TH BEST OF EVERYTHING

Laid-Back Elegance

Rugby Grille strikes a perfect, delicious balance.

I

main room seating only 42
As a result, Rugby Grille
n this day and age when informal
persons, and serves food seven
continues preparing and serv-
dining has more or less taken center
days a week, 6:30 to midnight
ing its fine tableside dishes of
stage, a still-elegant restaurant is cel-
... Its bar stays open until 2
ebrating its 22nd anniversary continuing its Dover Sole, Caesar Salad, Steak
a.m.
on Friday and Saturday
fine ways ... but integrating them into what Tartare, etc. ... Both the Caesar
nights
... Another 48 are seat-
Salad and Steak Tartare are
can be considered the best of two worlds
ed
in
the
gallery lounge-like
prepared from scratch in tradi-
... both formal and informal dining.
hall
area,
which is also consid-
tional wooden bowls.
This in no small measure is due to the
ered
as
part
of Rugby Grille.
More than 33/4 million peo-
presence of Peter Wilde, managing direc-
The
main
dining room is a
ple have dined at Rugby Grille
tor of the Townsend Hotel in which Rugby
Danny Raskin
thing
of
beauty,
with marble-
since it opened on June 1, 1988
Grille is located, on Townsend Street,
Senior Columnist
inlaid
wooden
tables,
dark
... Of this number, the wait
Birmingham ... and Keith Schofield,
cherry
wood
doors
and
walls,
staffs have filleted in excess
Townsend's director of restaurant opera-
etched
frosted
glass,
framed
of 125,000 orders of Dover
tions.
pictures and a five-stool bar.
Sole tableside and prepared Caesar Salads
Very good, solid and respected restau-
"Our menu is a continuously evolving
tableside
for
over
100,000
guests.
rants such as Rugby Grille need a like
work:'
says Schofield. "It's significantly
The
excellent
lunch
and
dinner
menus
person heading it ... He must be very effi-
different
now than it was 10, five and even
continue
to
include
kitchen
choice
selec-
cient, highly trained in ethics, amiable and
one
year
ago.
Being a small venue, we can
tions
of
many
wanted
dishes,
including
with much dining know-how.
afford
the
opportunity
for a leisurely, civi-
even
a
standard
8-ounce
This pretty much sums up
lized
dining
experience.
Consequently, we
certified
Angus
cheese-
Keith, who left Kalamazoo
define
ourselves
qualitatively
rather than
burger
with
fries
or
fresh
College when 20 years old to
quantitatively
(there
are
no
1
billion
any-
fruit,
$12
at
lunch,
$14
at
wash dishes and climb the
thing
served
here):'
dinner
...
The
popular
ladder while working for Phil
The degree of culinary excellence in
Rugby Burger with an
and Dorothy Markowitz 14
an
atmosphere of sheer elegance always
egg
sunny-side
up,
aged
years at Embers Delicatessen
makes
dining at Rugby Grille, a truly most
cheddar
cheese,
bacon,
in Bloomfield Township
memorable
experience.
chimichurri
sauce,
pickled
... Then came his open-
GOURMET
PIZZA operation by
shallots,
tomato
jam
and
ing of Deli Unique in West
Luciano
Del
Signore,
owner-chef of
reggiano
fries
is
$18
at
Bloomfield for Matt Prentice
Bacco
Italian
Ristorante,
Northwestern,
both
lunch
and
dinner
...
and operating five other
Southfield,
will
soon
open
... Pizzeria
And
pasta
lovers
go
gaga
properties as senior manag-
Keith Schofield
Bigga
takes
over
the
closed
nearby Il Posto
at
dinner
over
the
Lobster
ing partner 21 years for Matt's
site
on
Franklin.
Tagliatelle,
house-made
pasta,
Maine
previously named Unique Restaurant
ANOTHER WAY TO cook and serve
Lobster, mascarpone cream, leek, black
Corporation.
salmon
may take a place among favor-
truffles
and
lobster
essence,
$28
...
petite,
With tableside dining hopefully on an
ite
preparations
like grilled, poached,
$20
...
At
lunch
the
Lobster
Tagliatelle
is
upswing surge, some places that have had
baked, smoked, blackened, broiled, etc.
$18, and Rugby Grille's Angus chopped
this onetime status symbol of fine dining
... It's another new addition to the menu
are oiling their formerly many-times-used sirloin sandwich with choice of cheese on
at
RJ's American Grille, Northwestern,
a
toasted
brioche
roll
and
french
fries
or
carts with eager anticipation.
Farmington Hills ... The taste and consis-
Not so with Rugby Grille ... Its tableside fresh fruit salad is $12.
tency of Rotisserie Salmon easily puts it
Rugby Grille is not a large place, the
carts have never stopped being lubricated.

