Danny Raskin
Senior Columnist

Restaurant Empire
Strikes Again
R

ather than pull in his horns and be 
satisfied with his various empire of 
restaurants, Joe Vicari, as if in answer 
to an item a short while back in a local 
Detroit newspaper that he is considering 
retirement, opens still another eatery to go 
with his much-diversified chain. 
Joe’
s latest venture was not a circus open-
ing or the appearance of a rock star or movie 
idol … as crowds eagerly stood inside on 
this cool evening … waiting anxiously to be 
seated.
The hugely anticipated occasion was the 
recent grand opening of Joe’
s new Andiamo 
Fenton … award-winning restaurant No. 20 
… eight in Metropolitan Detroit and one in 
Las Vegas … to go along with his two Joe 
Muer Seafood restaurants, Brownies-On-
The-Lake, five 2941 Mediterranean Street 
Food restaurants and three Country Inn 
Family Restaurants … More than 1,100 
employees among them.
The beautiful, ultra-modern Andiamo 
Fenton by Joe on the entire ground floor of 
the elegant new Horizon Building on West 
Silver Lake Road, Fenton, is the epitome of 
sophisticated style, surrounded by glamor-
ous light fixtures and an almost all-shim-
mering sea of aluminum-looking bravura 
polish … More than 200 seats plus about 30 
stools at the tasteful and upscale bar in the 
center of the restaurant … and outdoor seat-
ing for about 75 … beautiful hand-blown 
light fixtures adorn the bar and spacious 
lounge area … A striking wine wall is filled 
with 700 bottles of choice vino … and the 
many premises-made desserts include a spe-
cialty from an old family recipe … Also, its 

own bread and focaccia.
All pasta dishes are house-made daily and 
include a 14-layer lasagna, Bolognese, tor-
tellini and Paglia e Fieno among many more 
specialties … on a chock-filled Italian and 
American menu that includes its big-selling 
filet with Andiamo’
s highly noted zip sauce. 
This is Joe’
s first new Andiamo restaurant 
in 10 years … with son Dominic Vicari and 
wife Rosalie Vicari assisting in the upscale 
casual setting within a new modern look … 
certainly among its most elegant.
REAR VIEW MIRROR … When son 
Scott Raskin thanked a large buxom lady 
for her $2 to buy candy from his Boy Scout 
Troop in front of Congregation B’
nai Moshe 
who had said she was on a diet … and its 
Scoutmaster Nathan Trager couldn’
t stop 
laughing when Scott asked her if she knew 
anybody else who was on a diet … When 
Irving Aaron, head of Crown Furniture in 
Taylor, proudly displayed the bowling trophy 
even through his team didn’
t fare too well … 
It was presented to him with the inscription 
“Last Place Champs.
”
THE DATE HAS BEEN set for Saturday, 
June 15 … for the return appearance of 
impressionist Bob Anderson and his Frank 
Sinatra, etc., one-man show … His previous 
performance was such a success that the 
June 15 engagement will be at the 4,800-seat 
Fox Theater … instead of last year’
s 2,600 
sell out at Detroit Opera House.
NO TRUTH TO the very false rumor that 
Buddy’
s Pizza has been sold … A partner of 
sorts has been taken for even faster growth 
… Still the same wonderfully acclaimed 
pizza, soups and menu suggestions … 

owned by Robert Jacobs, son of Shirlee and 
the late Billy Jacobs … with Wesley Picula its 
“brainy” chief operating officer.
CLOSING OF NEW PARTHENON 
restaurant in Greektown has folks wonder-
ing what new owner, Jim Papas, will do with 
the Greek eatery site … Will it be another 
Greek restaurant or a night club?
OLDIE BUT GOODIE … Goldstein 
had been going to the same restaurant for 
10 years. Every day he starts with the same 
thing, mushroom barley soup.
One day, as soon as he comes in, the wait-
er brings the mushroom barley soup over 
to his table. “I want you to taste the soup,
” 
Goldstein says as the waiter starts to walk 
away.
“What’
s the matter?” the waiter asks. 
“Everyday you take the same mushroom 
barley soup.
” 
“I want you should taste it,
” Goldstein 
repeats. 
“You don’
t want the mushroom barley 
soup?” the waiter says. “I’
ll bring you some-
thing else.
” 
“I want you should taste the soup,
” 
Goldstein says once more.
” 
“OK, OK, I’
ll taste the soup,
” says the wait-
er wearily. “Where’
s the spoon?”
“
Aha!” says Goldstein.
CONGRATS … to Georgia Leemans on 
her birthday …to Dr. Leonard Aronovitz 
on his birthday … to Jeremy Brand on his 
birthday. ■

Danny’
s email address is 

dannyraskin2132@gmail.com.

Joe Vicari opens 
new Andiamo
in Fenton.

Joe Vicari

raskin
the best of everything

ANDIAMOFENTON.COM

Andiamo 
Fenton

 

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50 February 21 • 2019
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