January 31 • 2019 49
jn

Danny Raskin
Senior Columnist

raskin
the best of everything

The Sweet Life
T

here was a time when folks would
be told about this restaurant
but had difficulty finding it …
However, most of the people were per-
sistent enough to continue looking …
And are happy they did … With the
choice result being their making it a reg-
ular must …and no problem finding it
anymore.
La Dolce Vita on Woodward, four
blocks north of McNichols, between
Pinehurst and Cedarhurst, Detroit, is one
of those authentic Italian restaurants with
continental influences you seldom hear
about because those who have been there
prefer to keep it to themselves.
This hidden gem that opened in 1995
is noted for so many things, including an
excellent Caesar salad that is in a properly
rubbed bowl and made at the table, among
numerous other fine dining features of
culinary excellence … Not to mention the
homey old Italian feeling of comfort and
its traditional Northern Italian styles of
cooking that include items not found on
the menu along with its bevy of authentic
dishes that also include recent additions.
Finding La Dolce Vita is not a snap …
There is only an LDV sign in front, and
its entrance is off an alley in the back …
But so many people love a family-run
restaurant they will always find it …
Enrico and wife Denice Rosselli’
s son-in-
law-to-be Adam Kojadsulian is La Dolce
Vita’
s manager … Their daughter Erica has
done much there, including hosting and
managing … Denise makes many desserts

and Enrico is in the kitchen much of the
time … A true Italian restaurant like La
Dolce Vita contains so much love and
dedication.
Seating is for 165 during the winter
months and 240 with a beautiful out-
door patio used when weather permits
… Friday and Saturday evenings include
a piano stylist, and a jazz group plays at
Sunday brunch … Hours are Tuesday-
Friday lunch 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., dinner
5-10 p.m. … Friday, dinner until 11 p.m.,
Saturday, 5-11 p.m., Sunday brunch, 11-3.
A restaurant that thrives on its repu-
tation rarely needs its customers to be
reminded of the good dining experience it
offers … Enrico Rosselli’
s La Dolce Vita is
definitely one of those restaurants.
DID YOU KNOW DEPT. …That
Mary Brady, owner with managing part-
ner Sharon Juergens of Diamond Jim
Brady’
s Bistro in Novi, holds the high dis-
tinction of being one of a small number
of women who are American Culinary
Federation-certified executive chefs? …
Mary has won more than 15 medals in
food competitions.
MAIL DEPT. … From Judith Behrmann
… “How I remember the wonderful
restaurants of yesteryears. My former
husband and I loved going to Laffrey’
s,
across from Topinka’
s on Seven Mile Road.
John Laffrey was a wonderful host, and we
always enjoyed his variety of steaks and
salads with his awesome salad dressing
to take home. We had great lunches there
with friends and cannot say enough about
them. While going to Mumford High, my

friends and I loved Fredson’
s Delicatessen
on Wyoming for its wonderful real chick-
en soup and corned beef sandwich. The
days of real food and adult servers seem to
be gone. I relish the good times and food
memories. The good old days? For sure!”
REAR VIEW MIRROR … When
David and Doreen Hermelin gave a party
at their home with Seymour Brode for
Israel tennis … All the power went out in
their Bingham Farms neighborhood …
Gary Cochran, then owner of Beau Jack’
s,
and David set up about seven or eight
barbecue machines that David had rented
for a previous party … On them, he and
Gary cooked kosher hamburgers galore
… When Dave was asked where he got all
the barbecue machines without any notice,
Dave said that they were rented for anoth-
er party, but he was sending the company
a check to buy them so he could have
them on hand just in case an outage ever
happened again.
OLDIE BUT GOODIE … One morn-
ing at breakfast, Harvey turns to his wife
and says, “Joyce, listen to me. I don’
t
want to sound cruel, but your mother
has been living with us for 20 years now.
Don’
t you think it’
s about time she got a
place of her own?”
Joyce, eating her breakfast, dropped her
utensils in shock. “My mother? I thought
she was your mother!”
CONGRATS … To Dr. Stuart
Kirschenbaum on his birthday. ■

Danny’
s email address is

dannyraskin2132@gmail.com.

Hidden Detroit
gem provides
authentic Italian
dining.

Enrico Rosselli

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