Kosher Catering Available

PICNICS, ERA

among the top preparations and cannot be
gotten at too many places other than RJ's
unless they have a basket rotisserie ... It
gives the salmon a great taste plus evenly
being cooked within and on all sides.
MAKING ROUNDS ... To Hill Seafood
and Chop House, Kercheval, Grosse Pointe
Farms, for broiled Lake Superior whitefish
with white wine glaze.
GERM KILLER in action! ... Jim Hiller
wastes no time in making the change fol-
lowing his discovery that the sanitation
wipes to clean cart handles were at the
inside door AFTER customers got their
carts ... Now there are two sanitation
wipes at Hiller's Market on Orchard Lake
Road, West Bloomfield ... BEFORE tak-
ing a cart and the same one as previously
when entering the market.
SHE'S THE Bird Lady of West
Bloomfield ... The feathered flyers love her
... And why not? ... Who else feeds them
date and nut cake she buys just for them
from Diamond Bakery? ... Who else gives
them pieces of bread spread with peanut
butter? ... No wonder the birds are finding
their way to Marilyn and Avery Warnick's
Home.
And she doesn't just restrict her giving
godliness to birds ... Marilyn has visits
twice a day to hers and hubby, Avery's
abode from a cat who comes regularly
for the delicious delicacies she tops with
gravy ... And the cat is now bringing its
offspring, too ... Yes, Marilyn even finds
time to feed Avery.
CONGRATS ... To Stuart and Nancy
Wilhelm on their 50th anniversary ... To
Jeffrey and Sharon Diskin on their 25th
anniversary. El

Danny's e-mail is dannyraskin®sbcglobal.net .

710 N PAR 1111Qs

CHOOSE FROM 4 UNIQUE BBQ PACKAGES.FRESH GRILLED ON SITE

$1

Nova Lox & Eggs Plate;

SUPER
BREAKFAST
FOR TWO

Includes;

• Smoked Lox &
White Fish salad
Of Tuna salad plate
• Scrambled Eggs
*2 Bagels with
Cream Cheese
I
Vege,table slices,
!i nions
1 ff C r -uc
!' at.:;:i;e c: 1

With purchase
of 2 beverages
Daily brunch 1 0 Am - 2 Pm

I

PROFESSIONAL WAITSTAFF

r.

Dine in Only

exp 6115/10

$15

DELI DINNER ii $
FOR TWO ,. , t

EXP 6115/10

1

32418 Northwestern Hwy. • between M ddiebeit & 14 Mile • 248,855-9463 •

Free

• Salsa and chips •
• Homemade Brownie •
• Napkins, plates and
serving wear •

CATERING OF
: : ANY PARTY
OF 50 OR MORE

INCLUDES: CHOICE OF MEAT, HOMEMADE' :
CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP, POTATO SALAD : ;

OR COLE SLAW AND DESSERT,

0 OFF

9

1

Cannot be combined with any other
exp 6/15/10

ORDER 04'L/!IE

offer

www.VineyardDeli.com

June 3 • 2010

41