Arts & Entertainment THE BEST OF EVERYTHING Star Power Elegant Golden Hoy restaurant impresses a solo diner. p OTPOURRI MINI READER REVIEW ... "I recently tried the Golden Hoy brand-new pan-Asian restaurant located within the AMC Star Southfield. Our town - has many wonderful Asian restaurants, and this new one truly raises the bar. "First of all, it is eye-popping elegant and gorgeous. Second of all, the staff is gracious and welcoming from the moment one enters the door. As a woman alone, I was welcomed as if I were with a huge party. When I was there at 7 p.m., the restaurant was filled with Asians, a very good sign, and people from all ethnic groups. "I enjoyed a heavenly creamed chicken and corn soup and a seafood Pad Thai whose flavors were spicy and sweet and tart. The service is excellent. It doesn't matter who waits on me, anyone on staff who passes by asks if the meal is okay, and if they can bring anything else. I felt pampered. "I was enticed to try a dessert soup, a sweet green bean concoction. I spoke to the manager and his assistant, who told me that dim sum is their specialty. I can drive five minutes to this magical place and enjoy an amazing meal alone or with friends" ... Euni Rose, Southfield. HERE RECENTLY to attend the bat mitzvah of Emily Cohn, daughter of Kathy and Gary Cohn, former localites Sam and Dorothy Essick had dinner at the Gandy Dancer restaurant in Ann Arbor with son Robert and his daughter, University of Michigan student Mara Cohn ... Sam recalled that while a U-M student himself, there was no Gandy Dancer ... It was a train station then in 1940 where Sam took a train to Detroit for about 65 cents ... His tuition for each half-semester was $75 ... "Don't miss two delis when in California," says Sam. "Langer's in Los Angeles for hand-cut pastrami, and Brent's Deli in Northridge and West Lake." GOOD WAITRESS DEPT. Inga Webb at La Dolce Vita, Woodward between Six and Seven Mile, Detroit ... No lazy waitperson here as Inga goes around tables at her station to properly serve from the rear and not reach across ... Customers enjoy her gracious- ness and dining knowledge. FOLKS LOOKING FOR Billy Rose can find him and his guitar, jazz and other- wise, at two spots during the week ... Friday and Saturday, 7:30-11:30 p.m., Billy and his trio is at Leonardo's Italian restau- rant on Merriman, between Ecorse and Metro Airport ... On Wednesdays he does a duo gig at Sibley Gardens Italian restau- rant on Jefferson in Trenton. THOSE COMING TO saunter or shake hands with the many local personalities that always attend will be able to get a few extra winks that morning The annual Walk of Ages by Auxiliary for Jewish Home & Aging Services, Sunday, May 18, will have registrations at 9 a.m. and the Walk at 10 a.m. ... It's at the Eugene and Marcia Applebaum Jewish Community Campus at Drake and Maple, West Bloomfield ... Dick Purtan is grand marshal ... Last year's g.m. Florin Mark is co-honorary chairgal with Evie Orbach this year ... 201 S Old Woodward Avenue • Birmingham MI 48009 248.594.7300 • www.forterestaurant.com B14 May 8 • 2008 Walk of Ages is a lot of fun, with wonderful local super- stars who'll never say no to taking a picture with you or with the kids ... Call Judy Dunn, (248) 661-2969. HIS DINING SPOT may have closed, but Tom MacKinnon's popular upscale MacKinnon's restaurant in Northville enjoyed a fine 27- year run ... Tom turned the eatery over to his 29-year-old son, Ian, a while back so he could accept the execu- tive chef position at a hotel and restaurant operation, but without Tom's presence, it didn't seem the same ... Tom's reputation as one of the most likable gents in the restaurant business is only exceeded by the high respect he garnered since open- ing MacKinnon's back in 1981 when the Northville sidewalks were just a bunch of dirt ... Plus being an excellent execu- tive chef of his own restaurant, Tom also gained the standing of being among the not-too-many chefs capable of owning the same dining place in which he or she also headed the kitchen. JAZZ NOTES ... Remember that the location of the Second Annual Jazz Concert to benefit cancer patients and survivors, Sunday May 18, 3 p.m., has been changed ... It'll be at Temple Israel, Walnut Lake Road, just east of Drake, West Bloomfield, and feature sax man George Benson and the Cliff Monear Trio ... Fox- 2 health reporter, Lila Orbach Lazarus, is honorary chairperson ... 16 and older tickets are $30, and 15 under, $15 ... Call Elaine Greenberg, (248) 661-6344. REMEMBERING DEPT. ... When some of those gas stations like Pure, Pennzoil, Monkey, Dance, Purple Martin, Sinclair, Danny's Dino and Kayo had "gas wars" that meant 17 cents a gallon. REUNION RECAP ... 50th by Detroit Central High January and June classes of 1958, Saturday, Sept. 13, at Farina's, Oak Park ... Contact Bob Cohen, (248) 960- 1032 ... Oak Park High 1958 grads' 40th is Saturday, Aug. 30, at Embassy Suites Hotel of Livonia ... Contact Nancy (Levine) and Dennis Liefer, (248) 661-5028 or Sheri (Katzman) Lisagor, (248) 626-7929 ... Berkley High class of 1973, is Saturday, Aug. 23, at Radisson Bloomfield Hills (for- mer Kingsley Inn) on Woodward ... Call Jan (Keegan) Hagland, (248) 399-3264 ... 40th by Southfield High class of 1968, is Saturday, Oct. 11, at St. Mary's Cultural Center, Merriman Road, Livonia ... Call Paul Rochlen, (248) 737-2945, or Lance Pesci, (248) 476-0019. NO NEED TO remind you of the Mother's Day Date ... Sunday, May 11, the busiest day in the restaurant business ... But don't forget the "forgotten one Father's Day, Sunday, June 15 this year. CONGRATS ... To Pam Shriman on her birthday ... To Lisa Lapides Sawicki on her 52nd birthday ... To David Sachs on his 57th birthday ...To Leonard Poger on his 72nd birthday ... To Herschel Poger on his 38th birthday ... To Leonard and Judy Poger on their 40th anniversary. ❑ Danny's e-mail address is dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net.