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June Giveaway
6 Person V.I.P. PASS Go Wild!
V.I.P. Pass includes the Drive-Thru Safari, Walk-thru Safari,
Educational Animal Show, Rig Race, Camel Rides and one free
cup of food. 6 people at any age. *
267 S Lightner Rd.
Port Clinton, Ohio 43452
419.732.3606
last month's winner
' -'4"ATfriev
irlquirS171in.
WILDLIFE PARK
Brenda of West Bloomfield won
Six Person V.I.P. Pass to the African Safari Wildlife Park
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Thread.
36 June 20151
RED THREAD
Village Bar And Grille
By Esther Allweiss Ingber
Tf at first you don't succeed ...
People traveling through
Lathrup Village may recall the
Coffee Beanery, formerly housed in
a painted brick building on the west
side of Southfield Road, north of 11
Mile. The business was already gone
a couple of years when Salvatore
Scallopini moved in last fall.
Larry Bongiovanni's growing
group of restaurants, beginning with
the original Salvatore Scallopini in
1982, includes popular outposts in
Birmingham and elsewhere. Now
he's opened Luxe Bar & Grill in Bir-
mingham and Grosse Pointe Farms.
When his classic Italian trattoria
didn't catch on in Lathrup Village,
management was forced to put on
its collective thinking cap. The result
is today's Village Bar and Grille (short-
hand: Village Grille), a contempo-
rary, American-style restaurant that
reflects Salvatore Scallopini's quality
standards. Several healthy options
are included on a short but tempting
menu.
Bringing the right concept to the
location is satisfying new customers.
Village Grille stands out like an oasis
on a long stretch of road with few
dining options.
The Birmingham-based Ron and
Roman architecture and design firm
brought natural colors and a sense
of nostalgia to Village Grille's cozy
dining room and vestibule. Tables
and booths, some with cafe curtains,
have comfortable padded seats. A
handful of guests can sit at the black
marble corner bar. Bright green
faux topiary in different shapes and
portraits of old-time movie stars like
James Dean add visual interest on an
encircling high shelf.
Guests are welcome to enjoy the
fleeting outdoor season on the res-
taurant's enclosed patio, seating 30.
A surround-sound music system, also
heard indoors, adds to the relaxation.
Village Grille General Manager
Jason Johnson and Executive Chef
LaDarrius Rouseau have been with
the Salvatore Scallopini organization
for about 20 years. Their combined
experience shows in the restaurant's
gracious service and delicious fare.
"Our burgers, the grilled cheese-
and-tomato soup combo and
Brussels Sprouts Salad are the most
popular items,"Johnson said.
Whoever proclaimed that diners
have moved on from sauteed Brus-
sels sprouts to other veggies really
I
Green Apple Salad
needs to order Village Bar's scrump-
tious version. It's one of 10 menu
items listed under"Starts."The Brus-
sels Sprouts Salad I've so enjoyed
is composed of crisp-fried Brussels
sprout leaves, chopped Romaine let-
tuce, green beans, blue cheese, dried
cherries, sliced red onion and roasted
pumpkin seeds, topped off with a
light maple vinaigrette dressing.
Another favorite of mine is Green
Apple Salad. Marinated and grilled
chicken pieces top long strands of
tart Granny Smith apples, plus cilan-
tro, red onion and frisee. Village Grille
lists six salads, and not one of them
has an "average" preparation.
Juicy burgers in various treatments
are served on brioche buns along
with chopped lettuce, pickles and
house sauce. Reuben-style corned
beef and Cajun chicken are two of
the sandwich choices.
Village Grille's combo of grilled
cheese sandwich and tomato soup
suits an adult palate. The thick and
satisfying tomato soup includes bits
of tomato, onion and celery and
flecks of basil. The delicious sandwich
combines three different melted
cheeses, arugula and red onion on
multi-grain bread.
Casual American bistro food is
offered at both lunch and dinner,
including fish and chips, chicken
Parmesan and barbecued ribs. Three
pasta dishes and a filet served with
zip sauce are available at dinner
only. I'm interested in trying the side
dish of garlic-arugula potatoes on
another visit.
Village Grille shakes things up with
a soup, chicken and salmon of the
day. During "happy hours"— 3-6
p.m. and 10 p.m.-midnight daily —
"we offer 40-cent chicken wings with
six different sauce options and $2
domestic bottled beer,"Johnson said.
Another specialty of the house is the
all-day $5 martini.
For anyone with a sweet tooth,
Johnson recommended getting "our
mini-cheesecake and chocolate cake
with chocolate frosting. They are our
signature desserts"
VILLAGE BAR AND GRILLE
27411 Southfield Road
Lathrup Village, MI 48076
(248) 327-7000
www.villagebarandgrille.com
$$1/2 out of $$$$