raskin 75 th an the best of everything niversary Village Palace Delights Danny Raskin Senior Columnist Varied menu and great service make it a fi ne family choice. Robert Lukaj It had been about seven years since I was last at the newly named Village Palace, which at that time was only a year old … Prior to that year, it had been a Palace and then Village Place noted as a fine place to have breakfast. When George Lukaj took over the little free-standing building … on Orchard Lake Road, slightly south of Pontiac Trail, Orchard Village … the name was changed to Village Palace with George’s son Robert running the restaurant … And it became much more of a full-service and menu-selec- tion family restaurant. But my recent visit was still a total revelation for me … The outside is no longer just a so-so wooden-like structure … The new menu is a completely updated one more attuned for a breakfast, lunch and dinner operation of much appeal … Additional enjoyable features are now to be had, including homemade meat loaf, home- made chicken noodle soup, homemade chili, homemade lasagna styling, etc., joined by a huge bevy of dishes before one might certainly not have expected … Even a low-calorie selection … And a dessert lover’s dream with almost 30 luscious-sounding choices of almost all styles of ice cream, plus brownies, etc. The huge menu is now a full family fantasy for all ages with Foot Pain? so many favorite dishes from which to choose … And food is not sitting on an open kitchen counter waiting much too long to be picked up for serving … The waitperson staff of veter- ans know better … If some of the servers look familiar, they should … The stalwarts have been around the restaurant scene for a long time and sure know their rights from wrong in the dining game. A five-page cuisine listing of options for all ages is strik- ing … Kids 10 and under are not restricted to ordering only sandwiches and fries … They, too, have their own page with items to select for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I found no more small opera- tion … Seating is for 120, plus an outdoor patio when weather permits for 25 more … Hours are the same all seven days a week … from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. … with dining items served in very clean surroundings from floor to ceiling. The transformation of the Village Place site into a further full-scale family restaurant with oodles of dining selections to be enjoyed by all ages was cer- tainly a most pleasant surprise. MAIL DEPT. … From Dr. Alan Silverman … “People are right when they say that neigh- borhood restaurants serve a major purpose. They provide wide choices of wholesome food at reasonable prices and seldom go out of business. If they do, it is felt immensely by the community and many oth- ers with whom they have made friends. “Most can be depended upon,” says Dr. Silverman, a noted local cardiac specialist … “Special qualities wrapped up into one bundle are favorites of many.” REARVIEW MIRROR … When it was Stoney’s, owned by Lou Stone, before becoming Saksey’s Lounge on Woodward, Lou knocked out a belligerent customer with one punch and silently walked away as if noth- ing had happened … Lou may not have gotten away with it so quick today with all the law- yers around who look for such things. EMPLOYEES AT HIS nine Andiamo eateries and two Joe Muer Seafood spots go through extensive training and receive instruction manuals … And each server does 80 hours of training before waiting on cus- tomers. By the way, in answer to numerous questions, the fish tank at Joe Vicari’s Joe Muer Seafood Bloomfield holds 1,000 gallons of water … At Renaissance Center, Detroit, two smaller tanks hold 100 gal- lons each … A third Joe Muer Seafood Las Vegas to open may hold 2,000 gallons, he says. RUNNING THE Hunter House location in Ann Arbor, N OT T I N G H I L L of W EST B LOOMFIELD Relief Is As Little As 30 Minutes Away! Get a personalized foot scan with our iStep machine, find your exact pain points, and get a custom-fit solution from our huge inventory of name-brand shoes and arch supports. Get $ 15 OFF! Kelly Cobb, owner Susan Cobb’s son, is the same person you may see co-hosting on TV station WFDF channel 910 with Detroit News’ Nolan Finley, weekday mornings, 7 to 9 … Hunter House is looking for a third location to go with its Birmingham and Ann Arbor locales to get those terrific hamburgers. MAKING ROUNDS OF YESTERYEARS … To Carl’s Chop House, Detroit, for Broiled Lake Erie Sturgeon … To Stage Delicatessen, Oak Park, for Jack and Harriet Goldberg’s delicious soups. OLDIE BUT GOODIE … 90-year-old Bessie bursts into the recreation room at the retirement home. She holds her clenched fist in the air and announces, “Anyone who can guess what’s in my hand can have sex with me tonight!” An elderly gent in the rear shouts out, “An elephant?” Bessie thinks a minute and says, “Close enough!” CONGRATS … To Fran Seasons on her birthday … To Jolie Goldberg on her 21st birthday … To Leon Falk on his birthday … To Diane Gussin on her birthday … To Josie Knapp on her birthday … To Allan Grundy on his 87th birthday ... To Luba and Allan Grundy on their 67th anniversary. • Danny’s email address is dannyraskin2132@gmail.com. AQUATICS THERAPY POOL Notting Hill of West Bloomfield is focused on short-term in-patient rehabilitation, with the goal of transitioning back home. We are happy to announce the opening of our Aquatics Therapy pool. Aquatic Therapy uses water’s naturally therapeutic properties of buoyancy, resistance and warmth to enhance the therapy experience. Since not all people respond well to traditional gym exercise programs, many people find aquatic therapy less stressful, preferable to traditional methods...and FUN! Why Choose Aquatic Therapy? Any Shoe Purchase Gently builds strength and muscle tone Increases blood circulation Improves range of motion Decreases joint stress Take $ 15 off any of our great brandname shoes like New Balance, Drew, Dansko, Aetrex, Fly and more! WalkHappy.com Some restrictions apply. See store for details. Expires 1/17/2018. 3342 Woodward • Birmingham • Mon. – Fri. 10am to 6pm • Sat. 10am to 4pm “Weightless” Rehab Reduces pain Minimizes swelling Delivers better joint position awareness Develops core strength 6535 Drake Road , West Bloomfield , MI 48322 phone 248.592.2000 | www.cienafacilities.com jn January 4 • 2018 45