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
Please see our menu at
www.johnnypomodoros.com
DAIRY TRAY
FRUIT TRAY
MEAT TRAY
Johnny Pomodoro’
s is your ONE STOP SHOP for all of your needs!
MEDITERRANEAN TRAY
MARTY'S COOKIES
Delivery Available
Shiva Trays, Deli Nosh Dairy & Deli Trays, Marty’
s Cookie Trays, Johnny’
s Signature Fruit & Veggie Trays
CALL JOHNNY’S FOR TRADITIONAL AND NON-TRADITIONAL SHIVA TRAYS.