arts & life

th e b e s t o f
eve r y t h i n g

One Of The Great Hotels

The Townsend and its Rugby Grille set the local standard of excellence.

N

ot since the days of Detroit’s
Book-Cadillac Hotel with its
Book Casino, Motor Bar, etc., or
Pontchartrain Hotel, where folks young
and old ate at Club Mediterranean and Top
of the Ponch, has a hotel created as much
top-drawer commotion or received so much
high acclaim.

his fine staff … The continued
restaurants, vendors, caterers
upgraded appearances and sur-
and Jewish organizations …
rounding service amenities have
Tours of the Eastern Market,
been remarkable.
among other fun seeing-
SOMEBODY MUST HAVE
and-doing things, have been
slipped a Mickey into Joe Vicari’s
planned … Also knishes by
water when he set the din-
Zingerman’s of Ann Arbor,
ner price of the VIP package
healthy living tips from car-
Both the Book and Pontch had their
to see Sophia Loren, who he is
diac Dr. Joel Kahn, music,
heydays way back when, and those exalted
bringing to the Detroit Opera
etc. (See page 16 for a related
Danny Raskin
honors would today certainly go to the
House, Wednesday, Sept. 14 …
story.)
Senior Columnist
Townsend Hotel, Birmingham, celebrating
Appetizer, soup or salad, choice
MAIL DEPT. … from Matt
its 28th anniversary together with its very
of six entrees and dessert at any
Prentice …“Only two years
fine Rugby Grille of continuous distinction
Andiamo restaurant before the show …
and, in 2018, I will be legally free and defi-
… Its national awards and worldwide rec-
plus theater seating in the first 20 rows …
nitely plan to be back as before. I plan to
ognition are well-documented with yearly
Total package price is $150 per person …
begin with catering and then take it as it
acclaim.
Sophia Loren show tickets alone at the box
comes, hopefully as before. In the mean-
Rugby Grille has received the 2016 Award office are $144 … A complete Andiamo
time, I am working as a foodservice director
of Excellence, given to only 1,093 restau-
dinner for just $6 … That is not a mistake!
for Detroit Charity-Cass Community Social
rants in the entire world … And to just 11
… Get your VIP dinner package tickets by
Services. I feed as many as 30,000 in winter
eateries in Michigan … by Wine Spectator
calling any of the nine Andiamo eateries or
months alone at five different campuses.
lifestyle magazine.
stopping in.
“My job is like a real-life version of the
Back to those great Detroit hotels of yes-
MANY PEOPLE ARE thrilled at hav-
Food Network’s Chopped in that our donors
teryears, there were so many others, too,
ing discovered that Golden Phoenix,
and, with the help of Gleaners, provide me
like Hotel St. Regis on Grand Boulevard,
Orchard Lake Road, north of 15 Mile,
with a daily ‘mystery basket’ that my team
where General Motors bigwigs and show
Sugar Tree Square, is much more than just
and I transform into nutritious fresh meals.
business celebrities appearing at the Fisher
a good neighborhood Asian restaurant …
I enjoy it so much that I hope to maintain
Theatre would stay sur-
Its Cantonese dishes are
my position even after I go back to ‘for
rounded by much pomp
superb, but so is the fine
profit’ in 2018.”
… Or the Hotel Statler and
Thai selection, also avail-
WHEN HE ATTENDED Mumford High
its Terrace Room, where
able at lunch and dinner …
School, Jerry Bruckheimer, no doubt, never
people like Xavier Cugat,
The additional Cantonese
dreamed that one day he would become
Carmen Cavallaro, etc.,
and Thai items by own-
one of Hollywood’s highest paid and most
played for lunch crowds
ers Ava and Art Fung, as
prestigious film producers (Beverly Hills
every Saturday.
well as their charmingly
Cop, Pirates of the Caribbean, Top Gun,
But few compare with the
friendly personalities, have
etc.) … He is among the notables like jazz
double-headed existence
welcomed numerous new
guitarist/composer Earl Klugh, U.S. District
of the Townsend Hotel
faces among the many seek- Judge Paul Borman, screenwriter Bruce
and its excellent Rugby
ers of good “down-home”
Joel Rubin, movie producer Robert Shaye
Grille … Much of this can
Asian dishes … Regular and (co-founder of New Line Cinema), and so
certainly be attributed to
gluten-free.
many, many more who attended Mumford
the presence of Managing
THE FIRST MICHIGAN High … Mumford’s 1956 graduating class
Director Steven Kalczynski,
Jewish Food Festival,
holds its 60th reunion this Saturday, Aug.
who came on board just
Sunday, Aug. 28, at Eastern
13, 6 p.m., at Knollwood Country Club,
Steven Kalczynski
four years ago in 2012 and
Market, Detroit, will include West Maple Road, West Bloomfield … One

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Honoring All Competitors Specials (bring in ad)

$16.99 LB.

Exp. 9/30/16

5.00 OFF All Trays

(One coupon per order)
CORK & RYE LIQUOR

Exp. 9/30/16

32418 Northwestern Hwy., Farmington Hills

248-862-5747

Sat and Sun

M-Thurs 10a-10p; F-Sat 10a-12mid; Sun 11a-8p
Visit us at CorkandRye.com

Exp. 9/30/16

Lunch Delivery Available

82 August 11 • 2016

Wine Tasting Every Thursday
5pm-8pm

$

REG. $9.99 LB

Buy One Get One ½ OFF

Danny’s email address is dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net.

Custom Specialty Trays made upon request.

VIENNA HOT DOGS
OR SOFT SALAMI

Deli Sandwiches and Shawarma

*

Shiva Trays, Dairy Trays, Deli Trays,
Candy & Nut Trays, Fruit Trays,

REG. $21.99 LB.

$6.99 LB.

never knows who will be there … Might
still be room for you … Call Susan (Klinger)
Radner, (248) 669-0889.
OLDIE BUT GOODIE … Fellow in a
Yugo pulls up at a stoplight next to a Rolls-
Royce. “Hey, buddy, that’s a nice car. Don’t I
see you at Al’s Gas Station? Have you got a
fridge in it?”
The Rolls man says, “Yes, I have a refrig-
erator.”
The driver of the Yugo goes on, “That’s
great! Listen, have you got a TV in there? I
got one right next to me.”
The Rolls owner, looking very annoyed
by now says, “Sure, I go to Al’s and, of
course, I have a television. A Rolls-Royce is
the finest luxury car in the world!”
“Say,” persists the Yugo owner, “have you
got a bed in your car? I have one in the back
of mine!”
Upset, the Rolls owner sped away,
straight to the dealer and demanded that a
bed be installed in the back of the car. The
next morning, he picked up his car, with
a bed in it, and went to Al’s Gas Station
searching for the Yugo. He found it late in
the afternoon parked with all its windows
fogged from the inside. He knocked on the
Yugo, and finally the Yugo owner stuck his
head out, soaking wet.
“I now have a bed in the back of my
Rolls-Royce,” the driver of the Rolls stated
arrogantly.
“Holy cow!” complained the Yugo man.
“You got me out of the shower to tell me
that!”
CONGRATS … To Dee Shapiro on her
birthday … To Morris Margolis on his
birthday … To Monni Must on her birthday
… To Gary Tringale on his birthday … To
Mark Grant on his birthday … To Bob and
Elaine Wander on their 62nd anniver-
sary.

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