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Italian Goodies To Drive For!

Giovanni's Ristorante a fave of celebs including Tony Bennett and 01' Blue Eyes.

A

long with many who continu-
operation.
ally deem it one of their favorite
Few Italian restaurants can
Italian restaurants, numer-
boast of dishes like Olinda
ous show business and sports celebrities
Special that includes shrimp,
appearing in the Detroit area are known
scallops and artichokes
to frequent a restaurant that Frank Sinatra
marinated in pesto pomo-
once called his "Jewel of Gems" and Tony
doro and served over house-
Bennett remarked about his mouth water-
made linguine, or Ravioli Di
ing just thinking about it.
Edine, colored ravioli with
This is Giovanni's Ristorante on South
Boursin cheese and tomato
Oakwood Boulevard (west of Fort) in Detroit
stuffing, topped with grilled
... The unique destination restaurant has
chicken and asparagus in a
been receiving plaudits from customers since white wine cream sauce; or
1968 for its extraordinary Italian cuisine.
Manicotti Verde Pomodori,
Owned today by Frances Truant and her thin sheets of spinach filled with ricotta,
son Randy, Giovanni's traditional Italian
mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, among
favorites have brought this time-honored
its 15 excellent pasta dishes.
eating delight many awards for its culinary
The elegant veal dishes are prepared
goodness and gracious presentations ...
with Provimi meat that brings out a very
House-made pasta dishes like Lasagna Al
charming taste ... Italian dining restau-
Forno and Bistecca al Calamari Fritti, are
rants are plentiful but not that many can
dishes for which peo-
boast of a true San Marino
ple travel far to enjoy
goodness from Pasta
along with numerous
Fagioli soup to hearty and
favorites.
traditional "Old Italy"
The house-made
dishes.
pasta gives a cer-
Hours of operation
tain complement to
are six days weekly
Giovanni's excellent
... Tuesday-Thursday,
lasagna, cappel-
11-9; Friday 11-10, and
Giovanni's Ristorante
letti, cannelloni, etc. ...
Saturday, 4-11 ... Seating
along with personal beloved selections.
is for 100 in a soft, gracious surrounding
Seating capacity at Giovanni's today
plus another four bar stools.
is indicative of its huge success, but like
Dining at Giovanni's is more than just
many restaurants starting out, the original
lifting the fork, spoon and knife ... It is,
going was difficult, beginning strictly as a
without much doubt, a very high quality
little carryout-only pizza parlor ... Things
choice of Italian dining adventure.
picked up a bit when the little original din-
READER MINI REVIEW ... From
ing room was enlarged and a liquor license Robert "Bob" Moreillon ... "Recently,
finally received years later ... Then came
my wife, Gloria, and I dined at the pro-
the name change from Giovanni's Pizza
fusely honored Lark restaurant in West
Parlor to Giovanni's Italian Ristorante as
Bloomfield. Jim Lark was not at the door
family portraits and antiques continued to
as he used to always be. I understand that
be graciously displayed throughout.
foot problems restrict him from being
Each day, Giovanni's makes its own
there every night. His attractive and effer-
pizza dough, pastas, breads, soups, etc., in
vescent free-spirit daughter Adrian runs
the true Italian tradition of a family dining
the restaurant when he can't make it.

"We were given the choice of
a patio menu or the sumptuous
five-course regular dinner menu.
We chose the patio menu, which
features a la carte items, including
the main entrees from the larger
menu. This means that you can
enjoy the celebrated Lark quality
at personal choice and cost.
"Our squash soup was won-
derful, and the Wood-Grilled
Sea Bass with peekytoe crab,
stuffed zucchini blossoms, saf-
fron custard flan and tarragon
pesto was delicious, although diminutive.
With one martini and two glasses of char-
donnay, two desserts and excellent coffee,
the cost was under $200, considered a find
for the Lark quality and ambience.
"It was a refreshing treat in this classic
and secluded estate house, far from the
maddening freeway and business district."
DANDY DINING DEAL ... Gourmet
Selection, 10 oz. Steak Diane, thinly-sliced
tenderloin, mushroom brandy sauce ...
One week only at this price, $8.95 ...
Thursday, Oct. 4, through Thursday, Oct.
11 ... Includes soup or salad, cottage fries
or baked potato ... Georges, Northwestern
Highway, West Bloomfield,
NO MORE PULLING out his Excalibur
restaurant logo brass block given to Bill
Briggs at the former Southfield popular
dining spot's opening in the 1970s ... "I'm
tired of seeing the Excalibur insignia!"
moaned Peter Ginopolis, co-owner with
brother Johnny at the formerly named
Ginopolis on the Grill, now renamed
Ginopolis Smokehouse and Bar-B-Q on 12
Mile and Middlebelt, Farmington Hills, as
he handed him one made with Ginopolis'
logo on the other side.
GOOD SERVER DEPT. ... When many
customers say, "We want you" to wait
on us after entering the Golden Phoenix
Chinese restaurant in Sugar Tree Plaza on
Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield, they

are referring to Yan Yu, whose smiling
efficiency shows experience that is appre-
ciated by many.
THE SCENE WAS Tam-O-Shanter
Country Club in West Bloomfield where
guests included Isiah Thomas and Bill
Laimbeer, whose Detroit Pistons was the
bar mitzvah theme ... A tipsy gent tried
to palm the "basketball" he saw and soon
discovered orange icing all over his face
and clothing from the cake that looked like
a large NBA basketball.
Aug. 27, 1993, was the first event where
Cappuccino Man Elliot Lewkow served the
350 guests espresso drinks as they entered
the dessert room.
Now celebrating the 19th anniversary of
Cappuccino Man, Elliot and wife, Gayle, can
look to the growth that today is 10 hand-craft-
ed rolling wagon beauties about 4-feet-high
by 6-feet-wide, each adorned by an umbrella
... They are designed to mimic an Italian
espresso cart seen on the Piazza in Rome.
From the one-cart beginning, Elliot has
served more than a half-million drinks
that include 90,000 cappuccinos, more
than 120,000 lattes, around 50,000 Capman
Frappes and more than 100,000 smoothies
... Plus espressos, chai tea lattes, hot choco-
lates and hot vanilla ... More than 3,600
events that include 450 bar and bat mitz-
vahs, 900 graduation parties, 1,800 business
events including the 2005 Super Bowl at
Ford Field, Ford's 100th anniversary party
with Beyonce performing, Detroit's 300th
anniversary, etc.
So the next time you see a Cappuccino
Man cart, look in wonderment at a true
mark of success.
CONGRATS ... To Denise Dunn on her
birthday ... To Dino Mitropoulos on his
birthday ... To Harold "Hutch" Bobroff on
his 90th birthday ... To Marion Grant on
her 87th birthday ... To Sam and Dorothy
Essick on their 64th anniversary. [II

Danny's email is dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net .

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