Arts & Entertainment

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The Next Level

Three neighborhood treasures blossom into destination restaurants.

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OTPOURRI ... Among the
more pleasant surprises among
neighborhood dining spots in
the Metro Detroit area are the emergence
of three more into 2010 as destination
restaurants.
Revealed even further than before is
the high opinion that Pasta Fagioli in
Sugar Bush Plaza, Square Lake Road just
east of Telegraph, Bloomfield Township,
can play with the big boys ... Ever since
owner/chef Hamad Koukas left as chef at
the former Ristorante di Modesta (now
Bacco), Southfield, his restaurant has
been receiving note outside the area as
having the makings of a much-desired
destination restaurant ... Pasta Fagioli has
gathered even more prominent notice than
what he and wife, Janine, have garnered
in its 13 years' existence ... Although the
name might suggest it being just a pasta
restaurant, it is certainly very much more
than just that.
The recognition gained by Siegel's
Deli, West Maple just west of Haggerty,
Commerce Township, as one of the pre-
mier delis in the metro area, continues to
reveal a rare attribute ... Double headed
mom-and-pop premises-made cooking by
an owner and his wife ... But even more
so, because of this, the prices for quality
food Can be kept at a minimum low, which
is so much needed in these difficult eco-
nomic times.
Among Chinese restaurants, Golden
Phoenix, Orchard Lake Road, north of 15
Mile in Sugar Tree Plaza, West Bloomfield,
continually comes up with new dishes, a
Chinese-dining rarity ... The inventive
entrees take off with regularity, and many
remain as wanted specials, like the new

Shanghai Charlie's Chow Chow
and others ... plus noticeable
innovations among some tradi-
tional dishes served by owners
Shaw and Helen Ng.
THE LIST OF restaurants
that have occupied the space
just south of Orchard Lake
Road and Pontiac Trail, Orchard
Lake Village, got longer with the
recent opening and closing of
Valentina's ... It was number
nine in joining former tenants
Meating Place, Treats, Roadhouse, Buster's
Bay, Jake's on the Lake, Taes, Chef Theodore
and Italia Fresca.
MAIL DEPT. ... "Our family had tickets
to see Jersey Boys at the Fisher Theatre [in
Detroit]. We had a wonderful meal before
the show at Cuisine restaurant on Lothrup,
across the street from the Fisher. The ser-
vice was great and the food original and
delicious." ... Candi and Ron Sherman
[Cuisine is one of those gems people
many times fail to think of when dining
out ... Owner/chef Paul Grosz was execu-
tive chef at the Whitney restaurant on
Woodward, Detroit, 10 years before open-
ing his own place in 2001 ... He is highly
noted and respected for his excellent
French and American food preparations
... Dining at Cuisine is a must for many
visiting this area, including stars and casts
appearing at the Fisher ... Seafood is
among the prime requests with specials
every day plus a lobster bisque recipe
amid others that Paul brought back from
his working days in France.]
MAKING ROUNDS ... To Antonio's, 12
Mile, Farmington Hills, for veal chops ...
To Caucus Club, Penobscot Bldg., Congress,

Detroit, for lake pickerel filets
... To Beans & Cornbread,
Northwestern Highway,
Southfield, for trout Meuniere
... To Bombay Grille, Orchard
Lake Road, Farmington Hills,
for chicken cubes marinated
in Indian and Chinese spices
... To Fiddler, Orchard Lake
Road, West Bloomfield, for
cheese blintzes ... To French
Gourmet, Woodward, Ferndale,
for wine-poached salmon ...
To Rocky's, West Seven Mile, Northville, for
raw bar smoked fish ... To Rojo Mexican
Bistro, Fountain Walk, 12 Mile, Novi, for
tableside-prepared guacamole ... To Hong
Hua, Orchard Lake Road, Farmington Hills,
for salmon banana roll ... To Rhapsody,
Northline, Southgate, for Hungarian Gulyas
(goulash) ... To Bistecca, Plymouth Road,
Livonia, for Piedmontese beef steak ... To
Lily's Seafood, Washington Avenue, Royal
Oak, for mustard chicken stuffed with
smoked salmon.
I REMEMBER DEPT. ... "The Crystal
Palace on Telegraph started out as a motel
and then expanded into a combined res-
taurant and supper dub, owned by a man
who gave it to his son to play with. It was
a beautiful place, but I can't recall any acts
that played there as the pay then wasn't too
good yet. Many major clubs at that time
were owned by a doctor, druggist or lawyer.
Michigan Palace and Lofy's were among the
exceptions, both owned by Sam Hadous,
who gave the public many moments of
fine entertainment. Also Al Siegel, whose
wonderful Elmwood Casino in Windsor
presented world-class entertainment of
noted show business personalities that the

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January 28 • 2010

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RESTAURANT
GROUP

38

Detroit and Windsor areas had never seen
before" ... William Garwood, former local
publicity man now a prominent writer of
Western novels.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS ... "We saw
them in Las Vegas but never did know
where the Rat Pack got its name. Do you
know?" ... Sy and Fran Saulsman
[`Tis said that the name took hold when
Lauren Bacall saw her husband, Humphrey
Bogart, after he, Frank Sinatra and their
cronies came rambling in following a night
of some partying. She exclaimed, "You guys
look like a gotdamned rat pack!" ... The
name stood.]
THE LAST TIME he rode a bicycle
was more than 30 years ago when former
localite Myron Gladstone vowed after
a near-tragic fall never to sit on a bike
saddle again ... But he was destined to
ride one another time when a bike came
hurtling through the window at his jew-
elry store in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands,
and Myron suddenly found himself riding
backwards atop the stray that halted at a
nearby wall Unlike the first time, he
luckily escaped this ride without a scratch
... Myron's wife, Myrna, is the daughter of
hereabouts folks Sid and Sally Pernick.
IF HE GIVES YOU one of his pens
and you don't like the color, tell Morris
Margulies to change it for you from black
to blue or vice versa ... It's Morrie's way
of making sure you'll be happy with his
Marguilies Investments souvenir.
CONGRATS ... To Margaret "Peggy"
Winkleman on her birthday ... To Dimitri
Mitropoulos on his 20th birthday ... To
Mitchell Goldstein on his 60th birthday. ❑

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