THE BEST OF EVERYTHING
Italian Success
Loccino takes another's site to great heights.
T
out the "A" and "f" in Alfoccino.
aking over the location of a
The usual Italian dining
former restaurant, whose prices
specialties are among a large
were considered much above the
norm and its location a bit off the beaten variety at Loccino, interspersed
path, may not be looked upon as too wise with seldom-found favorites
like Vitello La Florence (sau-
a decision.
teed veal or chicken in garlic,
But if the takeover is by restaurant
olive oil with mushrooms,
owners whose similar dining operations
plum tomatoes, spinach and
are already labeled as local destination
eating places, that choice may have sound sprinkled cheese ... Its Frutti
Di Mare, $18.95 (shrimp, scal-
reasons of validity.
lops and mussels with spinach,
This was the case with Loccino Italian
diced tomatoes and light lemon
Grill & Bar, Crooks Road, north of 1-75,
cream sauce, tossed with linguine), is
Troy, that opened on the former site of
among numerous, heavily-ordered entrees
Troy Palm restaurant, which, although a
destination eatery in its own right in New ... One, Roman Chicken, $15.95, is an
exclusive presentation, breast marinated a
York, could not cut the needed mustard
couple of days in saffron and onion juice
as a destination restaurant with local
and then barbecued.
masses here.
Soup of the day includes the full-bod-
Loccino Italian Grill celebrated its
ied
clam chowder on weekends, along
second anniversary last October with
with
the daily favorite of Loccino's popu-
the serving of much lighter fare than its
lar,
premises-made
minestrone ... At
site predecessor, more comfortable and
least
five
fish
choices
are featured each
relaxing surroundings ... and prices that
day.
coincided more with today's pocketbooks
Loccino is a seven-
... Where once the cari-
day-a-week
operation,
catures of local personali-
Sunday,
4-9;
Monday-
ties lined the walls at the
Thursday,
11-11;
Friday,
former Troy Palm are now
11-midnight;
Saturday
good-looking contempo-
3-midnight, with dining
rary Italian hangings.
room seating for 160,
This is the third res-
plus
a large bar/lounge
taurant owned by Frank
with
about 16 stools
and Tony Sushtari, both
and
four
booths.
the first male waiters
All
day
Sunday is
at the one-time Mitch's
one
big
Early
Bird
k
Shustari
Tony
and
Fran
Tavern on Cass-Elizabeth
with
selection
from
Lake Road, and each or
seven entrees (N.Y. steak, chicken piccata,
both always at their Loccino ... They also
salmon, etc.), salad, dessert of ice cream,
own the Alfoccino's Italian restaurants on
cannoli or cheese cake, coffee or soft
Grand River and Haggerty in Novi and
drink and house-made flat bread, $15.95
on Opdyke in Auburn Hills ... The name
... The Early Bird as listed, is also avail-
Loccino, in fact, was arrived at by taking
able Monday-Saturday, 4-6,
$15.95.
Lunch includes five
choices of pizza prepared on
Loccino's house-made flat
bread, seven pannini sand-
wiches served with French
fries, and 11 salads ... (all
except an antipasto salad are
also served at dinner).
Frank and Tony Shustari
are a couple of gentlemen
whose restaurant successes
are the result of good dining know-how,
hard, dedicated work and customer satis-
faction ... All prime facets that show as
they continue successfully in the second
anniversary of their Loccino Italian din-
ing venture.
SO MANY GOOD things to talk about
being prepared at Big Rock Chop House,
Eton Street, Birmingham, with the excel-
lent food served there, including continu-
ous raves about a couple of salads ... One,
the house salad no less, a full-size baby
iceberg lettuce with tomatoes and bacon
bits, covered with bleu cheese dressing
and the fine crumpled Maytag bleu cheese
... Also Big Rock's tasty Caprese Salad,
slices of elegant Buffalo Mozzarella and
tomatoes ... You wouldn't expect less from
owner Norm LePage, one of the best res-
taurant operators around.
ADD ANOTHER five star item to the
growing new selections at D'Paulis, Sugar
Tree Plaza, Orchard Lake Road north of
Maple, West Bloomfield ... Its small lake
perch is sauteed in vermouth, lemon
butter and garlic, and accompanied with
soup or salad, artichokes, capers, potato
and vegetable, $13.99.
MAIL DEPT. ... "When I was a server
years back, we had a daily inspection of
hands, nails, hair, collar and shoes ...
Jewelry was not permitted to be worn ...
Today's servers fall far short of that stan-
dard and frequently far short of cleanli-
ness." ... Charles Herman Gould.
ANNUAL PRE-PASSOVER Chinese
Kosher Kafe by kosher caterers Jeff
Rosenberg and Al Kovolenko of A & J
Kosher Catering is Sunday, March 28,
6-8 p.m. at Adat Shalom Synagogue,
Middlebelt between Northwestern and 13
Mile, Farmington Hills ... $20 adults, $10
youngsters 6-12 ... Call (248) 626-5702.
SHE LOVES HER Chinese food, but
no more than the competitive dancing
that stirs her adrenalin ... And another
loving contest comes Dee Shapiro's way
as she again competes in the 10th annual
Michigan Dance Challenge at Hyatt-
Regency in Dearborn ... She will do her
fine terpsi thing in the pro-am compe-
tition on Friday afternoon, March 26,
around 3 p.m., showing her talents in fox
trot, tango, Viennese waltz and quick step
... Saturday evening, 7:30, will be the
professional competition by MDC found-
er and organizer Mark Brock ... Dee and
Monica Del Signore are both instructed
in dancing by Mark ... Monica and
Luciano Del Signore, owners of Bacco
Italian Ristorante in Southfield, are
among the Michigan Dance Competition
sponsors.
Almost 1,000 dancers are expected to
compete for awards in what Dee might
enjoy better than her love for chow mein.
CONGRATS ... To William "Willie"
Stone on his 86th birthday ... To Michael
Hermanoff on his 71th birthday. O
Danny's e-mail address is
dannyraskin@sbcglobalmet.
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March 18 2010
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