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Living Up To Its Name
Steven Lelli's on the Green follows in a great family tradition.
A
blend of the old and new with
modernistic touches might be a
more apropos description on its
second anniversary.
It took two years to prove something ...
When it opened, many folks had said, "OK,
they've got the name; now let's see if they've
got the game
This isn't just another use of a great
name... It belongs to one of the two part-
ners, whose grandparents, Nerio and Irene
Lelli, owned the original Italian favorite on
Woodward, Detroit.
Steven Lelli's Inn on the Green, Golf
Pointe Boulevard, off 12 Mile Road, between
Halsted and Haggerty, Farmington Hills, has
proven something important.
That it also can absolutely stand on its
own two feet.
This restaurant by Mark Zarkin, onetime
regular customer on Woodward with wife,
Fran, now, too, his "Mrs. Everything" at the
restaurant, and Steven Lelli, has definitely
achieved ultimate spots in the world of
Italian cuisine.
Where Nerio's restaurant was three
rooms of quaint coziness, Steven Lelli's on
the Green's main dining room is a striking
look of New York elegance with five lavish
chandeliers, black-padded booths and table
chairs, red velvet drapes, recessed red-light-
ed ceiling squares, black linen table cloths
Mark Zarkin,
flambes Bananas
Fosteeableside.
over white linen, white linen
napkins, etc.
Continuing a celebrated
restaurant name of longstand-
ing is difficult ... Its memories
would demand nothing but the
best, with a measurement of
almost perfection ... Being just
fine is not enough ... It must
be very good.
Steven Lelli's Inn has attained
this along with modernistic
touches like Dover Sole deboned
tableside, Mark flambeing
Bananas Foster and Cherries Jubilee, etc.
When it opened two years ago, Steven
Lelli's Inn may have had two strikes against it
... Low economic conditions and "show me"
attitudes demanded so much ... Mark and
Steve's rough road has, in time, resulted in
absolute smooth sailing ... Reviewing a new
restaurant before would not do justice ... A
legendary name like Lelli's demanded much
more honorable respect.
The two-year report card is in ... Steven
Lelli's Inn on the Green has more than
weathered any unpredictable storm ... and
gone far beyond it.
Executive Chef Chris Merritt, sous chef at
the former Lelli's on Woodward, was execu-
tive chef at Lelli's in Auburn Hills, before
coming to Steven Lelli's Inn on the Green.
Delicious Garlic Reggiano Rolls by Chef
Merritt are superb breadbasket starters
(stuffed with garlic, butter and reggiano
cheese).
Lelli's traditional, 100 percent vegetarian,
minestrone soup with wonderful taste and
ideal consistency is duplicated ... along with
being popularly available without cream ...
Excellent spaghetti sauce is prepared with
100 percent beef tenderloin, and items like
Shrimp Lelli, Veal Lelli, among many huge
favorites, are also reproduced.
Lelli's on Woodward had employees with
character ... Steven Lelli's Inn on the Green
has waitperson Fawzy "Doc" Mekheel who
graduated medical school in Cairo, Egypt ...
Louie Petropoulos, a busperson
since 15 years old on Woodward
and then Auburn Hills, is a
Steven Lelli's server assistant at
age 60 ... Max Igol, who takes
food orders in Yiddish, if neces-
sary, is a certified optician, etc.
Important requests at Steven
Lelli's Inn are for one of two
prices on meals ... Wishes
for lighter dinners comprise
minestrone soup or Salad Lelli,
entree, Potato Lelli and vegetable
... Complete meals are an addi-
tional $10 and include the full six courses of
antipasto tray, entree, minestrone soup, Salad
Lelli, Spaghetti Bolognese and spumoni or
lemon ice ... Also the potato and vegetable.
In its two years, about 350,000 people have
consumed around 85,000 pounds of prime
filet, over 5,500 pounds of veal, about 7,500
pounds of sea bass, same for salmon, almost
8,000 gallons of minestrone soup, etc.
Best sellers are the outstanding filets, egg-
plant parmesan, Chicken Lelli, traditional
veal dishes, Chateaubriand excellently pre-
pared tableside and numerous other items.
Steven Lelli's Inn hours are Monday-
Thursday, 11-10; Friday, 11-11; Saturday,
4-11; and Sunday 4-9 ... Seating in the din-
ing room is 150, including 30 in the elegant
bar lounge plus 14 stools at the bar ...
Beautiful and spacious outdoor seating for
100 is on an upper outdoor terrace and 100
more on a lower patio.
Few restaurants serve chicken livers,
especially like those at Stephen Lelli's, sau-
teed with wild mushrooms and Madeira
wine ... Customers who regularly ask for
items like duck porcini or ragu, and others
not listed on the menu, are in most cases
accommodated.
Steven Lelli's Inn on the Green has passed
a very stringent test ... Coupling the exalted
Lelli's name with complete dining satisfac-
tion like yesteryears was no easy task ...
Mark and Steve have worked hard to make it
so, and in many ways even better.
THREE ALL YOU CAN EAT different-
day dining choices from 5 p.m. are featured
at MGM Grand Detroit's Palette Studio
restaurant ... Monday, Pasta Night ($28),
Wednesday, Seafood Night, including King
Crab Legs,($39), Thursday, Prime Rib and
Shrimp Night ($32).
DANDY DINING DEAL ... Eggplant
Parmesan ... Includes soup or salad, potato
or rice, $6.95, one week only, Thursday, April
4 through Thursday, April 11 ... Georges,
Northwestern Highway, West Bloomfield.
ONE OF THE MORE knowledgeable
steak, fish, etc., local chefs has joined the
Andiamo dining team ... Travis Waynick
is the new executive chef at Joe Vicari's
Andiamo Italian Steakhouse, Telegraph
and 15 Mile, Bloomfield Hills ... Travis was
corporate chef of the former Matt Prentice
Restaurant Group.
GOOD SERVER DEPT. ... When she isn't
graciously rushing about to keep her custom-
ers happy, efficient Mia Fawkes at Mon Jin
Lau, E. Maple and Stephenson, Troy, brings
their orders with polite grace while flashing
her toothpaste-ad smile ... Big reasons why
Mia is so wanted at the popular pan-Asian
restaurant.
OLDIE BUT GOODIE DEPT. ... Two
fellows are on a lake when their boat starts
sinking. Joe says to Paul, "I have a problem.
You know I don't swim very weir
Paul remembers from his lifeguard class
years ago and begins pulling Joe to safety.
Finally, just 100 feet from land, Paul asks
Joe, "So Joe, do you suppose you could float
alone?"
Joe replies, "Paul, this is a hell of a time to
be asking for money!"
CONGRATS ... To Morris "Bud" Sherbow
on his 88th birthday ... To Sue Maniloff on
her birthday ... To Rochelle Grandon on
her birthday ... To Marvin Slof on his 85th
birthday ... To Ed Radner on his 78th birth-
day.
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Danny's email address is
dannyraskingsbcglobalmet.
DISCOVER ANDIAMO'S
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FOR RESERVATIONS CALL (248) 865-9300
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April 4 • 2013