metro >> dining around the d

Toma's Salad Shoes

M

y new favorite place for a
mouth" Big Tommy
"girlfriends' lunch" is Toma's
said. "This way,
Salad Shop in Southfield,
you can enjoy
where sharing a salad makes sense for
a mouthful of
saving calories and cash.
flavor in every
We were pleasantly surprised when
bite"
we saw the menu's seemingly endless
As he stated,
array of options, including greens and
"You can eat the
salad ingredients, premium protein top-
same salad all
month long and it
pings, 10 flavored cooking sauces and
more than 30 different salad dressings.
won't taste the same,
Nine salads are listed but everything
if you change the sauce
about them is changeable, or go ahead
or dressing"
and "Create Your Own Salad" as the
On my initial visit, a friend and I split
heading states. Salads, sand-
Toma's Chicken Salad Pita,
wiches, stir-fries, soups,
tasty with almonds, cranber-
tortilla wraps, appetizers
ries and raisins. The tuna pita
and $4.99 kids' meals are
is also good. We also shared
available 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
a small Bahama Mama Salad
daily except Sunday.
($6.99), the Troy shop's best
Toma's is actually three
seller. Create-your-own-salad
salads-oriented diners
is No. 1 in Southfield.
founded by Greek-American
"I know my salads look
Tom "Big Tommy"
good when you get them" said
Raspoptsis, a Coney Island
Big Tommy, and that certainly
Esther
restaurant veteran.
applied to our coconut-topped
Allweiss
"We could do more res-
salad platter. We ordered it
Ingber
taurants" said Big Tommy,
pretty much as described,
Contributing
with spring mix (Toma's blend
who has six sons with wife
Writer
Cathy. He might even fran-
of six lettuces), almonds, wal-
chise someday, but only "if
nuts, sunflower seeds, pecans,
people want to do it correctly"
dried cherries, dried cranberries, rai-
Cathy Raspoptsis runs the original
sins, pineapple and mandarin oranges.
location at 8539 Grand River Ave. in
Strawberry Balsamic dressing
Brighton — while Big Tommy and
enhanced our salad, although Spinach
nephew Dmitri Makris helm the newest
Greek is the most popular. Big Tommy
Toma's (since May) at 91 E. Long Lake
adds different items to his Greek dress-
Road near Livernois in Troy.
ing base for some varieties. Becca,
Thomas "Tommy" and Anthony
Chelsey or another server will bring as
"Tony" Raspoptsis, Big Tommy's sons,
many dressings as desired in full-sized
and their aunt Maria Raspoptsis are in
bottles.
charge of the Toma's Salad Shop open
Another time I got ground beef, a
since Jan. 12 in Southfield. It's tucked
premium topping, sauteed in Sweet Red
beside Burlington Coat Factory on the
Chili sauce for my Fiesta Salad. I loved
east side of Southfield Road at 121/2
this combination.
Mile.
My mother-in-law and I have shared
For decor, the walls of a dingy for-
a delicious Oriental Salad while my hus-
mer Coney Island restaurant were
band savored Buffalo Chicken Salad, an
painted in bright blocks of red, orange,
appropriately spicy special. Big Tommy
purple, blue, yellow and green. Booths
takes pride in his quality chicken, never
with "fake grill lines"
and tableware are different colors.
Industrial-style, diamond-point stainless
Salad fixings can be prepared as a stir
adds more sparkle on formerly wooden
fry with choice of rice or rotini pasta, or
surfaces, such as at the order counter.
try one of the suggested stir fries.
The Raspoptsis patriarch had a per-
Hey, everybody! Through Aug. 7, any-
sonal reason for opening salad-themed
one coming by with an original copy of
restaurants.
this article can claim a free small salad,
"I used to weigh 450 pounds," said Big minus premium toppings. Big Tommy is
Tommy, who's now 200 pounds lighter.
certain you'll want to return.
"The only way to lose weight was eating
better food"
Tomars Salad Shop
29728 Southfield Road
Toma's Salad Shop gets frequent deliv-
Southfield, MI 48076
eries of fresh vegetables from the down-
(248) 569-5900
town Eastern Market.
www.tonnassaladshop.webs.com
Salads are served chopped-style "so
$$ out of $$$$$
that every bite fits perfectly into your

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July 24 • 2014

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