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The Taste Of Success
High quality is key as the new London Chop House celebrates its first anniversary.
W
hen opening a new restaurant
top-quality food.
using an old, cherished name,
Today's London Chop House
looking back at the old ways is
celebrates its first anniversary
helpful when it also predicts how good the
with eyes that look ahead, not
operation might be today.
behind ... The rearview mirror
A case in fact is the new restaurant with
seems to have been replaced
the reborn London Chop House name,
by a shiny look into the future.
which, contrary to the original predictions
There is still some room for
of some, is still alive to celebrate its first
improvement ... There almost
anniversary.
always is in the beginning ...
The dining portions may be a bit smaller
and to their credit, the owners
than those of its predecessors, but the high
know this ... Portion size will
quality is still there, which is so important if improve, and quality will never
an upscale restaurant is to succeed.
suffer.
The London Chop House of yesteryears
In today's world, lesser portions, like
had a remarkable history ... A legend the
lighter dining, do hold an added purpose
present owners are smart enough to realize
for many, and pricing for such must be
is very difficult to duplicate.
reflected in this feature.
This is why the family-member owners,
It usually takes more than a year for a
Maria and Nico Gatzaros, Adrian Gatzaros, good restaurant to realize firm footing ...
and Ellena and Christos Moisidies, and
especially a fine-dining one that follows a
their very competent general manager,
treasured legend.
Bjorn Lagerfeldt,
In its first
are implementing
year, London
their own ideas,
Chop House
too, in constant
has seen more
efforts to obtain
than 65,000
and retain cus-
people, with
tomer satisfaction.
almost 12,000
Those people
pounds of steak
who prefer high
ordered, plus
quality over larger
around 3,000
plate portions will
pounds of sea-
At the London Chop House: Bjorn Lagerfeldt,
enjoy the more
food, in excess
general manager, co-owners Adrian Gatzaros,
modern presenta-
of 1,000 gallons
tions and creativity Maria Gatzaros, Nico Gatzaros, Ellena Gatzaros of soup, etc.
Moisidies and Christos Moisidies.
of today's London
Best sellers
Chop House, locat-
on the menu
ed downstairs in the same Murphy Building include a delicious and excellently pre-
(now called Murphy-Telegraph Building)
pared 14-ounce Wagyu beef New York
on Congress, Detroit.
strip steak and horseradish braised beef
This is not, by any means, to say that the
short ribs ... Dover sole stuffed with
previous owners of the name didn't have the crab is not on the menu, but requested
same originality in their day ... It is simply
and served ... Also, of course, the noted
Pancho Burger on the lunch menu from
to emphasize that the present London Chop
LHC's original recipe.
House has not defaulted on the all-impor-
tant dining preparation and presentation of
Dinner classics like the veal chop Oscar
PRIME 29
with asparagus and lump crab
continue to be served as a
memento of yesteryears.
Seating in the elegantly
furnished dark-wood paneled
room is for 122, with 18 stools
at the since-day-one long bar
that, like the room's dining area,
holds many stories, and a cigar
bar the next flight up that com-
fortably seats another 20.
Live entertainment and danc-
ing is Tuesday-Saturday ... with
weekly dining and wining hours Monday-
Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday 11 a.m.-
11 p.m.; and Saturday, 5 p.m.-11 p.m.
Yesterday is gone ... Today is here ...
and London Chop House stands tall among
those restaurants in the Detroit area open
to welcome folks back to enjoy its dining
resurgence.
READER MINI REVIEW ... From Jim
Lemire ... "We recently had the pleasure
of dining at Magdaleno's, an Italian res-
taurant on Dix between Southfield Road
and Outer Drive in Lincoln Park. My wife,
Denise Samuels, and I were joined by Tom
McGuire and Mary Lemire of Huntington
Woods, and Roy and Robin Rosen of
Franklin.
"Magdaleno's hits a grand slam in both
taste and low pricing ... The owner/chef
serves new creations and those he learned
while at Bacco restaurant in Southfield.
"From the moment you sit down, freshly
made crostini and white bean dip is
served. We then began with the calamari
appetizer, flavorful and lightly breaded,
served with thin strips of baby zucchini.
"Entrees include choice of salad or soup
and all but two pasta noodles are made
fresh daily. One guest enjoyed the seafood
pasta that included delicious scallops,
shrimp, mussels and clams, and a delicious
marinara sauce.
"I had the special, which that evening
was fresh wild-caught pickerel, pan-seared
with fresh herbs and white wine. Another
in our party had the luscious roasted and
full-flavored penne ala sorrentina pasta
with baby eggplant and mozzarella. Pasta
dishes run from about $10-$15.
"Along with many veal dishes, chicken
and eggplant entrees, revolving specials
include fresh perch and a large pan-fried
veal chop served with an arugula and
tomato garnish. It proved too difficult to
pass up our standout desserts of lemon,
peach and coconut sorbets in frozen,
hollowed-out fruit"
DANDY DINING DEAL ... 10 12 ounce
whitefish, prepared as you want, broiled,
baked, etc. ... Includes soup or salad, pota-
to or rice, vegetable and bread basket ...
$7.95 ... One week only, Thursday, July 18,
through Wednesday, July 24 ... Georges
Restaurant, Northwestern Highway, West
Bloomfield.
OLDIE BUT GOODIE DEPT. ... A fel-
low asked his wife what she wanted for
their wedding anniversary ... "Would you
like a new diamond bracelet?" he asks ...
"Not really:' she says.
"Well, how about a Cadillac sports car?"
he asks ... "No:' she replies ... "What
about a holiday home in the south of
France?" he suggests ... She again rejects
his offer with a "No thanks:'
"Well, what would you like for your
anniversary?" he asks ... "I'd like a
divorce answers the woman ... "Oy, I
wasn't planning to spend that much:' he
says.
CONGRATS ... To Martin "Marty"
Rosenbaum on his 75th birthday ... To
Morris "Morry" Wexler on his 88th birth-
day ... To Jan Haskell on her birthday ...
To David Blatt on his birthday ... To Jo
Thompson on her birthday ... To Simone
Vitale on his birthday ... To David Wexler
on his birthday ... To Dr. Abe and Sylvia
Pearlman on their 73rd anniversary.
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❑
Danny's email is dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net.
Opeffablecorir
Diners' Choice
WINNER 2013
• SEAFOOD • COCKTAILS
NOW OPEN AT 2PM
Enjoy Some NEW SPRING DISHES
1.,,- 1
Voted 5 Stars for BEST PATIO SCENE!
52
FOR RESERVATIONS I 248.73.PRIME (77463) I prime29steakhouse.com
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July 18 • 2013
JN
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1 1
6545 Orchard Lake Rd. West Bloomfield, MI 48322
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