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As Cozy As Home

Pasta Fagioli features homemade delicacies in an intimate setting.

I

t is just a small Italian restaurant, but
Fagioli has continued to be one
so very cozy and dependable with the
of those rare restaurants with
mom-and-pop quality that goes with
the ability to adapt to whatever
this kind of little eatery.
palate shifts their customers'
Celebrating its 17th anniversary is a
appetites may at any time
distinct tribute to the goodness of Pasta
encounter ...Yet continuing to
Fagioli at Square Lake Road and Franklin,
remain true to its originally
just east of Telegraph in the Sugar Bush
intended theme of presenting
Plaza, in Bloomfield Township ... The
quality homemade dining pro-
restaurant, owned by husband and wife
ficiency.
Hamad and Janine Kouka, is one where
Pasta Fagioli is big on good
the dedication is to high-quality home-
health presentation ... Gluten-
made Italian fare.
free pasta is available along
Owner Hamad is his own executive chef, with numerous heart-smart options while
responsible for delicious menu items like
still enjoying its excellent Italian selections
his Chicken Ponta Vecchio, lightly breaded that so many loyal customers continue to
breast paired with mushrooms in a light,
appreciate with much love.
lemony sauce ... to lasagna, ravioli and
It is a six-day-a week operation ...
just about every Italian dish one might
Closed Mondays, open Tuesday-Thursday,
imagine ... If not on the menu, Hamad, a
11-9; Friday, 11-10; Saturday, 4-10;
highly talented chef, can probably make it
Sunday, 4-9.
for you.
A liquor license is presently in the pro-
In fact, many customers do rely on
cess of being obtained.
Hamad's cooking abil-
The 17 years of Pasta
ity for development of
Fagioli have been good
their own recipes ... His
to Hamad and Janine ...
kitchen staff at Pasta
with its success a compli-
Fagioli follow his lead in
ment to their gracious
making the creation with
homemade presenta-
pleasure.
tions.
Behind the restaurant
IF HE HAD the
is the creative force that
room at his Big Rock
has made it a success
Chophouse restau-
from the day it opened
rant on Eton Street in
17 years ago as a little
Birmingham, Norm
carryout counter and
LePage would give Reid
Janine and Hamad Kouka
five small tables that
Ashton a big run for
today is a full-fledged restaurant (with-
his money as a huge competitor of Reid's
out the carryout counter) with seating
former Golden Mushroom ... Reid had
for about 50 people ... What Hamad and
the entire downstairs wall covered with
Janine have created is an Italian restaurant awards that the Mushroom had received.
that provides a cozy, warm, intimate atmo-
Norm's latest from Wine Spectator
sphere ... so very perfect for the enjoy-
makes it almost 40 just at Big Rock
ment of any of the flavorful dishes served
Chophouse ... If the awards from all his
at Pasta Fagioli.
restaurant endeavors throughout the years
It is important to know that through-
were added up, they would probably have
out the years, a restaurant such as Pasta
to rent a lot of space at Cobo Hall.

PRIME 29

READER MINI REVIEW
... By Susan Sherbow
"Entering the Knight Cap
restaurant on East Michigan
Avenue, Lansing, is like going
back in time when darkly lit
steakhouses were quietly com-
fortable places featuring prime
steaks. The wine list is full of
high-end choices presented in
a book with the wine bottle
labels as the guide.
"My husband, Mark, could
not resist ordering the gumbo soup that
was spicy and reminiscent of the low-
country food served in New Orleans. The
four of us had steaks: three filets and
a strip steak. The filets were perfectly
cooked as ordered and accompanied by a
small tin cup of bearnaise sauce. The strip
steak was equally well-prepared.
The choice of a potato or vegetable
comes with the meal. We ordered baked
and garlic mashed potatoes. I had a
roasted cauliflower side dish brightened by
a light lemon sauce, and daughter Rachel
ordered the macaroni-and-cheese side that
she said reminded her of Mom's melt-in-
your-mouth cheesy goodness:'
DANDY DINING DEAL ... Baked
whitefish ... 10-12 oz. ... Includes
soup or salad, potato and vegetable ...
$6.95 ... One week only, Thursday, Oct.
17-Thursday, Oct. 24 ... No coupons ...
Siegel's Deli, Maple Road just west of
Haggerty, Commerce Township.
MAKING ROUNDS ... To Sweet
Lorraine's Cafe & Bar, Southfield, for
chicken and shrimp creole ... To Hong
Hua, Farmington Hills, for steamed
prawns with garlic ... To Rhapsody,
Southgate, for Hungarian goulash ... To
Cafe Cortina, Farmington Hills, for gnoc-
chi ... To J. Baldwin's, Clinton Township,
for portobello-stuffed ravioli ... To It's
a Matter of Taste, Commerce Township,
for walleye ... To Rochester Chop House,

Rochester, for jumbo lump crabcakes
To Beverly Hills Grill for eggs Benedict.
NEW BOOK BY localite Jackie Kallen,
Between the Ropes, can be purchased on
Amazon.com ... It covers most of her life
story that the movie Against the Ropes,
starring Meg Ryan as Jackie, left out.
OLDIE BUT GOODIE DEPT. ... A
rabbi was walking home from temple and
saw one of his good friends, a pious and
learned man who could usually best the
rabbi in religious arguments.
The rabbi started walking faster so that
he could catch up to his friend when he
was horrified to see the fellow go into a
Chinese restaurant, not a kosher one.
Standing at the door, he observed his
friend talking to a waiter and gesturing at
the menu. A short time later, the waiter
reappeared carrying a platter full of spare
ribs and shrimp in lobster sauce.
As his friend picked up the chopsticks
and began to eat his food, the rabbi
burst into the restaurant and exclaimed,
"Morris, what is this you are doing? I saw
you come into this restaurant, order this
food and now you are eating it in viola-
tion of everything we are taught about the
dietary laws."
Morris replied, "Rabbi, did you see me
enter this restaurant? The rabbi nodded yes.
"Did you see me order the meal?" Again
the rabbi nodded yes.
'And did you see me eat it?" The rabbi
nodded yes.
"Then, Rabbi, I don't see the problem
here. The entire meal was done under rab-
binical supervision!"
CONGRATS ... To Pamela "Pam" Smith
on her birthday ... To Larry Dictor on
his birthday ... To Gerald Kalman on his
birthday ... To Arnold Tazman on his
90th birthday ... To Stuart and Sharon
Mills on their 50th anniversary.

❑

Danny's email address is

dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net .

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