March 28 • 2019 57
jn
Danny Raskin
Senior Columnist
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the best of everything
Uptown Parthenon Celebrates 20 Years
F
orty-two years ago, New Parthenon
Greek restaurant opened its doors
in Greektown Detroit … It had been
doing a booming business even when gam-
bling casinos came … But not as much as
before the coming of MGM Casino in 1993,
Greektown Casino in 2000 and nearby
Motor City Casino on Grand River in 1999
… When people enveloped the Downtown
area and crowded them to the rafters …
with many visitors even forsaking and for-
getting about eating.
Among them, the owners of New
Parthenon noticed the large number of
people from Northwest areas of West
Bloomfield plus its nearby suburban cities
… So came the brilliant idea of bringing its
same menu to them.
Thus, 20 years ago in December of 1998,
came the new Uptown Parthenon … The
ownership of brothers Polyvios and Jimmy
Panagopoulos, Leo (of Coney Island fame)
and nephew John Stassinopoulos found an
exact place, remodeled it from the ground
up and opened Uptown Parthenon Greek
restaurant near Kroger’
s on Orchard Lake
Road in West Bloomfield’
s Crosswinds
Center, just east of Lone Pine.
As it now celebrates its 20th anniversary
… and the recent selling of Greektown’
s
New Parthenon … a stroke of sheer genius
is recalled that made Uptown Parthenon the
talk of many … The immediate bringing of
its general manager, Tony Hadjisofroniou,
who had before coming to New Parthenon
owned half-partnership in another
Greektown restaurant, to operate Uptown
Parthenon … The selling of New Parthenon
has also brought Polyvios’
brother Dimitri
(Jimmy) to assist Tony.
Uptown Parthenon, highly noted for
its marvelous double-boned lamb chops
among a bevy of authentic house-made and
prepared Greek dishes, makes its own rice
pudding, baklava, Parthenon cake, custard,
etc. … is also widely acclaimed for its own
baked lamb … among other items, some of
which cannot be gotten elsewhere.
There are no cans to be found … and its
own soups are a joy … Plus, the exclusive
preparation of Neframia (roast loin of lamb)
… It is all Greek, but a couple of American
sandwiches, too … the almighty hamburger
and cheeseburger to go along with a Greek
Burger … Even whitefish and salmon.
Uptown Parthenon is a thing of beauty,
seating 225 amid a sea of Greek artifacts
… Its bar accommodates 16 more … Open
seven days a week 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Its cleanliness is noted … and most
deserving of the many hurrahs regularly
received as Uptown Parthenon celebrates 20
years in business.
REARVIEW MIRROR … The tiny
kitchen run by Harold and Wyn Landis
at yesteryear’
s Leo Adler’
s Harbor Bar
was wonderful … What great 8-ounce
hamburgers … And those house specialty
cheese blintzes always tasted like flaky thin
pancakes wrapped around a cream cheese
or cottage cheese filling and topped with
sour cream or strawberry jam … Even a
delicious dilly of a tenderloin steak, chops
and all kinds of yummy sandwiches.
IT IS A GOOD example of why small
restaurants should not be noted only by
their size … They have a unique role in
today’
s society, providing the public with
one of the last vestiges of true enterprise
and many times the owner of his or her
inventiveness … Where a family can enjoy
each other’
s company without having to do
the dishes.
ERRATA … Owner of Nonna Maria is
John Gallagher, not John McDonald.
OLDIE BUT GOODIE … Four young
novice nuns were about to take their vows
… Dressed in their white gowns, they came
into the chapel with the ceremony to marry
them to Jesus, making them each a “bride
of Christ.
”
Just as the ceremony was about to begin,
four Chasidic Jews with yarmulkes, long
sideburns and long beards came in and sat
in the front row.
The Mother Superior said to them, “I am
honored that you want to share this experi-
ence with us, but do you mind if I ask why
you came?”
“We’
re from the groom’
s side.
”
CONGRATS … To Sue Maniloff on
her birthday … To Marsha Ellman on her
birthday … To Al and Marilyn Frommer on
their 59th anniversary. ■
Danny’
s email address is
dannyraskin2132@gmail.com.
We say ‘
opa!’
to
former Greektown
namesake on its
20th anniversary.
Leo Stassinopoulos, Polyvios
Panagopoulos and Tony
Hadjisofroniou
COURTESY OF UPTOWN PARTHENON
32906 Middlebelt Rd (at 14 Mile)
(248) 855-0007
Please see our menu at
www.johnnypomodoros.com
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