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Legendary Seafood Name Lives On!

Reborn Joe Muer Seafood has triumphant first year — thanks to another Joe.

T

he additions he wanted helped
transform Joe Muer Seafood from
the legendary restaurant of years
past to the new one that thrives today in
Downtown Detroit's Renaissance Center.
As Joe Muer Seafood celebrates its first
anniversary, it was the golden touch of
Andiamo Restaurant Group founder and
CEO Joe Vicari that brought fine culinary
ideas to keep in step with modern times.
Adding a raw bar and sushi bar, for
instance, accented modernistic differences
to the operation that successfully held sway
on Gratiot Avenue for so many decades.
The name Joe Muer
Seafood is a prominent
one that makes regulars
out of first-time visitors
... But the inside work-
ings brought about by
Joe Vicari has made this
first year one of winning
...
accomplishment.
t
In feting its initial
Joe Vicari
year of success, Joe
Vicari also proved a
point ... Times change, and in bringing
back the name of a legend, it not only
gives people much of what they remember
or have heard about but, at the same time,
also satisfies those who are not familiar
with the treasured history.
In retaining a number of former din-
ing favorites, the new Joe Muer Seafood
keeps many previous customers happy
and thrilled at being able to get those
yesteryears' dishes with comparable exact-
ness ... Yet, at the same time, also being
presented with modern touches that bring
in numerous new items.
With the abundant raw bar, striking
sushi presentation, etc., Joe Vicari con-
firmed that a wise restaurateur will rec-
ognize needs and wants of today coupled
with fresh new culinary strokes.
The presentation of a truly elegant din-

ing experience is captured in
one of America's most beauti-
ful restaurants ... One that
overlooks the Detroit River and
Windsor skyline from a strik-
ingly decorated restaurant with
350 seats in the dining room,
12-seater raw bar, 12 seats at
the sushi bar and 30 stools at a
well-stocked spirits bar.
In its first year, the estimate
is that Joe Muer Seafood has
gone through almost 8,000
pounds of shrimp, about 6,000 pounds of
salmon, more than 3,500 gallons of Boston
clam chowder, Manhattan fish chowder
and lobster bisque, and close to 10,000
pounds of those luscious white beans in
the relish that customers receive at no
charge along with smoked Bluefish pate
and basket of pumpernickel bread, prem-
ises-made ciabatta and lawash flatbreads.
Best sellers are those wonderful Joe
Muer favorites of yesteryears including
the excellent Dover sole, stuffed flounder,
whitefish, etc., plus the very fine seafood
and steak presentations of Jim Oppat,
executive chef of the Andiamo Restaurant
Group.
The most requested item by Joe Muer
Seafood regular customers is the luscious
Lobster Thermidor that it serves regularly
... plus many dining features representing
unique items sent to Joe Muer Seafood
from its 10 seafood suppliers around the
world.
There have been few better than Joe
Muer III and his late brother Chuck Muer
in providing exceptional seafood dining ...
In Joe Muer Seafood, Joe Vicari definitely
follows their traditions of presenting the
finest available sea-faring delights.
In the first year, Joe proved a point to
himself, loyal followers and skeptics ... Oh
yes, there were skeptical people who said
he may not be successful with the new

format... But General Motors
and others had faith in Joe
Vicari's ability and, if the first
year is any indication, it is cer-
tainly paying off big.
NO, I AM NOT in the
delicatessen business ... The
Danny Raskin that works with
his dad, owner Ken Raskin,
at Manny's Deli on Jefferson
Avenue in Chicago, is not a
relation that I know of.

READER'S MINI REVIEW

... From Dennis Silber ..."Debbie and I are
fortunate to have one of our favorite Greek
restaurants located within a few blocks
of our home in Boca Raton, Fla. Taverna
Kyma on Federal Highway has been a reg-
ular for us for several years, comfortable,
reasonably priced and good food.
"We recently started as usual with
tzatziki (yogurt, cucumber, garlic and oil)
on fresh-roasted pita bread and a Greek
salad generously consisting of tomatoes,
onion, pepper and plenty of feta cheese.
On this and other visits, our appetizers
also were lamb ribs, crispy and grilled
calamari, crispy zucchini and ground beef
with fresh herbs.
Our entrees included roasted lamb with
veggies and garlic potatoes, chicken fillet
on a kabob and Lavraki (charcoal-grilled
fresh Bronzini fish). We love the dessert
of Galaktoboureko (honey phyllo filled
with delicious custard). Belly dancers are
on the table tops Friday and Saturday eve-
nings:'
MAKING ROUNDS ... To Bombay
Grill, West Bloomfield, for Tandoori
chicken ... To Cuisine, Detroit, for lobster
ravioli ... To Flamma Grill, Plymouth,
for shrimp bisque and crab cakes ... To
Rocky's of Northville for braised short ribs
with a cognac sauce.
IN MANY WAYS, one of the more
important methods of gauging a res-

taurant is its birthday ... Weathering
economic storms when they occur may
not be the only barometer, but it proves
the ability of a restaurant to keep its head
above water, pay its bills and employees,
and make a few bucks for the owner or
owners.
OLDIE BUT GOODIE Dept ... While
leading the Friday evening services, the
rabbi noticed a member of the congrega-
tion walk in with a St. Bernard dog. The
rabbi, horrified, asked the cantor to take
over the service and went to talk to the
man.
"What are you doing here with a dog?"
asked the rabbi. "The dog came here to
pray:' answered the man. "I don't believe
you," said the rabbi. "You are just fooling
around and that's not a proper thing to do
in a synagogue:'
"It's really true says the member.
"OK' said the rabbi (thinking he would
call the man's bluff), "then show me what
the dog can do:'
"OK," says the gent nodding to the dog.
The dog opens up the barrel under his
neck and removes a yarmulke and a tal-
lis, puts them on and then starts saying
prayers in Hebrew!
The rabbi is so shocked he listens for a
full 15 minutes. When the rabbi regains
his composure, he is so impressed with
the quality of the praying, he says to the
member, "Do you think your dog would
consider going to rabbinical school?" The
fellow, throwing up his hands in disgust
says, "You talk to him, he wants to be a
doctor!"
CONGRATS ... To Paula Goldberg on
her birthday ... To Kathy Anderson on
her birthday ... To Joseph Shulman on his
83rd birthday ... To Robert Jacobs on his
64th birthday ... To Wilbert "Willie" Blake
on his 74th birthday.

❑

Danny's email is dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net .

JOIN US WEDNESDAYS

HALF-OFF
BOTTLES OF WINE

Meet at Joe Vicari's Andiamo Italian Steakhouse in Bloomfield Township
on Wednesdays, for lunch or dinner, and enjoy half-off any bottle of wine
regularly priced under $100. Wine lovers rejoice!

BLOOMFIELD TWP

(248) 865-9300

Happy Hour I Monday-Friday I 3-6 pm
$5 Signature Martinis, $5 Select Appetizers, $5 Wine pours

andiamoitalia.com

1790170

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November 15 • 2012

JN