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EVERYTHING

It Takes A Village

Old and new customers enjoy renamed neighborhood dining spot.

I

t has been at the location over 30
years with little fanfare or change in
varied policies ... Not much to look
at as a true neighborhood restaurant but
very clean and serving good, wholesome
food at reasonable prices.
Years back, the location was originally
a Clock restaurant and then, for 25 more
years, the standby former Village Place
... As the newly named Village Palace,
Orchard Lake Road near Pontiac Trail,
Orchard Lake, it honors its first anniver-
sary under the new ownership.
George Lukaj, owner of George's Honey
Tree, West Bloomfield, son Robert Lukaj
and John Sinishtaj make up the team that
has transformed a good neighborhood
restaurant into an even much better family
eatery ... It is under the sole operation of
Robert and John, with George minding his
Honey Tree a few miles south.
John brings culinary experience from
being kitchen manager at Outback in
Canton, dining room manager at Crave
in Dearborn and sous chef at numerous
other restaurants.
Although some of the former policies
still remain, like the no credit card policy
that has been the rule since the previ-
ously named Village Place opened in 1984,
intended to pass on the savings rather
than paying a percentage, it may eventu-
ally be changed due to the economy and
recognition of today's way of life ... The
Village Palace has otherwise made large
strides in its one year under the new
owners ... An even cleaner look, always
extremely welcomed in the restaurant
world, more congenial waitperson effi-
ciency and assistance, additional home-
prepared dishes and lower prices that have

area?" ... Phil Gordon
promoted the return of former
[Nate & Al Delicatessen
customers and many new faces.
Restaurant
is in Beverly
IF YOU SAW him with fin-
Hills,
on
North
Beverly Drive
gers crossed and eyes skyward,
...
Call
(310)
274-0102
for
it might have been because
directions
...
Last
I
knew,
Moe Leon was perhaps involved
the hours were Monday-
in a sort of silent prayer ...
Sunday, 7 a.m.-10 p.m. but
And who wouldn't be when a
they could have changed ...
happening could easily turn the
Ask when calling ... Owner
tide back to those highly suc-
Al Mendelson passed on, but
cessful years of the Ford Motor
his wife, Tessie, and their
Co. plant across the street
family operate Nate & Al ...
teeming with many of around
Yes, Al was from Detroit ...
5,000 employees who made his
He used to work the counter at Boesky's
former Moe's on Wixom, South Wixom
Delicatessen on 12th and Hazelwood and
Road, Wixom, a destination restaurant
moved westward with Tessie in 1945,
for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
opening the deli with Nate Reimer, whom
That the former huge Ford Assembly
Al later bought out.]
plant will open again with more than
LITTLE MOM AND POP family oper-
4,000 employees expected to get pay-
ations have a way of entering the informal
checks for making grid storage batteries
for Xtreme Power out of Austin, Texas, and dining hearts of many people ... Like the
family owned and operated Village Coney
solar panels for Clairvoyant Energy, based
Island in Adams Square Plaza on South
in Santa Barbara, Calif., is much reason
Adams, Birmingham ... Celebrating its
for Moe's ever-present smile ... Work is
fourth anniversary, the open-seven-days,
expected to begin on the takeovers soon
89-seater owned by Beiko and Pempa
and the former Moe's on Wixom hopes
(Pam) Dores, is the site where folks used
to be open again in about four months
to get their Machus pastries before and
as Leon's Family Dining ... In the mean-
after the former Machus restaurants
while, Moe and his family are concentrat-
closed ... "I love the Village's homemade
ing all their efforts at his Moe's on Ten, on
food:' says Sandra Stalmack. "Especially
10 Mile, just west of Haggerty, Novi.
the family recipes of Greek salad with
MAKING ROUNDS ... To Bacco's
pink house dressing, olive and basil bread
Ristorante, Northwestern Hwy.,
and so many wonderful specialties for
Southfield, for whole roasted sea bass
lunch and dinner."
deboned in the dining room.
REMEMBERING WHEN DEPT. ...
QUESTION & ANSWER DEPT. ...
"In 1976, when Mark the Bird' Fidrych
"My wife, Sally, and I are going to Los
Angeles. How do we get to Nate & Al's Deli was the pitching sensation of the Detroit
Tigers, every writer in town was trying to
there? Do you know their hours? And, by
get an interview with him. I went to the
the way, isn't the owner from the Detroit

-

-

stadium and waited for Mark outside the
player's entrance ... He walked out and
could not have been any nicer. A lifetime
friendship began that day. When Mark
turned 22 in that year, my family and our
friends, Mike and Susie Gantz, made him
a birthday party. It was a huge extrava-
ganza in the park behind the Gantz's
Farmington Hills home. We had a 11-foot
sub sandwich flown in and dropped by
helicopter. There are probably people in
Rolling Oaks today who still remember
that chopper flying so low over their
houses." ... Jackie Kallen
MAIL DEPT. ... "While buying flow-
ers at Johnny Pomodoro's Fresh Market
[Middlebelt and 14 Mile, Farmington
Hills], I discovered the most unusual
thing I have ever seen. It was a flat piece
of plastic that opens up into a vase and
stands up on its own to put in water and
flowers. It is something that sure would
go over great when taking flowers to the
hospital or like what Marshall and I did,
to somebody's house for Labor Day bar-
becue." ... Dee Shapiro
ERRATA, TYPO, ETC. Dept. ... The
name is Mark Meisner, not Gary Meisner,
who was on the Detroit baseball team
that won a gold medal at the Maccabi
Games.
CONGRATS ... To Dorothy Aaron on her
99th birthday ... To Mort Meisner on his
56th birthday ... To Frank Kozin on his 75th
birthday ... To Harriet Maza on her birthday
... Correction, its congrats to Belle Rosender,
not Epstein, on her 99th birthday.

Danny's e-mail address

is

dannyraskin@sbcglobaLnet.

Shirlee Bloom, Ron & Maggie Asmar, Cookie & Bart Chimoff;
Ron & Renee Forman and the entire Staff at the Vineyards
wish our customers and friends a very happy and healthy Rosh Hashanah!

Package includes
Nova Lox, Tuna Salad
White Fish Salad, Egg Salad
Swiss b Munster Cheese
Cream Cheese, N.Y. Bagels

Last Minute
Rosh Hashanah orders

Now taking Break the Fast orders

inner Orders:

Hashanah Holiday Gifts shipped nationw*

Gift Orders: 248.737.8088

32418 Northwestern H

(Between Middlebelt IST. 14 Mile

SeptNnber

2009

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