7
raskin 5
th
an
the best of everything
niversary
A West Side
Story of Success
Danny Raskin
Senior Columnist
Andiamo
Bloomfi eld
celebrates
20th year.
ABOVE: Rocky Mastrati, general
manager, Chef Bill Hall, Joe Vicari.
The west side location had
been brought to Joe Vicari’s
attention by real estate gent
Howard Schwartz … Joe’s
friends Graham and Sally Orley
and Dr. Leonard and Eleanor
Aronovitz, among many others,
told him that the former site of
Machus Red Fox, on Telegraph
and 15 Mile, Bloomfield
Township , was a terrific loca-
tion,
Joe was sold … and in July of
1997 opened his first Andiamo
restaurant on the west side …
following the flagship Andiamo
Italia in Warren and another in
Grosse Pointe.
In Andiamo Bloomfield’s first
year, the Detroit Red Wings had
won the Stanley Cup, and their
owner Mike Ilitch brought the
cup to Joe’s latest restaurant …
also telling him what a wonder-
ful location it was.
Celebrating its 20th anniver-
sary, Andiamo Bloomfield has
certainly come a long way from
those Machus Red Fox days …
The only things that may still
remain are the four walls and
perhaps a few ceiling beams …
An unforgettable major renova-
tion was performed by Joe …
and, each year, various décor
changes are made to continual-
ly give a look of total freshness.
Many of the dishes today
reflect the goodness of
Andiamo dining … Andiamo
Bloomfield Executive Chef Bill
Hall follows very capably in
the exalted footsteps of Joe’s
N OT T I N G H I L L
of W EST B LOOMFIELD
R edefining E xcellence
in Rehabilitation and Skilled Care
Notting Hill of West Bloomfield offers
both short-term rehabilitation and skilled
care for residents in a serene setting while
receiving unsurpassed high quality care.
We take a team approach to patient care,
ensuring that all disciplines work together
to meet the physical, emotional and social
needs of our patients. Our goal is to help
you or your loved one regain independence
and return to life, family and community.
wonderful late corporate execu-
tive chef Aldo Ottaviani, whose
masterful dishes will never be
forgotten … They are in the very
capable hands of Chef Hall who
himself has created much talk
with his uncanny food presenta-
tions at Andiamo West.
Among the striking dishes is
its Roman Alfredo Pasta, which
is prepared tableside like as
served in Italy … A wheel of
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese …
A mixed bevy of deliciousness
includes shavings from the huge
wheel … Another big favorite is
the tableside-mixed Girarrosti
Tagliata Piedmontese, a lus-
cious char-grilled T-Bone steak
mixed with peppercorns, garlic
chips, fennel pollen, arugula
and Grana Padano … Fine din-
ing accolades among many
are given, too, for the Pesce
Pasticceria, a bestseller with
prawns, mussels, lobster, toma-
toes, lemon, garlic, vermouth,
covered in pastry … finished
tableside with Ligurian pesto.
In an overly-elegant set-
ting, on its 20th anniversary,
Andiamo Bloomfield presents
dishes seldom if ever seen on
other Italian menus … and is
another asset of the wonderful
goodness of Joe Vicari’s dining
prowess in the presentation of
Italian food and gracious serv-
ing.
MAIL DEPT. … From Matt
Prentice … “While my job with
Cass Community Services is
feeding the poor and homeless
6535 Drake Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322
phone 248.592.2000 | www.cienafacilities.com
AMENITIES :
% 68 Private Rooms
% Gourmet Chef
on site full-time
% Room Service
% Formal Dining
% Happy Hour
% Medical Spa
% Personal Telephones
with private numbers
% Personal Televisions
% Massage Therapy
% Luxury Transportation
% Tablets available for use
of Detroit, I get to ‘play’ a little,
too. Part of our recent Tiny
Homes fundraiser was a mini
progressive dinner that was
attended by nearly 600 people.
The food allowed me to teach
my staff new things including
Morel Mushroom Bisque, which
is my favorite dish. My staff
is largely made up of people
who were once homeless and
are ‘learning’ a trade that will
always serve them well and
allow them to be self-sufficient.
The satisfaction this provides
me is huge as I have always
liked to give back and my posi-
tion allows this to happen.
“Later this year or early next
year, I will begin looking again
at both restaurant and catering
opportunities. I am currently
living in Midtown and am rarely
in the suburbs so am truly out
of touch with the goings on
except for the area around me,
which is exploding with great
restaurants that I try to check
out as often as possible to keep
in touch with the ‘food scene.’”
MANY WAITPERSONS
WILL appreciate this gem that
even gave owner Al Balooly,
owner of former Topinka’s
Country House on W. Seven
Mile, Detroit, a laugh … The
noisy diner was banging on
the table with his silverware …
“The service here is lousy,” he
bellowed. “My glass is empty!
What’ve I got to do to get some
water around here?” … The old-
time waitress kept her cool as
she leaned over and whispered,
“Why don’t you set yourself on
fire?”
REMEMBERING WHEN
… Dinners at Jim’s Garage on
Larned and Washington Blvd.
were named for cars, and wait-
persons wore white mechanics’
jackets … If you wanted a steak,
the order was for a Cadillac
cooked in oil that was safe to
consume … not used in the car.
OLDIE BUT GOODIE …
Nathan is talking to Abe, his
personal attorney. “If you’re
absolutely positively sure I’ll
win the case, we’ll go ahead
with it.”
“OK,” replies Abe. “I obviously
need to know the facts.”
So Nathan goes into great
detail about his failed partner-
ship and says, “Now you’ve
heard everything, do you think I
can sue my partner and get my
money back?”
“Well,” replies barrister Abe,
“from what I’ve just heard, it’s
clear to me that you will win.
It’s rare to have such an easy
open-and-shut case.”
Nathan gets very white when
he hears this. “What’s the mat-
ter?” asks Abe.
“I told you my partner’s side
of the case!” Nathan says.
CONGRATS … To Lorrie
Isenberg on her birthday … To
Kenneth “Kenny” Maier on his
birthday. •
Danny’s email address is
dannyraskin2132@gmail.com.
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July 20 • 2017
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