THE BEST OF EVERYTHIN C • Why Wyandotte? Drive to Austin's HP Grille — a steak and seafood destination. A nother example among the many modern versions of a destina- tion restaurant is going about the business of pleasing customers in its second year of operation. Dining traits like value, food prepara- tion and presentation, service and price, are features of the celebration by Austin's HP Grille on Biddle (Jefferson) and Eureka, Wyandotte, where a quarter of a million people have enjoyed relaxed dining since opening in October 2005. Owner Sam Ansara may be better known for his jewelry operations, but Austin's HP Grille is the culmination of an ambition he has held for many years ... to own a top- quality restaurant with his wife, Myrna ... Sam likes to cook, and if needed could help out or take over in a restaurant's kitchen ... He preferred that it would be his own, so Sam purchased the building that housed Damon's Sports Bar and Grille and con- verted it into a larger fine dining restaurant and chophouse specializing in steaks and seafood ... Along with his keen business head, Sam's short restaurant experience has been a pleasant one ... He is steeped in customer satisfaction, a prime requisite in running any type of operation, and very big in restaurant success. Where did Sam get the name Austin's H.P. Grille? ... His jewelry stores in Twelve Oaks Mall, Novi (Elias Jewelry, managed by community-ite Fonda Schwartz), and in Wyandotte (Tiffany Diamonds), and the restaurant, are named after his three children, Elias, Tiffany and Austin . . . HP stands for Hyde Park, a favorite family place to visit. Another chief requirement in restaurant ownership is the presence of key person- nel ... Personable General Manager Kelly Marshall was sent to Houston by Sam to study and be trained in restaurant devel- opment ... Kelly, who on Oct. 28, marries Mark Miller, son of Farmington Hills-ites Leonard and Barbara Miller, has a one- track mind ... That nobody leaves Austin's H.P. Grille without enjoying a happy experience. In the kitchen since opening, another key employee, Chef Jeff Martin, is responsible for the more than 5,000 gallons of premises-made soup, including a superb French onion soup with melted provolone and asiago cheeses overflowing the cup or bowl, 15,000 pounds of meat, more than 12,000 pounds of sea- food, etc. ... Among his dining specialties is cooked to order rack of lamb, which Jeff pre-cooks for 10 minutes ... Also cooked to order is his bourbon brown sugar-glazed salmon. Few restaurants can boast of Jeff's unique ways in preparing Chilean sea bass topped with scallops, jumbo shrimp and a wine piccata sauce, or spicy cornflakes-and- almonds crusted whitefish ... Both have become signature dishes at Austin's, along with its best seller,14-ounce New York Strip Steak Ansara served on a sizzling platter with a cognac flambe. The main dining room, seating 220 at booths and tables, is separated into three areas; the semi-private sector is surrounded by etched glass dividers ... On a wall of another are three large handpainted murals ... A homey bar-lounge seats 80 including 30 barstools ... An outside ground-level patio with a cute Tiki bar has another 50 and a like amount is in a pri- vate banquet room. Sam wanted a restaurant that made everything itself, like the bread, excellent des- serts, soup, etc. ... And a kitchen that closes only when the entire restaurant does ... Hence the seven-day hours, Monday-Thursday, 11-2 a.m.; Friday, 1 p.m.-2 a.m.; Saturday, 4 p.m.-2 a.m.; Sunday, 4 to 2 a.m. Live entertainment is all seven days as well ... Michael James at the piano, Wednesday-Saturday; Deborah Jimmerson Jazz Trio on Mondays; Kimberly Fairchild, Tuesdays and Fridays, singing top 40; and Billy Rose strolling with his guitar and vio- linist Johnny Giovanni every Sunday. Other Austin specialties prepared by Chef Martin include grilled chicken breast mari- nated with olive oil and spices, $16; veal Oscar of Provimi veal medallions sauteed with lump crabmeat and Bearnaise sauce, $20; seafood fettuccine of sauteed jumbo shrimp, scallop and lump crabmeat, $19; beef tenderloin and shrimp kabob, $21, etc. As it celebrates birthday number two, the white-linen-tablecloths-and-napkins Austin HP Grille does so with a knowledge that customers not only leave happy, but are even happier in returning. A HUGE CULINARY loss like this is hard to take ... Unlike Tribute losing Executive Chef Don Yamauchi to MGM Grand Detroit, Certified Master Chef Michael Russell leaves Motor City Casino to take over food operations in another region: McCormick Place in Chicago ... Michael never wanted to leave here, but the proffer must have been a terrific one ... Many will also remember Mike from before he went to Motor City Casino after executive chef stints at Wabeek Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Skyline Club in Southfield, Detroit Yacht Club and Bloomfield Hunt Club. HEY, LOVERS OF the good food at Buddy's Pizza on Northwestern Hwy, Farmington Hills ... No fire, just an outside remodeling process to give a more beautiful look ... Inside is business as usual, dining in or carryout. MAKING ROUNDS ... To Rossini's, Haggerty Road, West Bloomfield, for gar- lic soup or poached salmon with white wine ... To Assagi, Nine Mile, Ferndale, for Moroccan-spiced barbecued duck or seared yellow fin tuna ... To Beans & Cornbread, Northwestern, Southfield, for trout meuniere or turtle soup ... To Caucus Club, Penobscot Building, Detroit, for James Beard Hamburger Steak, Dover Sole or twin tournedos of beef ... To Franklin Grill, Franklin Road, Franklin, for premises-made corn chowder ... To Capital Grille, W. Big Beaver, Troy, for fresh salmon or whitefish. FAME THAT FLED before it got started ... Former localite Norma Weitz Zager decided not to run for 21st district repre- sentative in California ... She'll concentrate on writing and teaching at California State University. CONGRATS TO ... Jody Jonas on her birthday ... Roland Harrison on his birth- day ... Terri Himelson on her birthday ... Carole Goldman on her 83rd birthday ... Louise Abrams on her birthday. Danny's e-mail address is dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net . ***************************************************** STAR DELI IS ONE OFTHE BEST CARRY OUT ONLY RESTAURANTS IN AMERICA! Hours: Mon-Sat 7-9:30 Sun 7-8 * potato Latices * Our Regular Tuna & Fat- Free ree Tuna Can't Be Beat! * Vegetarian Chopped Liver * Homemade Potato Salad & Coleslaw CO LOMWPAPRREICOEU SR WITH ANY DELICATESSEN IN TOWN! MEAT TRAY $6.99 1 :1,,,, SALAD TRAY $7.50 r r so, SALAD TRAY W/ LOX & CREAM CHEESE $10.50 person Per DAIRY TRAY $114.99Per Person STAR'S TRAYS CAN'T BE BEAT FOR QUALITY & PRICE! $S onr ****1* * • ON STAR'S BEAUTIFUL E' ALREADY LOW PRICED MEAT OR DAIRY TRAYS - WITH THIS COUPON Expires 11/15/07 • One Per Person • Not Good Holidays • 10 Person Minimum P*1111 24555 W. 12 MILE ROAD Just west of Telegraph Road • Southfield 4(4144 4r 4ri144( 248•35207377 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * ** * * * * * ** * ** * * * * * * * 58 October 4 2007 JN