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Burger Bliss
Hunter House celebrates 60 years of slider success.
W
hen a restaurant reaches its
and carryout, certainly a whop-
60th anniversary and has
ping number but small in com-
achieved a high ranking, the
parison to the big reputation it
tendency would be natural for it to sort of
has garnered in that time.
lie back a little and rest on the lofty laurels
Over 3 million pounds of
it has attained.
onions, more than 6 million
Honors that include being listed nation- pounds of hamburger meat,
ally by TV's Food Network as having
over 500,000 gallons of pickles,
Michigan's No. 1 burger and by the Wall
almost 10 million slices of
Street Journal as one of the best burgers in cheese.
America, etc.
Other than the burgers,
Opened in 1952, Hunter House
fondly known as "those great
Hamburgers on Woodward in
Hunter House sliders:' beef
Birmingham celebrates its momentous
smashed thin with grilled
60-year anniversary.
onions served on a soft steamed bun and
Originally built and owned by Don
chewed with careful ecstasy, shoestring
Ellenwood, who erected the little build-
fries sell so fast the HH employees yearn
ing with his own
for another pair
hands, did his
of arms ... And
own digging and
those yummy
laid his own tile,
milkshakes, so
it was later sold
deliciously frosty
to Jerry McCarthy
and thick they can
who in turn
almost be served
sold it to Al and
upside down.
Martha Papazian
It is worth men-
... Hunter House
tioning that food
currently still
The Hunter House in Birmingham
for preparation at
seats only 30 at
Hunter House is
the counter plus a couple of two-tops in a
never frozen or reheated ... and the meat
small 900-foot structure.
is delivered daily, most admirable things
Al is retired, and daughter Susan Cobb
that cannot be said for all restaurants.
today runs the entire Hunter House opera-
HH is mainly noted for its burgers or
tion where burgers are king and queen.
sliders but also serves Hebrew National
Requests are very rarely turned down
hot dogs, coney dogs, grilled cheese sand-
... Years ago, a little girl named Claire
wiches, chili fries, cheese fries, soups, etc.
said she didn't eat meat and asked about
One never knows who he or she may be
getting a cheeseburger without meat ...
sitting next to on a Hunter House stool ...
A strange request then but not so from a
Automotive heads, newspaper and maga-
very young child ... She is now around 29
zine editors and writers, radio and TV
years old and comes in for the vegetarian
personalities, show biz biggies (especially
burger of only grilled onions and cheese
those who grew up in Detroit and know its
... no meat ... called a Claire Burger.
reputation), rock bands and their crews,
It is estimated that in 60 years Hunter
sports figures, judges, etc.
House has sold more than 5 million slider
Hunter House is open seven days a week
hamburgers (1,500 weekly), both dine-in
... Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m.;
Friday-Saturday 8 a.m. to
midnight; Sunday 11 a.m.-9
p.m. ... Breakfast Monday-
Saturday ends at 10:45 a.m.
Catering also from a mobile
diner able to cook 60 burg-
ers every two minutes within
its own kitchen refrigerators,
grill and fryers, for parties,
corporate lunches, etc.
In 60 years, Hunter House
has made a memorable mark
on the taste buds of millions
who cherish a pride by saying,
"It's our very own!"
READER MINI REVIEW ... By
Susan Sherbow ... "When we entered
the Silver Spoon recently, tucked away
in a strip mall on North Rochester Road
just north of Tienken in Rochester Hills,
it was quickly understandable why that
is the name. Silver spoons of all sizes
and shapes dangle from the ceiling, and
silver spoon also denotes upper class,
which this restaurant certainly is and not
expensive.
"We enjoyed the prosciutto, capicollo
and salame mortadella accompanied by
premium Italian cheese to provide a wide
variety of flavor pairings that preceded
our entrees, which were wonderful. The
gnocchi was light and the four-cheese
sauce creamy without being heavy. My
fresh pappardelle was smothered in a
light Italian cream sauce pureed with five
varieties of mushrooms that provided a
very pleasing earthy flavor.
"One of our favorite entrees was the
Braciola di Vitello, rolled veal medallions
stuffed with pancetta, parsley, garlic and
Romano cheese in a tomato sauce. The
veal was tender and the blend of ingredi-
ents rolled inside made every bite delec-
table. We could definitely understand why
the Silver Spoon has been on the list of
best new restaurants."
,424, ?I
Danny's email is dannyraskin@sbcglobalmet
TRIBUTE SERIES
4
86/4
CONEY ISLAND HOT dogs gotten
years ago were with meat that was not all
beef ... Many of today's are the same ...
And getting one with all-beef meat is not
very usual ... Some places that now use
kosher all-beef hot dogs are not too adept
at making a good coney island hottie.
Village Coney Island in the Adams
Square Building on S. Adams, south of
15 Mile, Birmingham, is among the good
ones ... Its coney dogs made with kosher
all-beef meat rank among the best that
can be gotten anywhere.
SIXTH ANNUAL Michigan-Florida
Golf Classic and Reunion Dinner, held
recently at the Boca Lago Country Club in
Boca Raton, was an all-day event attended
by around 200 snowbirds and former
Detroit residents.
Mort Plotnik, former executive director
of the Jewish Community Center in West
Bloomfield, was chairman of the affair
with a committee of 20, including its co-
chairs Leonard Baron and Geta Richman
... Dennis Silber and his Florida Golf
Association, with its membership of
more than 80,000 golfers, assisted in
coordinating the event... The team of
Morey Wexler, age 88, with Harvey Raimi,
Norman Cohen and Jack Rubin, won top
honors in the scrabble shotgun match.
Special recognition was given to
Bernice Garen and Robert Feldman and
Lauren and Marvin Daitch for their work
on behalf of the JCC ... and proceeds
support the JCC Day Camp and its Sarah
and Irving Pitt Child Development Center.
CONGRATS ... To Roslyn Katzman on
her birthday ... To Marilyn Cohen on her
65th birthday ... To Nancy Kwaselow on
her birthday ... To Harvey Goodman on
his 70th birthday ... To Diana Bogorad
on her 89th birthday ... To Don Cohen on
his birthday. ❑
•
A TRIBUTE TO HIS BROTHER FRANKIEVALLI& THE JERSEY BOYS
APRIL 29
42705 GRAND RIVER AVE.
NOVI, MI 48375
248-348-3838
andiamoitalia
68
April 5 • 2012
Bobby Valli sings a tribute to his brother Frankie Valli & the Jersey Boys. Featuring
special guest, Bette Midler tribute live from Las Vegas.
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