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Sammy's Salad Days

Downtown's wondrous Wonder Bar catered to and coddled the celebs.

R

eminiscing about yesteryears at
Sammy Jr. today still has and
Sofferin's Wonder Bar, the
cattle name and many times just a mixed
Sammy Sofferin's Wonder Bar on
greatly cherishes.
first in Michigan to serve a
breed of cattle like Angus and Wagyu,
Washington Boulevard, Detroit,
Numerous entertainers came
strip steak back in the 1930s
with only a part of it actually Wagyu.]
where he worked with dad and brothers
to the Wonder Bar for dinner
and the first in Michigan to
HARD TO BELIEVE that many food
Lee, the dining room manager, and Sammy and would get up on the stage
serve King Crab in the 1940s
suppliers are putting a gasoline sur-
Jr., head of the kitchen, Don Sofferin recalls to do a bit for the customers ...
... Those who attended the
charge on the bill when making normal
his mom and dad, Sammy and Margaret
One time, great country singer
Wonder Bar might remem-
deliveries to restaurants ... Even when
Sofferin, taking off for Hawaii with friend
Eddie Arnold didn't have his
ber the two totem poles that
two or more eateries are just a couple
Manny Rosenthal and stopping at the St.
guitar with
stood majestically on the
of doors away from each other both are
Frances Hotel in San Francisco.
him so a
Wonder Bar floor ... They
charged the same amount per delivery
Danny Raskin
While dining there, Margaret fell in
policeman
once stood proudly at the old ... And some have plenty in a week ... It's
Senior Columnist
love with the salad dressing made by its
who hap-
Powatan Club, from where
not the restaurant owner's problem how
chef ... So much so, says Don, that she
pened to be
the wonderful Powatan Salad the delivery comes to them ... I always
applied for a job in the kitchen and was
at the Wonder
was also acquired.
thought that making normal deliveries
hired ... The first day there Margaret got
Bar that evening said not
WINNER THIS YEAR
to restaurants was part of
the recipe and left so they could con-
to worry and went to a
in Ann Arbor's "Best of"
a food purveyor's cost of
tinue on to Hawaii ... It became the great
nearby pawn shop to get contest category for Best
doing
business.
Eddie Arnold
Powatan dressing of much note.
a guitar for Arnold.
Place to Buy a Sandwich,
BEING AN AMATEUR
Another time,
Don recalls the Wonder Bar's regular
is Bread Basket Deli on
culinary enthusiast is his
remembers Don,
standing ad in the Fisher Theatre maga-
Carpenter Road, Ypsilanti
first love aside from fam-
Sammy Davis Jr.
zine ... All-star entertainers who played at ...Second place went to
ily, but Eugene Friedman
was appearing at the
the Fisher came to dinner "on the house"
Zingerman's on Detroit
also enjoys coming up with
Elmwood Casino in
at the Wonder Bar and had their picture
Street, Ann Arbor ... Owner
other types of ideas ... Like,
Windsor and spent all
taken for the magazine ad ... All, that is,
Al Winkler's ninth location
at one time, having a large
day at the Wonder Bar
but Dana Andrews, who ate like it was his (eight Bread Baskets and
frozen orange that doesn't
before going to work
last supper but refused to have his pic-
one Al's Famous Deli) is
melt for two days instead
Sammy
... One night after his
ture used unless, says Don, he got paid.
expected to open the end of Bread Basket Deli
of fast-melting ice cubes
Davis Jr.
owner Al Win kler
Elmwood gig, Sammy
A time not to be for-
April on Southfield Road,
inside a jar of water ... It
came back to the
gotten was when Don
between 12 and 13 Mile.
was a conversation piece at
Wonder Bar, and at three in the morning,
walked outside and saw
QUESTION & ANSWER DEPT....
wife, Tamara Friedman's Tamara's Health
Don, Sammy Sofferin Jr. and Lee were
it raining heavy torrents "I've heard so much about Kobe beef that & Wellness Spa on Northwestern Highway,
invited to Sammy Davis' marriage to Mae
... A familiar-looking
I paid an arm and a leg for it while in Las Farmington Hills, where her "Eugenya"
Britt at a little unpretentious theater on
gentleman was staying
Vegas and was disappointed that it was
works together with Tamara.
Livernois and Davison, Detroit.
across the street at the
no better than the regular steaks I've had.
CONGRATS ... To Betty Ellias on her
There was the time,
Book-Cadillac Hotel
Why all the fuss? What is Wagyu beef?"
birthday ... To Michael Katzman on his
says Don, that Hank
Bob Hope
and stopped under the
Marvin Gurvis
60th birthday ... To Charna Cook on her
Greenberg came into the
canopy that led into the
[If you had the real-thing Kobe beef,
birthday ... To David and Gertrude Matz
Wonder Bar for Hank's
Book Garage next to the then it probably wasn't cooked properly
on their 60th anniversary ... To Jay Grant
usual steak after hitting
Wonder Bar ... Don recognized the black
... Authentic Kobe is very tender and deli- on his 89th birthday ... (Correction, it's
his 58th home run ...
and white pork pie hat and invited him
cious ...You also might have had Kobe-
Glorianne Pearlman, not Giorianne, on
As a token of thanks for
into the Wonder Bar for a hot cup of cof-
style or American Kobe, which many res- her birthday).
the luscious Wonder Bar
fee ... Bob Hope accepted with the quip, "I taurants serve but leave off the "style" or
A happy and healthy Passover to all!
Hank
meals, he gave Sammy
hope it's better than the one I had at the
"American" ... In order to be called true
Greenberg
Sofferin Sr. his first
Chrysler meeting."
Kobe beef it should always be originally
Danny's e-mail address is
baseman's glove which
So many memories of Sammy
from Kobe, Japan Wagyu is simply the
dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net .

NOVI THEATRE

OFF BROADWAY SERIES

APRIL 13-24

FINALE INTELLECT.,
an oxyrriqprOn7

80

April 14 2011

"Physically daring and
pinpoint comic timing!"

-The Wall Street Journal

APRIL 27-MAY 22

"Four stars **** "

-The Denver Post
& The Toronto Star

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