 Mile Road and East Lake Drive, Novi, across the street from Walled Lake Drive ... and so until then, the restaurant will just have to put up with the present sign. However, persistent presentation of food authenticity and new offerings have become an Ole Ole note that has been found by many ... It says myriad words, too, when looking into the kitchen of an ethnic restaurant and seeing it filled with people from that country. Ole Ole will soon celebrate its fifth anni- versary with further proof that diversity and authenticity in ethnic dining contin- ues to be dominant features in this impor- tant market. Along with better treatments of tradi- tional Mexican food preparations, it's add- ing items seldom seen on Mexican menus has also been welcomed. As example, lamb ribs ... Lamb ribs at a Mexican restaurant? ... Why not? ... Especially when they are a specialty item that has garnered a large popularity among a vast menu selection ... Many foods were meant to The succulent lamb ribs at Ole be eaten where they are most Ole are oven-baked, seasoned appreciated, which certainly and then char-grilled to a deli- is the case with Mexican food cious flavor, served with rice or ... Ole Ole Mexican Cantina fries, Texas toast and salad or prides itself on authenticity ... So much so that if folks cole slaw, $11.95. Or the tortilla-crusted fresh have any pesos lying around, Tilapia, marinated, well-sea- they can even use them to soned and delicately dusted pay for their meal. Danny Raskin You can't miss the place ... with a light, premise-made Senior Columnist tortilla coating, served with pico a big yellow building with red de gallo, rice and Texas toast, trim on the southeast corner of 14 Mile and East Lake Drive, making $11.95. It should be noted that the oil used at the turn onto Walled Lake Road ... For a Ole Ole, and the gallons of it are very high big fifth year birthday present, be nice if Ole Ole gets the sign change permission. in numbers, is 100 percent trans fat free, a most important feature ... Approximate THE CONTINUING country club quests for good chefs in the all-important numbers in Ole Ole's five-year existence take in over a million pounds of ground component of satisfying the palates of beef, 500,000 pounds of shredded chicken, their members took another turn in this almost 500,000 pounds of nachos, over direction with two brother chefs at local restaurants following each other in saying 150,000 pounds of barbecued ribs, more than 500,000 burritos, 2 million fajitas, etc. goodbye to café kitchens ... First, former Andiamo executive chef Lee Sharkas left Barbecue rib dinners, other than lamb ribs, include two-third slabs, $11.95; whole for what became a short stay at Commerce Grill in Commerce Township and is now slab, $15.95; slab for two, $17.95 ... plus at Shenandoah Country Club in West chicken dinner, $19.95, and combos ... Bloomfield ... Latest to leave, sibling All are served with Mexican rice, baked Louai Sharkas, has done an astounding potato or steak fries, cole slaw or salad, farewell at Zinc Brasserie, West Bloomfield, vegetable and Texas toast or tortillas ... Also a 20-ounce Porterhouse steak, $16.95, after helping open it and becoming a New York strip steak and shrimps, $14.95, mainstay there, to be the new executive chef at Birmingham Country Club. etc. ... Even a good ol' hamburger sand- wich, a nine-ouncer grilled and served OWNER JOE SPOSITA, bossman with wife Lois at Sposita's Italian Ristorante, with French fries, $6.95. Of course, it wouldn't be much of a 14 Mile Road, West Bloomfield, may soon Mexican restaurant without the traditional again be able to have blueberry pie and say, "I drank it" ... Sposita's is concocting Mexican dishes one would expect ... a blueberry pie drink, named following the experience Joe had after he and Lois were wed back in 1954 ... She made him a real blueberry pie that Joe recalls drinking because it was so loose. MAIL DEPT. ... "We have a restaurant here that has been in Monroe 65 years. I've been to many restaurants but will put the food at Joe's Italian French Diner on Dixie Highway up against any other Italian or French restaurant in Michigan" ... Michael Ehrlich, Monroe. MAKING ROUNDS ... To Forte, Birmingham, for roasted halibut ... To Tomatoes Apizza, Farmington Hills, for thin-crusted pizza ... To Nak Thai, Madison Heights, for Pad Bai Grapow chicken or Angry Eggplant with chopped chicken. SONNY ELIOT, WWJ radio's highly popular weathercaster, quips that he'll make sure the day's climate will be a sunshiny temperature as he is the latest to join an impressive list of celebrity folks who'll trek in the Walk of Ages sponsored by the Auxiliary of the Jewish Home & Aging Services, Sunday, May 6, 10 a.m. ... It'll be at the Eugene and Marcia Applebaum Jewish Community Campus in West Bloomfield at Maple and Drake ... If you haven't signed up yet, call Judy Dunn in the auxiliary office, (248) 661-2969. CONGRATS ... To Irving and Bluma Ellman on their 63rd anniversary ... To Herb and Adele Goldstein on their 62nd anniversary. Danny's e-mail address is dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net. ewish Cuisine Empire Kosher Chicken, Beef Brisket, Bar BQ Short Ribs, Meat Loaf, Sauteed Liver Steak, Stuffed Cabbage and Baked Tilapia a a Complete WIII1OP Dine-in only. Daily 3-7 pm with purchase of equal or lesser value. Expires 5/3/07 Iliss maaassessem 52 April 19 2007 . ■ ■ I mussammotssamassoldl 32418 Northwestern Hwy. between Middlebelt & 14 Mile 248.855.9463 vvvvw.JewishCatering.com