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Let’s Go To Leo’s
A
Danny Raskin
Senior Columnist
Leo’s Coney Island
chain is biggest
in America.
Peter and Leo Stassinopoulos
s time goes by and sto-
ries are told of winners
and losers in the restau-
rant world, standout topics that
never go out of style are the suc-
cess stories of immigrants who
arrive on our shores to become
United States citizens and even-
tually find those golden side-
walks they heard and dreamed
so much about.
It was rarely easy … Constan-
tine “Gust” Keros shined shoes
and sold hot dogs from a make-
shift pushcart before opening
American Coney Island …
Brother Bill came here from
Greece to learn and work hard
for Gust … and after a couple
of years was able to open next
door as Lafayette Coney Island
… Then the two opened a third
nearby and called it Senate
Coney Island.
American shores had become
known as the land of opportu-
nity … And while American and
Lafayette go on about who has
the better restaurant, another
popular Coney dog place has
joined the local party in a big
way.
The rise of Leo’s Coney Island
restaurants, owned by Leo and
brother Peter Stassinopoulos,
nephews of Gust and Bill,
started here in 1972 with a small
Southfield restaurant called
Souvlaki Coney Island … 10
years later, another opened in
Farmington … When a third
opened in Troy, the change in
name was made to Leo’s Coney
Island, which today numbers
a still-growing clean Coney
operation … serving chunky hot-
ties, regular or kosher, topped
with meat sauce and onions, if
desired, along with other goodies
… Plus its excellent family recipe
Greek dressing, passed down
from generations that is found
only in specialty markets and
local grocery stores … for salads
like its wonderful Greek combi-
nation of fresh vegetables.
No more do you find just a
few items … Leo’s Coney Island
menus now include five pages of
selections … kosher dogs, New
York hotties, Chicago Coneys,
plain chili, loose chili, chili with
beans, Greek specialties, fish and
chips, chicken dinners, shrimp,
beef, spaghetti, burgers galore,
corned beef, turkey, children’s
menu, suggestions, etc.
Leo and Peter began franchis-
ing in 2005, and Leo’s Coney
Island is now the largest Coney
Island hot dog chain in the world
… with Leo Stassinopoulos wear-
ing two hats … as co-owner and
chief operating officer … for his
and brother Peter’s excellent rise
to Coney Island hot dog fame.
Among the things that have
made Leo’s Coney Island so
popularly well-liked is its faithful
adherence to Michigan’s strict
hot dog quality requirements
under state law.
Another wonderful immigrant
success story of American-
dream-come-true that has
become as big as the tributes to
which its owners have deserved
and received.
THE MUCH-HERALDED
“City Fest” at the Whitney,
Woodward and Canfield, Detroit,
now going on by this fine time-
honored Detroit legend, is owner
Bud Liebler’s and son Pat’s
endeavor they hope to be an
annual event … It began Sept. 14
and continues through Sept. 23
… “We’re trying to do something
new and different in Detroit as a
way to celebrate all the new and
different things happening in
the city,” Bud says. “It’s all about
celebrating the revived spirit of
Detroit through culinary events”
… Menus have been specially
created … On Sept. 21, ladies
take over the Whitney’s kitchen
and dining rooms when some of
the finest female chefs in Detroit
join the Whitney’s executive Chef
Natasha Vitti … “City Fest is a
huge undertaking, but we think
it’s a great way to introduce the
Whitney’s new and regular din-
ners and all we have to offer,”
Bud says … which is a lot!
MAIL DEPT. … From Robert
Abrams … “Why are you so
against new restaurants opened
by people who have never
been in the restaurant business
before?”
(Very far from it, Robert! Only
many of those who open a res-
taurant for the first time try to
run it themselves without any
knowledge whatsoever of doing
so … Countless new restaurant
owners are most appreciative in
accepting whatever good advice
and other necessary assistance
that their highly experienced
employees, as example, can give
them.)
THE TRUE ITALIAN dining
selections from various parts
of Italy featured each month at
Bacco, Northwestern, Southfield,
are going over big … Ten sugges-
tions during the remainder of
September are from the Puglia
Region, or “the Italian boot” …
noted for its wonderful dishes
and fine wines, especially the
red.
OLDIE BUT GOODIE …
From Jerry and Jeannette Olson …
“Mildred lives in a home for the
aged among many single men.
At dinner, she stands up, makes
a fist and raises her arm, and
says, ‘If anybody can tell me vat’s
in dis hand, they can have vild
and kinky sex with me all night!’
Silence comes over the hall, and
from the back someone yells out,
“An elephant!” Mildred yells back,
“Close enough!”
CONGRATS … To Morton
Plotnick on his birthday … To
Bruce Milen on his birthday … To
Jim Newman on his 81st birthday
… To Seymore Resnick on his
birthday … To Arthur and Gina
Horwitz on their 40th anniver-
sary … To William and Georgann
Wolf on their 55th anniversary. •
Danny’s email address is
dannyraskin2132@gmail.com.
“For 40 years, Gallery Restaurant has served up masterpieces”
~ Danny Raskin
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jn
September 20 • 2018
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