raskin 75

th

an

the best of everything

niversary

Yassoo!

Danny Raskin

Senior Columnist

Fine Greek cuisine

lives on at Uptown

Parthenon.

Leo Stassinopoulos, Polyvius
Panagopoulos and Tony Hadjisofroniou

Sitting in their New
Parthenon restaurant on
Monroe in Greektown
munching on double-boned
lamb chops, owner Polyvius
Panagopoulos and his general
manager at New Parthenon,
Tony Hadjisofroniou, were also
enjoying a thought … Many
customers were continually
bugging their ears off about
them opening another such
restaurant in the northwest
suburbs.
Since the 1970s, Polyvius had
previously owned Mykonos in
Greektown, where his pres-
ent New Parthenon has also
become a large favorite … But
some folks had gotten tired
of the drive Downtown and
that request became a fanatic
attempt to satisfy customers’
urgent pleas.
Polyvius went with Tony and
partner Leo Stassinopoulos in
search of a place that would
accommodate well more than
200 people, plus a large bar
with plenty of stools … They
found their dream site at the
Crosswinds Mall on Orchard
Lake Road and Lone Pine, West
Bloomfield.
Today, more than 19 years
later, they can recall their new
Uptown Parthenon immediate-
ly beginning to overwhelm cus-
tomers with its excellent selec-
tions of authentic Greek food
… And now came the biggest
problem of all … How to show
the customers their apprecia-
tion … Tony was named its gen-

eral manager and later went to
the island of Cyprus off Greece
and to Greece itself to find out
the latest and best dishes in
authentic Greek dining to bring
back for the many Greek food
lovers of its delicate tastes and
healthy food presentations.
One of the items he brought
back, Kleftiko, is a more than
2,000-year-old dish you may
not find at too many Greek
restaurants anywhere … Greek
lamb, slow-cooked with garlic,
Kasseri cheese, oregano, olive
oil and lemon juice.
Also brought back by Tony
were three fantastic taste
delights also not seen at many
places … Stuffed meatballs of
beef or chicken, sliced at the
table … Athenian chicken, half
a bird roasted and stuffed with
feta cheese and oregano … and
Soutzoukakia (ground beef) in
a cumin cinnamon sauce … All
three include mashed potatoes
and peas.
But what to give in celebra-
tion of their 19th anniversary?
… It was finally decided that
during the anniversary month
of December (Friday, Dec.
1, through Sunday, Dec. 31),
the big favorites of Chicken
Meatballs over Fettuccini
Alfredo or Chicken Meatballs
over Fettuccini Marinara …
for the price of $9.95 each …
including side dishes of rice
pilaf with tomato sauce, sweet
peas and string beans, would
be at both Uptown Parthenon
in West Bloomfield and

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Greektown’s New Parthenon.
The prominent role that
Uptown Parthenon plays in
the lives of many grateful cus-
tomers has been overwhelm-
ingly strong as it continues to
be counted among the finest
authentic Greek restaurants in
Michigan.
MEMORY DEPT. … From
Jackie Kallen … “I had that day
just gotten my driver’s license
and took two of my girlfriends
to Darbys on Wyoming and
Seven Mile for dinner. One of
them happened to be a black
girl. I watched as party after
party were seated, but not us.
I kept asking the hostess why
we were not being seated and
everyone else was. We were
told that everyone else had a
reservation and we did not. I
knew that wasn’t the case from
others I met there, so I took my
friends to a table and sat our-
selves down. Soon the manager
came over and asked if we had
a reservation. I told him that I
was doing a story on Darbys for
the Mumford school paper, and
I was quite put out by the host-
ess’ obvious racist attitude. The
man told us to order anything
we wanted on the menu and
picked up the check. The meals
were delicious. And the hostess
was fired.”
IN 1997, AFTER SEEING
them in Cleveland for the first
time, Joe Vicari brought the
excellent Scintas group to his
Andiamo Celebrity Showroom
next to its Andiamo Italia

in Warren … And they have
been there every year since
for the last 19 years … The
ultimate cream of the enter-
tainment crop, the Scintas
group will again appear this
year … Thursday, Friday and
Saturday, Dec. 7, 8 and 9 …
with Thursday’s holiday show
also including a steak filet or
veggie entrée, salad, pasta,
potato, vegetable and dessert …
Reservations will go fast … You
won’t want to miss the Scintas
… They’re great! … (586) 268-
3200.
DANDY DINING DEAL
… Construction Special …
8- to 10-ounce whitefish com-
plete dinner … Includes soup
or salad, potato, vegetable
and bread basket … $8.85
… George’s Family Dining,
Northwestern Hwy., West
Bloomfield.
OLDIE BUT GOODIE
SHORTIES … Doctor, “You’ll
live to be 80!” Patient, I am 80!”
Doctor, “See! What did I tell
you!” … A doctor has a stetho-
scope up to a man’s chest.
The man asks, “Doc, how do I
stand?” The doctor says, “That’s
what puzzles me!”
CONGRATS … To Esther
Ingber on her birthday …
To Mollie Abraham on her
birthday … To Gino Baratta
on his birthday … To Audrey
Saperstein on her birthday …
To Betty (Bess) Ruskin on her
100th birthday •

Danny’s email address is
dannyraskin2132@gmail.com.

“For 40 years, Gallery Restaurant has served up masterpieces”

~ Danny Raskin

THE GALLERY RESTAURANT

Daily Special to choose from for lunch & dinner…

Dinner specials come with complimentary rice or chocolate pudding or jello

OPEN 7 DAYS:

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Now Serving
Beer & Wine

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www.thegalleryrestaurant2.com

jn

November 30 • 2017

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