nosh Alfoccino S Esther Allweiss Ingber Contributing Writer Dining Around The D posters decorate sand-colored unny Palaj was 16 when Alfoccino walls. Several spots with upright he started working as a Ristorante greenery add to the ambiance. busboy at Alfoccino, an Auburn Hills At back, a large banquet area Italian restaurant then located 2225 N. Opdyke Road can be divided as needed. Overall in Rochester Hills. Auburn Hills, MI 48326 capacity at Alfoccino is “a couple “I’ve done all the restaurant (248) 340-1000 hundred,” Palaj said. jobs, up through the line,” said www.alfoccino.com Dominating the dining room is Palaj, now 41. $$$ out of $$$$$ a large, well-stocked bar, featur- Today, he’s at the top of the ing international wines. The bar’s ladder as owner of Alfoccino Ristorante Auburn Hills. Formerly a partner, he happy hour, 3-6:30 weekdays, offers half-off purchased the business on North Opdyke Road selected appetizers. Alfoccino’s authentic Italian cuisine includes in December 2017. house-made salad dressings and sauces. A While he obviously knows his way around a kitchen, Palaj likes best that “I’m always in con- popular appetizer is Seafood Portabella, with crab and shrimp. Other categories include sal- tact with guests.” ads, sandwiches, burgers and pizza. Another Alfoccino, with a different owner, House specialties, such as homemade lasa- closed on Mother’s Day in Farmington Hills. But Palaj’s Alfoccino is still going strong, 15 gna, are highlighted in yellow boxes on the menu. Dinners come with garlic rolls and “bot- years after locating to Auburn Hills. tomless” garden salad. Add a few chickpeas, Friends and I dined there recently and had and I’d be perfectly satisfied. a great experience, starting with our capable Chicken Picatta is delightful and the most- server Nick, formerly of Montenegro. ordered entree, Palaj said. Lightly battered The carpeted dining room is distinguished white chicken breast fillets are sautéed in by its handsome woodwork, including crown white wine, garlic, lemon, parsley and mush- moldings. Vintage Italian film and advertising I Love Juice Bar… I Lindsey Shaw 56 t is rather refreshing when you walk into a restaurant to know that you can’t go wrong with any- thing you order. I Love Juice Bar in Troy is just that place. Healthy decision-making comes easy and with loads of options. Beyond the cold-pressed juice that is made daily in-house, the shop offers power shots, smoothies, smoothie bowls (including BYOB: build your own bowl) and gluten-free food options under 450 calories. The bee pollen and honey debunk this spot as an all-vegan offering restaurant. Don’t be shy if you are a newbie to the juice game. The friendly and wel- coming staff is open to questions and allow you to take your taste buds on an adventure by sampling a few shots before you decide. Before you know it, you’ll be requesting them to fill up a 64-oz. growler of your favorite juice! IMO (in my opinion), I found the Juice Reset to be wonderful as it was unique and suited my needs. The June 21 • 2018 jn “juice to dinner reset” offers four juic- es, alkaline waters and a kale quinoa salad. I loved that I had something to chew on at the end of the day, and it wasn’t just all juice. For under $10, I Love Juice Bar offers a 16-oz. juice and a food item at lunch. My go-to is the Mean Greens (jalapeño, celery, kale, spinach, cucumber, parsley and lemon) with a Pad Thai Noodle Bowl (sweet potato noodles, carrot, cucumbers, spinach, cilantro, garlic, sesame seeds, cashews and gluten-free Thai peanut sauce). The first location in Michigan for this Nashville-based franchise is at 3115 Crooks Road in Troy at the northwest corner of Big Beaver Road. It opened earlier this spring and will be a mainstay in Oakland County. Lucky for all the employees within the local office market, as I Love Juice Bar offers catering: Call today to place an order at (248) 590-2863 or online at ilovejuicebar.com. • rooms. Maureen and I shared this dish and also Perch Diane: sautéed yellow Lake Perch topped with artichoke hearts, diced tomatoes and lemon-wine sauce. Marni’s Eggplant Parmigiana was so good, consisting of eggplant slices dipped in bread- crumbs and fried, then layered with cheese and tomato sauce. The Lemon Dill Salmon, Carol’s entrée, was crusty and scrumptious. Pollo Tortollini, a specialty, has tri-colored noodles stuffed with ricotta cheese, chicken strips and the signature Palomina sauce — combining seasoned marinara and Alfredo sauces. Alfoccino’s grilled 8-ounce filet mignon sounds appealing. Served over a sautéed wheel of eggplant, it’s topped with Gorgonzola cheese and portabella mushrooms, and drizzled with zip sauce. The ribs fall off the bone after more than four hours of slow cooking. For dessert, we made short work of our tira- misu. The layered Italian cake features lady- finger cookies, espresso, Mascarpone cheese, eggs, sugar, Marsala wine, rum and cocoa powder. • I really do!