Arts & Entertainment
THE BEST OF EVERYTHING
Cream-Of-Crop Or Mom-And-Pop?
Side-by-side Italian eateries give you a choice between fancy or family fare.
T
hey're everywhere — restaurants
whose quality, goodness and
reputation greatly overshadow
whatever hesitation a slight traveling dis-
tance may cause.
A fine example of this are two eateries
right next door to each other ... operated
by the same owners but as different as
duck a la' orange, which is served by one,
and pizza dished up at the other.
On one side, is the upscale-with-an-
Italian-flair Fiamma Grill, and on the
other, is Compari's on the Park ... both
owned by Frank and Maureen Yaquinto,
whose near 40 years of good dining repute
continues today.
The two operations on Main Street,
between Ann Arbor Trail and Penniman
in charming downtown Plymouth, one of
Michigan's oldest communities, are across
from Kellogg Park, noted for such presen-
tations as band concerts, art shows, etc.
This month will be the second anniver-
sary of Fiamma, whose name is exactly
what this restaurant and Compari's are,
true family operations ... Other than
Frank, wife Maureen is his manager
and hostess ... daughter Katie and son
Frankie, managers and bar tending per-
sons ... Another daughter, Julie, works
the carryout department at Compari's ...
Not at the restaurants but available to help
when in town is son Ryan, who tends bar
at the Denver Chop House in Colorado.
Best sellers at Fiamma are its Ciopinno a
la Fiamma (lobster, mussels, shrimp, scal-
lops and fish in saffron broth) and grilled
Chilean sea bass ... A big favorite is the
duck a la' orange breast with drumette
and skin topped by a honey orange sauce;
along with the Woodland beef tenderloin
tips, veal melanzana, (sauteed
tenderloin topped with pro-
sciutto, eggplant and provolone),
Piedmontese medallions with
pan-fried potato gnocchi, etc.
Seating at Fiamma's is 175 in
two rooms with the doors of one
opening from a private area to
become part of the dining room,
a lovely 55-seat outdoor patio
where people-watching is part
of the splendor and an 18-stool
bar plus 12 more at tables in a lounge bar
Fiamma's is open Monday-Thursday
nights, 5-10; Friday, 4-11; Saturday 5-10;
Sunday closed but available for private
functions ... Entertainment has a gui-
tarist Tuesday and Thursday evenings
and sax with rhythm synthesizer on
Wednesday and Saturday nights.
One of Fiamma's almost 20 delicious
appetizers, many of which can also be got-
ten as entrees, is the Leelanau cheese plate,
with excellent cheese from friends of Frank
and Maureen, who send the true delights
from their creamery in Leland, Mich. ...
And the crab cakes are among the better
ones this side of Maryland, with 100 per-
cent jumbo crab meat elegantly flavored
and molded for fine dining pleasure ...
Another of its much-requested items is
Fiamma's Fagioli Calabrese, nothing like
the traditional fagioli one would know ... It
was Frank's mother, Ann's, recipe, brought
over by her from Calabria in the southern
part of Italy more than 25 years ago.
Steaks and seafood, with gourmet
pasta preparations and other features,
are the big things in sumptuous dining at
Fiamma's ... Filets are available in regular
choice or Piedmontese low-fat beef.
Compari's next door, also
celebrating an anniversary in
August, its seventh, seats 125,
with 50 more on a "people-
watching" patio, plus bar with
16 stools and also a four-stool
counter ... It is a traditional
Old World-like mom-and-pop
Italian restaurant, with family
pictures everywhere, similar
to their former Paisano's on
Schaefer and Michigan and
Schaefer and Ford roads ... Biggest seller is
the same pizza, round and square, made in
a brick oven exactly like the ones prepared
at their Paisano's for more than 37 years
... Also a former Paisano's dish, Chicken
Paisano, is among the good substantial and
wonderful-tasting food served at Compari's
on Monday-Thursday, 11-11; Friday,
11-midnight; Saturday, noon-midnight;
Sunday 1-10.
The clean, informal, casual elegance, in
their own ways, of Fiamma and Compari's
has added much to the dining culture of
Plymouth ... The menu selections may
be far apart, but the family togetherness,
always a wonderful recommendation in
itself, makes for thoroughly delightful
culinary experiences.
SEARCHING FOR low-priced all-you-
can-eat Sunday brunches reveals another
terrific value for lookers ... This one is
both Saturdays and Sundays, 8 a.m.-2
p.m., at Moe's On Ten, 10 Mile, just west
of Haggerty Novi, and Moe's On Wixom,
S. Wixom Road between 15 Mile and I-
96, Wixom ... About 25 items including
as-you-like omelet station, waffle station,
meats, hash browns, chicken Alfredo, chick-
en stir-fry, pancakes, quesadillas, etc. ...
Adults, $8.99; children 10 and under, $4.99.
STRESSFUL ECONOMIC times like
today are nothing new ... They've been
seen before, and good properly run res-
taurants continue to thrive ... Those who
shouldn't be in the restaurant business
find it very difficult and in many instances
eventually close up shop ... These include
people who go into it as a lark or because
it looks so easy or chefs who think they
are also restaurateurs, etc. ... True restau-
rant men or women usually know how to
weather the storm.
FRESH MEATBALLS at Sposita's, 14
Mile, West Bloomfield, are on the menu
only as an appetizer, but try them also as
an entree topped with melted mozzarella
cheese.
RECENT GOLF outing by Temple Israel
Brotherhood at Bay Pointe Golf Club was
double fun and excitement for Bob Slutsky
... He hit his second hole-in-one on the
171-yard seventh hole while teaming with
Alan Apple, Marvin Gantz and Gene Nabat
... Bob's first ace was three years ago at
Shenandoah Country Club, across the
street from the West Bloomfield temple.
PLENTY OF ROOM for everyone ...
children, grandchildren, etc., says alumni
Jack "Jake" Ginsberg ... All Detroit Central
High grads from 1945 to 1950 are invited
by the 1947 cap 'n' gowners to their "Day in
the Park", Sunday, Aug. 19, noon-4, at West
Bloomfield Park, Drake between 14 and 15.
CONGRATS to ... Elaine Lichtman
on her birthday ... To Evelyn Gold and
daughter Linda Gold on their birthdays ...
To Audrey Deutch on her birthday. 1 1
Danny's e-mail address is
dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net.
HEALTHY, LIGHT GOURMET SUMMER SANDWICHES!
50% OFF
Buy one Gourmet Sandwich
get the second for 1/2 off.
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DINE IN or CARRY OUT
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EXPIRES 8/16/07
*BBQ's Available
Fresh Grilled On Site
MU NI
P-Fr
The Detroit News
32418 Northwestern Hwy.
42 August 2 2007
between Middlebelt & 14 Mile
248.855-9463 M/MRSVLINE vvww.VineyardDeli.com