July 4 • 2019 45
jn

raskin
the best of everything

Bravissimo!
I

f you wonder why I am again writ-
ing about an Andiamo restaurant, it 
is because it is celebrating its 22nd 
anniversary on Maple and Telegraph in 
Bloomfield Township … a big number 
in the dining game … and brings back 
many remembrances.
Like the night the Detroit Red Wings 
won the Stanley Cup … and Mike and 
Marian Ilitch later brought over the cov-
eted cup … Or how it looked after taking 
over the beauty of a Machus Red Fox 
that some said could never be duplicated 
inside and outside with its new colors 
and refreshing glittering at a cost of 
more than $2 million dollars … With Joe 
Vicari’
s great corporate executive chef 
the late Aldo Ottaviani coming there 
often to check on the sauces and soups 
… With almost everything being made 
there from Aldo’
s recipes or revised ver-
sions.
Even Jimmy Hoffa’
s ghost would never 
recognize the former Machus Red Fox.
Today’
s executive chef at Andiamo 
West, Bill Hall, is also a wonderful 
kitchen head … and has come up with 
new summer items for the menu … 
among them a Tuscan black kale salad 
with toasted pine nuts, roasted peppers, 
golden raisins and 25-year aged balsam-
ic … Lasagna Vito Aperto, vegetarian 
spinach pasta layered with basil ricotta, 
tomatoes, grilled zucchini and Fontina 
cheese … Brick-grilled half chicken … 
Grilled 16-ounce rib veal chop … Risotto 
Corona … and a grilled salmon with 

insalatini of caper berries, olives, orega-
no and tomatoes.
Joe has never forgotten many of his 
experiences … Meeting Red Wing greats 
from Steve Yzerman on down, who still 
come there … Ollie Fretter bringing him 
five pounds of coffee … Dave Hermelin 
telling him jokes … Dave’
s wife, Doreen, 
is still a big fan of Andiamo West … 
Gene and Marcia Applebaum, Henry 
Baskin, Michael and Zina Kramer, 
Harold Freed, Steve Fishman, Mel 
Saperstein and so many others he says 
would take him a long time to remember 
or what food they enjoyed most.
With 1,500 customers served weekly 
… the No. 1 seller is the 8-ounce filet 
with its Andiamo zip sauce … Second 
are the daily-made pastas.
“Being a young Italian from the east 
side to the west side was the best move 
I ever made,” Joe says. “Andiamo West 
restaurant was a path of growth and suc-
cess and has made me so proud of my 
wonderful customers who I am happy to 
call my friends.”
OLDIE BUT GOODIE … A daughter 
comes home from her service with the 
Peace Corps in Uganda and surprises her 
mother who is in the process of lighting 
the Friday night candles and serving the 
matzah ball soup … The mother is so 
thrilled she can’
t stop hugging and kiss-
ing her daughter. Finally, she says, “Sit 
down, darling. Tell me all about what 
you were doing” 
Her daughter says, “Mom, I got mar-

ried.” 
“Oy, mazel tov,” says the mother. “But 
how could you do that without telling 
me? What’
s he like? What does he do? 
Where is he?” 
The daughter says, “He’
s waiting out-
side on the porch while I tell you.” 
“What are you talking about? Bring 
him in. I want to meet my new son-in-
law.” “But mom, I want to tell …” 
“Stop talking and bring him in 
already.” 
The daughter brings him in and to her 
consternation the mother sees a huge 
man standing before her wearing a feath-
ered cod piece, an enormous head dress 
and animal tooth beads. 
The mother grabs her daughter, slaps 
her back and forth on both cheeks and 
screams, “Dummy! Stupid! Idiot! I said a 
RICH doctor!”
CONGRATS … To Joe Smiler on 
his birthday … To Marilyn Warnick 
on her birthday …To Alice Kerman 
on her birthday … To Julianna “Julie” 
Tschirhart on her birthday … To Martha 
Stollman on her birthday … To Gertrude 
Rosenman on her birthday … To Leo 
Stollmon on his 22nd birthday … To 
Carolyn Nosanchuk on her 89th birthday 
… To Bonnie Nosanchuk on her birth-
day. ■

Danny’
s email address is 

dannyraskin2132@gmail.com.

Danny Raskin
Senior Columnist

Andiamo 
celebrates 
22 years in 
Bloomfi
 eld 
Township.

Joe Vicari and Executive 

Chef Bill Hall

COURTESY OF ANDIAMO 
 WEST

WWW.HOM.ORG 
CALL 24/7 TOLLFREE: (888) 247-5701 

CHOOSE 
THE 
EXPERTS

Proud to partner with the 
Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network 

CARING FOR THE DETROIT JEWISH 
COMMUNITY SINCE 1980

 

32906 Middlebelt Rd (at 14 Mile)
(248) 855-0007

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