Arts & Entertainment
THE BEST OF EVERYTHING
You Say Potato, I Say Patattah •••
Sposita's Italian Ristorante will cater to any palate.
p
otpourri ...
He may not still be in the res-
taurant business, but the words of
Reid Ashton, owner of the former Golden
Mushroom, still ring true, "There will
always be a need for quality restaurants?'
One of these types of dining spots
is Sposita's Italian Ristorante, 14 Mile
between Orchard Lake and Farmington
roads, West Bloomfield ... What started as
just another neighborhood Italian restau-
rant is today one of the area's most popu-
lar culinary establishments ... Its amazing
rise as a huge regional favorite is a credit
to its owners, Joe and Lois Sposita, and
their general manager son, Tony Sposita,
who put quality and value above every-
thing else in their continual promotion of
customer satisfaction.
Little things, like some people wanting
mashed potatoes and some cottage fried
potatoes ... Instead of choosing one or
the other, they give customers the choice
of either without increasing price ... And
rather than staying solely with the same
drinks, coming up with something new,
like its Blueberry Pie Martini, which has
taken off big.
Its informal simplicity is so important
and does not go unnoticed by diners who
crowd into places like Sposita's and enjoy
excellent casual goodness.
PEOPLE WHO WANT authentic
Hungarian home-cooking don't mind put-
ting on some extra auto miles going to a
place like Hungarian Rhapsody, with its
Old World allure of authenticity, downriver
on Northline between Dix and Allen roads,
Southgate, or Italian cuisine and service
with Old World charm like yesteryears at
Moro's on Allen Road, Allen
Park, or Pepino's, Walled Lake,
for all-around goodness, or
O'Brien's Crabhouse on Opdyke,
Auburn Hills, for its 10 crab
preparations, Ipswich clams, etc.
COMING IN EARLY June
will be another delicatessen
restaurant by Al and Debra
Winkler, owners of the Bread
Basket Deli mini-chain ... It
will open on Woodward near
14 Mile, Royal Oak, and be named Al's
Famous Deli.
THE CLOSING of Bogart's on W. Maple,
West Bloomfield, may have been an expect-
ed happening ... Having a cute theme on
the late Humphrey Bogart and wife, Lauren
Bacall, wasn't enough ... In the restaurant
business, clever theme and decor them-
selves will never cut the mustard ... Good
food and service are still the most impor-
tant pieces for success ... Too bad the
restaurant didn't last — the former E.G.
Nick's location is an excellent one.
PARTNERS AT THE soon-to-open Chef
Theodore full-service Greek restaurant, on
Orchard Lake Road and Pontiac Trail, say
that a major problem by former tenants
will be alleviated ... Chef and co-owner
Theodore Mitropoulos and his associ-
ates maintain that folks will be guided
to a nearby traffic light when leaving the
ample parking area ... A Greek chef such
as Chef Theodore Mitropoulos will cer-
tainly add much to a Greek restaurant's
authenticity ... Also, working the kitchen
with him will be two Greek cooks formerly
at Pegasus in Greektown.
COMING VERY CLOSE to opening is
Deli Dinner $1
for Two
the new East Bay Sports Grill,
off the water at Pontiac Trail
and Walled Lake Road.
HE PROBABLY wondered
why everybody wanted to
hold him but nobody asked
for a dance ... Then again,
6-month-old Ari Benyamin
most likely didn't care as
long as he had his pacifier,
and Mom and Pop enjoyed
themselves ... Yossi Benyamin
of Yossi's Falafel, West Bloomfield, gave a
surprise 13th anniversary party for wife,
Lizzette, at nearby Allegra Restaurant with
about 50 guests on hand as they celebrat-
ed and blew out the candles.
THE PURPLE GANG may be gone,
but according to neighborhood folks in
Sylvan Lake, one of the houses was a gang
hangout with a speakeasy downstairs ...
It still has the original bar with beer taps
and mirrors and, according to rumor, was
where the Purples wanted for arrest would
hide and then leave during the night ...
It'll be on display, Saturday, June 16, 10
a.m-4 p.m., along with another home used
by the gang ... Tickets at the Sylvan Lake
city hall are $12 in advance or $15 at the
door.
MAIL DEPT. ... "I recently noted the
inquiry by Mike Seltzer as to where, if
at all, Phil Marcus Esser is performing
these days. I, too, am a Phil Esser-Charlie
Latimer fan, and would love to know
where I could see them perform?' ... Judy
Goodfriend.
"Mike Seltzer asked through your col-
umn about Phil Marcus Esser. A mailing
address could probably be located through
•
Deli Dinners Include
Your Choice of Any:
• Two Sandwiches from
Our Sandwich Board Menu
CD
Dine-in special only
BUY 1 LB=
OF VIENNA 1:
HOTDOGS
GET 1 LB is 11 II
FOR FREE Ii
Expires 6/30107
One coupon per customer Ii
with Overstuffed Corned Beef, Roasted
Turkey Breast, Pastrami, Willno Salami,
Roast Beef or Tuna
• Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
• Potato Salad or Cole Slaw
• Jell-O
r
te
r
tr.
.1. or
the Boulder City of Nevada's Chamber of
Commerce as to his whereabouts?' ... Judy
Ancell.
Looking up the Boulder City, Nev.,
event info, I found that on May 19, Phil
Marcus Esser did the 34th annual Focus
Hope Music Festival with Charlie Latimer,
Ron Coden, Josh White, Jr., Barbara
Bredius, etc., at the North Rosedale Park
Community House in Detroit ... And on
May 25, Phil produced and performed a
musical tribute at Boulder City's American
Legion hall?'
HE'S GOT HIS everyday thinking cap
on for something different in the way of
a reunion ... But Jack Ginsberg needs
help for a super-duper picnic he wants
to hold for the 1947 Detroit Central High
classes of January and June ... It will be
for everybody, he says, including children
and grandchildren, and folks don't even
have to be a graduate ... Call Jack at (248)
681-4040, evenings, or on his cell phone,
(248) 842-1738.
CONGRATS ... To Sima Parr on her
birthday ... To Nettie Newman on her
birthday ... To Thelma Kerwin on her
85th birthday ... To Herlaine Bakerman
on her 75th birthday ... To Michael
Abrams on his 49th birthday ... To Ina
Rosenberg on her 75th birthday ... To
Gail Goodstein on her birthday ... To
Flora Winton on her 90th birthday ... To
Morrie Schwartz on his 70th birthday ...
To Debra and Al Winkler on their 10th
anniversary ... To Paul "Pat" and Thelma
Kerwin on their 60th anniversary.
❑
Danny's e-mail address is
dannyraskin@sbcglobanet.
$25
dl
OFF
ANY PICNIC OR 88Q
PARTY
OF 50 OR MORE
Expires 6/30/07
JO 16
*Kosher BB Q's Available
VINEYARDS
DELI • CAFE • CATERING
wvvvv.JewishCatering.com
VINEYARD
32418 Northwestern Hwy. • between Middlebelt & 14 Mile • 248.855-9463 •
ORDER ONLINE
www.VineyardDeli.com
June 7 • 2007 43