Arts & Entertainment

THE BEST OF EVERYTHING

High Praise

Hong Hua deliciously celebrates its eighth anniversary.

T

o many folks, among the numer-
ous ways they can tell a good
Chinese restaurant is by its
preparation and serving of an American
dish ... It is not on the menu at Hong
Hua, Orchard Lake Road just north of 12
Mile, Farmington Hills, but breaded veal
cutlets, long a big favorite of countless
Chinese restaurants, is attested by a lot of
Hong Hua customers to be amid the best
in Michigan.
The owners of Hong Hua, Danny Yu,
Gary Yau, Chef Peter Chan and Shetwai
Seto, will celebrate the eighth anniver-
sary of its fine upscale gourmet dining
Chinese restaurant June 10, and are look-
ing for a second Hong Hua location ...
Targeted area for another like restaurant
is Troy, somewhere around the Somerset
Collection vicinity ... Hong Hua food and
excellent ingredients may be slightly more
expensive than normal fare, but is well
worth the price difference ... Numerous
dishes seem more diverse than expected
at many Cantonese and Szechuan dining
counterparts ... In fact, Hong Hua fea-
tures a number of delights not seen else-
where except perhaps at some places in
New York, California or Chicago ... Some
favorites are not on the menu, but ask any
of the owners and they'll be made for you
... Like the fresh, whole pineapple cut in
half and filled with fried rice, diced chick-
en and hunks of pineapple, or fried rice
with shrimp in cream sauce and shredded
chicken in tomato sauce, or sautéed scal-
lops that defy the culinary imagination
and, of course, wonderful yellow grouper
prepared in an untold amount of ways.
The Hong Hua styling of food has

drawn much acclaim and is
without question of high-value-
received note ... Food prepara-
tion that is definitely in a dis-
tinct class.
ATLANTIS REALTY, whose
"For Lease" sign is in front of
the former Chili's restaurant
on Northwestern Highway,
Farmington Hills, is owned by
developer Robert Asmar who
also owns this land and that on
which former Macaroni Grill locale will
become the site of his Mykonos Greek
Taverna.
THE NEW restaurant opening at
Applegate Square, Northwestern and
Inkster, Southfield, on former site of
Slade's, will be converted in the remodel-
ing now going on ... Applegate tenants in
the rear sector will be relocated around
July, after which that area will be torn
down for a Hampton Inn hotel.
A THIRD restaurant by George Lukaj
is expected to be opened in a couple
of months by the owner of George's
Honey Tree on Northwestern Hwy., West
Bloomfield ... He also recently acquired
Village Place restaurant on Orchard Lake
Road, Orchard Lake.
GOOD WAITRESS Dept. ... Katie
Tuardk at Little Italy, East Hutton,
Northville ... Pretty smile, personable
ways with efficient, cordial service, notice-
ably by coffee refills in fresh cups and spe-
cials told with ease from memory while
looking at her customers, not notes.
MAIL DEPT. ... "My husband, Bruce,
and I have been going to Café Muse on
South Washington in Royal Oak for almost

two years. We have gotten to '
know the wait staff and its
owner and chef, Greg Reyner.
We usually eat there during
the weekends when they have
a specials menu in addition
to the regular menu. The egg
dishes are wonderful as well
as their macaroni and cheese
and chicken salad sandwich.
The food is fresh, unique and
delicious.
"Café Muse was written up in the March
2008 Esquire magazine for one of the best
sandwiches in America. The sandwich
was grilled cheese. The restaurant also
has been written up in Play (Detroit Free
Press), Detroit News, Hour magazine and
mentioned on many TV and radio sta-
tions. Gayle King from the "Oprah" show
on television filmed an interview with
Greg about his grilled cheese sandwich.
She was doing a show on some of the
best sandwiches that were mentioned in
Esquire magazine' ... Susan Wauldron-
Jerris.
WHATEVER HE IS taking, I want some
of it ... Dick Purtan looks better today
than ever, and we go back a lot of years
... Always the fun wit, Dick is also even
sharper today ... He was grand marshal
for the recent Walk of Ages by Jewish
Home & Aging Services, and led the usual
bevy of local personalities introduced by
Carol Rosenberg, wonderful executive
director ... After a chilly beginning, the
sun came out and warmed up a record
number of attendees, including children
who played the fun games set up by vol-
unteers, and beautiful, well-behaved dogs

who walked without stopping for their
usuals ... There are too many people to
applaud, so let's just say a big thanks to all
for their fantastic efforts again.
IT'S A HUGE departure from his for-
mer Tringale's New York Pizzeria and Deli
on 12 Mile, Farmington Hills, now the
locale of Cannella's, and before the deli,
Joey's on Jefferson ... Gary Tringale's lat-
est venture is his Troy Merchandise Mart
Flea Market on Rochester Road, between
Big Beaver and Wattles (17 Mile), Troy ...
Sandy Layne, his manager at the 25,000-
square-foot, free-standing building, is
among numerous community-ites show-
ing their wares ... Gerry Schlesinger with
memorabilia and collectibles, Jodie Weiss
showing off antiques and collectibles,
Missy Green with vintage and antique
items, and others ... Even Gary's wife,
Joani (Adell), has a striking display of
wanted merchandise.
NOW LIVING IN Boynton Beach, Fla,
former Detroiter Ruth Lax proved that
age is no barrier to getting that coveted
hole-in-one ... It was a 119-yarder at
the Hunters Run Golf Course in Boynton
Beach, with Ruth using the 9-iron given
to her 20 years ago by Carmi and the late
Sharon Slomovitz ... Ruth is 82 years old.
CONGRATS ... To Jerry Moss on his
70th birthday ... To Arthur Mevis on his
80th birthday ... To Jack Adelman on his
84th birthday ... To Joe Katz on his 77th
birthday ... To Danny Newman on his
70th birthday ... To Marvin and Elaine
Goldstein on their 50th anniversary. Li

Danny's e-mail address is
dannyraskin@sbcglobaLnet

201 S Old Woodward Avenue • Birmingham Ml 48009
248.594.7300 • www.forterestaurant.com

June 5 • 2008

C9