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A Big Hit
New Big Daddy's in Livonia has them coming back for more.
I
n very rare instances throughout
ally ample time for a restau-
the history of restaurants, using the
rant to get its act together...
previous name of a highly success-
New Big Daddy's Greek eatery
ful local eatery with a slight addition
is one of them ... Recognition
has seldom brought winning results ...
was not easy after opening
Such an attempt, for instance, was that of but, thankfully, its staying
Darbys years ago when the addition of an power was allowed because of
apostrophe was necessary and it opened
financial stability.
and closed as Darby's.
Owner John Kaounas is a
By adding the "New" in front of Big
highly successful business-
Daddy's, the popular Greek title was
man whose venture into the
able to be used in the opening of New
restaurant business was only
Big Daddy's on Victor Parkway, between
by chance ... A change in his
Seven and Eight Mile roads (just off the
partnership left him running the restau-
1-275 freeway), Livonia.
rant with no experience ... As it did with
But there usually is a catch ... The
tire tycoon Carl Rosenfeld years back
name alone rarely is enough ... The food
with the Grand River Chop House that
and service have to be on par or above
became the hugely successful Carl's Chop
that as before ...
House.
Careful attention to
New Big
very pleasant decor
Daddy's is a case
surroundings is also
where keen busi-
important.
ness knowledge
That doubt has
took a tight hold
been erased in the
and Kaounas sur-
case of New Big
rounded himself
Daddy's ... Its begin-
with people who
ning was slow and
did have the res-
simply a "try me"
taurant experience
Manager Dimitri Syros, Owner John
when opening ...
... And also the
Kaounas and Executive Chef George
Much has changed
smarts of giving
Golematis
dramatically and it
the absolute finest
has become a go-back-to destination
in high-quality food at reasonable prices.
place for Greek cuisine.
A Greek restaurant should have a
In many instances, six months is usu-
Greek executive chef ... This New Big
LNG HU4
INE CHINESE DINING
'A wonder ul adventure in fine dining" - Danny Raskin
Daddy's does in George
"Giorgio" Golematis ... His
general manager, Rex Mortas,
former Olympia restaurant
owner in Greektown, Detroit,
and manager, Dimitri Syros,
former Dimitri's of Southfield
owner, each have Greek res-
taurant ownership ... Servers
include Yianni Sakellaris,
whose parents Bobby and
Alexandra Sakellaris owned
Bobby's Country House, etc.
As a result, New Big Daddy's has
become a cherished byword for good
desired Greek dining.
It is a beautiful restaurant that does
not depend on looks alone to be success-
ful ... and the double kitchen with its
gleaming steel backsplashes and modern
equipment is a lesson in cleanliness.
Not many places in this region can
boast the goodness of New Big Daddy's
lamb chops, moussaka, pastitsio, Big
Daddy's salad, charbroiled octopus, lamb
reganato, roasted lamb, Rosa Marina, etc.
Good Greek restaurants like New Big
Daddy's have truly prepared items like
lavraki-branzino (whole whitefish),
chicken meatballs, taramosalata (Greek
caviar) and fried zucchini with garlic dip.
Hours are seven days a week ...
Sunday-Thursday, 11-10, Friday-
Saturday 11-11 ... Seating is for 170
in the open expanse dining room of
tables and booths, and 35 in the cocktail
lounge.
Experience in the restaurant business
is many times important, but experience
coupled with keen business smarts like
that of New Big Daddy's is hard to beat.
MORE RECOGNITION is being
received for the delicious house-made
mandelbrot and chock-full-of-goodness
strudel, hand-crafted by owners Leo
Stotland and Natan Sologub at their new
Cafe Rendezvous around the northeast
bend (former Yossi's Israeli eatery) of
Robins Nest shopping strip, Orchard
Lake Road, just north of 14 Mile, West
Bloomfield ... Open daily until 3 p.m.
Those fluffy omelets being served
at Cafe Rendezvous are as Leo used to
make while with the late Mike Kuchersky
at his Sunrise Cafe spots.
DANDY DINING DEAL ... One half
roasted chicken, prepared and cooked at
Siegel's Delicatessen, 15 Mile, just west of
Haggerty, Commerce Township ... $6.95
... including soup or salad, potato and
vegetable ... One week only, Thursday,
Jan. 17, through Thursday, Jan. 24.
LONGEST TENURE of the wait
persons at Mario's Italian Restaurant,
Second Boulevard, Detroit, goes to Nabil
-
Open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner
Catering and carryout available
Gift certificates
27925 Orchard Lake Rd., North of 12 Mile, Farmington Hills
248-489-2280
www.honghuafinedining.com
1802540
40
January 17 • 2013
JN
El-Al, who soon celebrates his 43rd year
... Much-experienced Nabil goes back
to the days of cringing when a customer
called over Mario's late former owner,
Mario Lelli, and asked him to do the
ordering ... Looking at the tab, many
wide-eyed, double-taking customers
would shockingly disbelieve the large
total.
CO OWNER OF THE highly success-
ful and much talked-about Steven Lelli's
Inn on the Green Italian restaurant,
Mark Zarkin, also has other dreams he
hopes come true ... He has never forgot-
ten his days in the 1980s when he made
pizzas, barbecued ribs and chicken, etc.,
at Checker Bar-B-Q in Oak Park's Lincoln
Center.
He owns its name and secret recipes,
and cherishes ambitious future plans to
someday also open a Checker Bar-B-Q
carryout.
WHERE THEY ARE DEPT. ... Ron
Forman, longtime local deli gent, is
operator of the delicatessen setup at
Richard Steinik's Detroit Bagel Factory
on Middlebelt and Seven Mile Road,
Livonia.
TEMPLE SHIR SHALOM'S chair-
persons for its Third Annual Chicken
Soup Cookoff are Terry Cooper, Rebecca
Bershad and Debbie Emmer ... Date is
Sunday, Jan. 27, at The Corners, Walnut
Lake Road, east of Orchard Lake Road,
West Bloomfield ... Judge's winners
in the professional division last year
were Matzah Ball, Steve's Deli; Chicken
Noodle, Tony's Deli; Creative, Zoup.
OLDIE BUT GOODIE DEPT. ... A
woman was visiting friends in Florida
when she saw a little old man rocking
merrily away on his front porch ... He
had a lovely smile on his face, and she
just had to go over to him ... "I couldn't
help noticing how happy you look ... I
would love to know your secret for a long
and happy life.
"I smoke four packs of cigarettes a day,
drink five bottles of Scotch whiskey a
week, eat lots and lots of fatty food and I
never, I mean never, exercise," he said.
"Why, that's absolutely amazing. I've
never heard anything like this before.
How old are you?
"I'm 26:' he replied.
CONGRATS ... To Robert Levy on
his birthday ... To Adrienne Lenhoff on
her birthday ... To Cathy Ciccone on
her birthday ... To Monica Fabio on her
birthday ... To Fonda Schwartz on her
birthday ... To Hanna Linden on her
96th birthday.
-
❑
Danny's email address is
dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net.