arts & life

the b e s t o f
e ve r y t h i n g

Serving a Dream

Original Italian recipes make Osteria 222 a dining destination.

A

mong his main determinations in
life was to someday own his own
Italian restaurant … Another was
to have a menu that would contain many
dishes of his own creation.
After stays as manager at Gary Tringale’s
Joey’s on Jefferson, Geralino’s Pizza and
Tringale’s New York Deli … and stints at La
Dolce Vita and Benno’s, owner Dean Cicala
has finalized those goals with his opening
two years ago of Osteria 222 on Michigan
Avenue, between Military and Howard in
downtown Dearborn, former site of Bistro
222.
This quality dining experience, featur-
ing Italian and Sicilian regional cuisine,
is like an exclusive restaurant with dishes
seldom or never seen on other Italian
menus … Most of the dishes on Osteria
222’s menu are from Dean’s own recipes …
Some may have the same name, but Dean’s
have a different taste and look and are all
homemade … Dishes like Tagliatwelle
Bosco, hand-rolled, homemade with sau-
sage, tomato cream sauce and truffle oil …
Or best-sellers like the 8-ounce grass-fed
filet with Yukon Gold mashed potatoes,
eggplant, spinach, mushrooms and a beef
sauce … chicken lasagna with handmade
pasta, roasted chicken, fresh
mozzarella, tomatoes, white
sauce and pecorino romano
… persico croccante, pan-
sauteed lake perch with
Yukon Gold potatoes, green
beans, tomatoes, carrots,
cauliflower and lemon
cream sauce.
It is noteworthy that all
meat, poultry and fish at
Osteria 222 are from local
farms in Michigan and
Dean Cicala
Indiana … Dean and his

staff make all the soups (corn
Joe Muer Seafood on the
chowder is prepared with fresh
Northwest Side, like Detroit’s
corn on the cob), dressings,
fine eatery at Renaissance
stocks and desserts in-house
Center, Detroit.
… All pastas are prepared to
“Thanks for telling us about
order.
Joe Muer opening a second
Osteria 222 is also the
restaurant closer to home. I
favorite of many top brass offi-
cried with joy because it is my
cials at Ford Motor Company
favorite restaurant,” Melanie
Danny Raskin
in Dearborn … along with
Berman … “Wonderful res-
numerous sports stars who can Senior Columnist
taurant. Joe will do great on
be found there regularly.
the Northwest Side,” Mickey
Live jazz music is featured every
Shapiro … “I am excited to hear it will be
Saturday evening from 7-10 p.m. … Beer,
in the old Northern Lakes location,” Alan
wine and alcoholic drinks are amply avail-
Borsen … “Close by for great seafood!” Al
able.
Holtz … “Wonderful!” Dr. Michael Salter
Osteria 222 is a six-day operation …
… “Thanks to Joe Vicari, Dorothy and
Monday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. lunch
I will now be able to get to a Joe Muer
… Monday-Saturday, 5-10 p.m. dinner …
Seafood restaurant whenever we come to
Seating in the main dining room is for 60
visit the hometown,” Sam Essick, California
… An office space above the restaurant
… “It will be terrific in the suburbs!” Dr.
has been renovated for banquet seating to
Alan Silverman … “You write that it will
accommodate 100 guests.
be like the one in Detroit? If so, it will also
Ethnic restaurants for the most part usu- be fantastic!” Russi Arden … “Another
ally stay among the dishes of their culture
Joe Muer Seafood restaurant? Wowee, it
… It is unusual when one deviates from
has always been my favorite!” Joe Cornell,
the culinary course of its homeland and
California … “What a great move! Only
goes down its own path.
a fine restaurateur like Joe Vicari would
Osteria 222 is the different kind of
think of this. His Andiamo restaurants and
Italian restaurant that so
Joe Muer seafood in Detroit are wonder-
many may have heard
ful!” Jerry Naftaly, author and former Oak
about but never been to
Park mayor… “Joe Vicari certainly has a
… Dean Cicala’s ambition
fine string of high-quality restaurants with
has made it that type of
Andiamo and Joe Muer Seafood places,
operation, and those who
and Northern Oakland County residents
have been there enjoy its
will now love having a second Joe Muer.”
diversified styles of Italian
Susan Sherbow … “I ate a lot of Joe Muer
dining.
Seafood to lose 250 pounds and still do to
MAIL DEPT. … The
keep it off. After you wrote a column of a
outpouring of email keeps
second one soon coming to this area, I am
coming in following the
even more excited!” Ida Nemzin.
recent column on Joe
MAKING ROUNDS DEPT. … To
Vicari opening a second
Bacco, Southfield, for hand-rolled pasta …

To Tom’s Oyster Bar, Royal Oak, for oven-
roasted sea bass … To Steve & Rocky’s,
Novi, for pan-seared sea scallops.
IF THEY HAD A JEWISH MOTHER
Dept. … To Moses, “That’s a good story!
Now tell me where you’ve been for the last
40 years!”
2,500 MILES FROM here, but in a
small world, a shock of almost 50 years
came when Joe Cornell, former local dance
master and dance school owner, living in
Thousand Oaks, Calif., was sent to a sleep
study doctor … When introduced to the
doctor as Joseph Coronella and finding that
both were from the Southfield/Oak Park
area, Joe asked the doc if he had ever heard
of Joe Cornell … “Sure, he was emcee at
my bar mitzvah. And I worked for him
after school in the 12th grade.” … The
surprise came when Joe told Dr. Ronald
Popper that he was that same Joe Cornell
… Yes, 50 years might make quite a differ-
ence in one’s looks.
OLDIE BUT GOODIE DEPT. … Sidney
wanted desperately to get into the very pri-
vate synagogue sanctuary on Yom Kippur,
but without a ticket he was absolutely not
allowed to enter. Sidney pleaded heavily
that he wanted to give a message to Morris.
The man at the door politely said,
“Sorry, sir, but you must have a ticket.”
Sidney begged, “Please let me in for just
one minute. I promise you I will be right
out.”
“All right,” says the man at the door, “but
I better not catch you praying!”
CONGRATS … To Mark Zarkin on his
birthday … To Wendy Flusty on her birth-
day … To Pam Smith on her birthday …
To Marvin Talan on his 90th birthday.

*

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

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