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A Good 01' Buddy

For 66 years, Buddy's has served scrumptious, innovative pizzas ... and more.

I

f all the pizza pies made and sold dur-
and vice-president of Buddy's
ing its existence were laid end to end,
operations, Wes Pikula, has
it is not inconceivable that they would
year-after-year come up
extend almost halfway around the world.
with dynamic customer-
This amazing statistic for a small local
favorite new pizzas and steady
chain that is celebrating its 66th anniver-
improvements including
sary is astounding ... and maybe even
square gluten-free pizza, multi-
more so that in those years, developing
grain crust for pizza, varia-
new styles of pizza has been a nonstop
tions, pizza with fat-free moz-
practice.
zarella cheese, etc., plus the fact
Since the original Buddy's Pizza opened
that guests may modify their
in 1946 on the corner of Six Mile and
pizza and salads to personal
Conant in Detroit, and is still very much
taste and switches made like
there, it is estimated that almost 50 mil-
Buddy's original pizza sauce supplanted by
lion pizzas have entered the stomachs
a tomato basil sauce that can also be sub-
of more than 56 million customers in
stituted for the meat or marinara sauce on
Buddy's world of pub-
Buddy's pasta dishes.
lic pizza consumption.
Not to mention the
The Buddy's story
constant additions
has been chronicled
for steady consump-
many times ... About
tion of more than
originally being a
just pizza items
blind pig since 1936
... like bestsellers
and then in 1946
spinach lasagna,
coming out with a
cheese lasagna, meat
Sicilian pizza with
ravioli, cheese ravioli,
choice of only six
mostaccioli, spaghetti,
Robert Jacobs, Buddy's owner,
toppings, and the
macaroni and cheese,
and Wes Pikula, vice president of
former tavern being
chicken parmesan,
operations.
renamed as Buddy's
Robby burgers made
Rendezvous and
from ground chuck
Buddy's Restaurant Pizzeria.
with steak trimmings, the new addition
Today, 66 years later, that meager begin- of Piedmontese beef burgers, etc. with a
ning is one of six full-service restaurants
seemingly never-ending flow of innovative
and three take-out operations owned by
items. It has become much more than just
Robert Jacobs, who took over when his
another pizza establishment ... Although
father, Billy Jacobs, passed on and his
pizza is still its main theme item, the
mother, Shirlee Jacobs, moved to Florida
Buddy's sit-down restaurants of today are
... and Robert has done a masterful job
also very much thought of as family full-
continuing to amass those staggering
service dining operations.
numbers ... More than 30 million pounds
That it has continued to be highly proud
of cheese, over 20 million pounds of pep-
of its local scene is shown on its walls that
peroni, in excess of 15 million pounds of
are filled with photographs of Detroit yes-
flour, more than a half-million gallons of
teryears ... Like electric streetcars, horse-
soup, etc.
drawn streetcars, J.L. Hudson, Kern's, Sams
It is noteworthy too that throughout
Cut Rate, Briggs Stadium, etc. ... Specialty
the years, Robert Jacob's right-hand man
pizzas are named after the Great Lakes

LETANDIAMO NOVI MAKE

and Motor City landmarks,
etc.
Back in 1946, when soup
was ordered at Buddy's
Rendezvous, there was just
one, minestrone ... The same
minestrone with slight embel-
lishments that today is still a
big delicious favorite, but now
also accompanied by yummy
broccoli, chunky vegetable,
chicken, etc.
In 66 years, Buddy's
•
Restaurant Pizzeria has amassed unlim-
ited amounts of dining raves ... Its honors
are many, including TV's Food Network
naming Buddy's as having one of the five
best pizzas in America.
Pizza may be the backbone of Buddy's
... and rightfully so ... but it must never
be forgotten that there are also many
items on the menu to satisfy the palate
... Because of this, Buddy's Restaurant
Pizzeria has also received many accolades
for informal eating experiences in becom-
ing a highly esteemed legend of national
repute.
NEWLY REVAMPED interior of
upscale Middle Eastern Phoenicia
Restaurant on Old Woodward,
Birmingham now gives the soft look of
a small elegant New York dining favorite
... Seating has gone from 74 to 91 ...
Also a bar with almost double seating to
14 stools, and new outdoor seating for
another 12 ... The new look is quite a
light-years difference from Phoenicia's
Highland Park days.
GOOD WAITRESS DEPT. ... Marcy
Dean, whose beautiful smile is always an
important part of her customer experiences
at Clawson Steak House, Rochester Road,
Clawson ... Pleasant attentiveness and
efficiency are also major attributes that also
bring smiles to the faces of her diners.
QUESTION & ANSWER DEPT. ...
"Did you ever go to Samuel's Restaurant in

the Eastern Market? ... Bertha Kalish
[I sure did ... And loved the home-
cooked food at Samuel's Brothers
It
wasn't much to look at but had lip-smack-
ing goodness for judges, showbiz person-
alities, sports figures, etc. who didn't look
for atmosphere (signs were all over the
walls) and didn't mind the cafeteria din-
ing].
MAKING ROUNDS ... To Ginopolis'
Bar-B-Q Smokehouse, 12 Mile,
Farmington Hills, for lemon-garlic
chicken ... To Detroit Seafood Market,
Randolph, Detroit, for seafood platter ...
To Fishbones, Northwestern Highway,
Southfield, for jambalaya ... To Mario's,
Second Boulevard, Detroit, for veal piccata
... To La Dolce Vita, Woodward, Detroit,
for linguine with clams and mussels
... To Mene Sushi, Orchard Lake Road,
West Bloomfield, for shrimp and veg-
etable tempura •... TO Lily's Seafood Grill,
Washington, Royal Oak, for crab cakes.
MAIL DEPT. ... "A real "heimish"
[cozy, warm] deli in Las Vegas is Harry's
Bagelmania on East Twain in a neigh-
borhood strip center on the corner of
Swinton, a continuation of Sands Road,
a few blocks east of the Strip. Great food,
large portions, friendly people." ... Arnie
Lantor
OLDIE BUT GOODIE DEPT. ... "You
say the unwritten law would have justi-
fied it if you had killed Mr. Schwartz even
though you had pulled a gun on him," said
the judge. "Yet you did not fire. Why?"
"Well, judge," said Mr. Goldstein, "when
I pointed my pistol at him, he said, 'How
much do you want for that gun?' I ask you,
judge, how could I kill a man when he was
talking business?"
CONGRATS DEPT. ... To Pam Voohees
on her birthday ... To Martin Gaynor
on his 60th birthday ... To Harvey and
Maxine Gold on their 18th anniversary.

Danny's email is dannyraskin@sbcglobai.net .

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August 2 • 2012

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