JUNE 18 • 2020 | 45
Let’
s never forget the eateries that
put Detroit dining on the map.
the best of everything
Raskin
I
f you’
ve ever been told by an
out-of-towner that Detroit
and its suburbs were gastro-
nomic deserts, don’
t believe it
... When it came to restaurants,
this eatery would
usually be up there
among the world
dining leaders.
The original
London Chop
House in Detroit’
s
Murphy Building
on Congress, when
owned by brothers Les and Sam
Gruber and Al Woolf, was a huge
favorite ... The original London
Chop House of yesteryears, as
example, was the epitome of ele-
gance that many times was talked
about in gastronomic circles.
Hy Vogel’
s caricatures of visit-
ing celebrities lined upper por-
tions of the ceiling ... and were
elegant darlings that had many
returning for additional presenc-
es ... Its national reputation was
enhanced by the appearances
of executive chefs like Jimmy
Schmidt or Milos Cihelka work-
ing the kitchen at the original
London Chef House... It also
may have earned its high stand-
ing when Chef Caesar Cardini
in Tijuana, Mexico, selected the
London Chop House to introduce
his top-ranked Caesar Salad.
Without much doubt, the orig-
inal London Chop House was
probably was one of America’
s
better restaurants.
WE HAVE BEEN asked many
times why restaurants of yester-
years are talked about when they
are no longer in existence ... The
reasoning is to always let people
... especially the younger guys and
gals ... know that Detroit and its
suburbs were never slouch locales
when it came to fine dining or
just plain eateries ... but also for
various other reasons.
Like Hello Dolly, where
Stewie Siegel was among the first
restaurant owners here to put
telephones on every table ... Or
Stewie’
s partner at their Alamo
Lounge, Max Spigelman, who was
totally blind, but manned the cash
register and took cash ... Many
restaurants were hangouts, too,
but served as important places in
the hearts of those who attended
... Like Sam and Ella Ederman
meeting at Jack’
s Lounge and
becoming husband and wife ...
Lou and Sol Germain, introduced
at the Great Dane, and becoming
husband and wife ... Or going
to Ruth and Harry Levenberg’
s
Andersen Gardens just to take
home her chili ... or Frank
Sinatra eating barbecue ribs from
owners Pat Archer and Marty
Wilk at Excalibur, who also sent
them to his hotel room.
OLDIE BUT GOODIE ... Abe
is out walking when a luxury car
pulls up to him with his friend
Yitzhak at the wheel.
“Where did you get such a nice
car?” asks Abe.
“My new wife, Sarah, gave it to
me,
” says Yitzhak.
“Mazel tov!” says Abe, “I knew
Sarah was in love with you, but to
give you such a car?”
“Well,
” says Yitzhak, “even I
thought it was strange. We were
out driving when she suddenly
drove into a small hidden area.
She got out of the car, took off her
clothes and said, ‘
Yitzhak, now
that we are married, take whatev-
er you want.
’
So I took the car.
”
“You are one smart cookie,
”
says Abe. “Her clothes would
never have fit you!”
CONGRATS ... To Suretta
Binder on her birthday.
Danny’
s email address is
dannyraskin2132@gmail.com.
Danny Raskin
Senior Columnist
Hy Vogel caricatures that used to hang in the London Chop House.
COURTESY OF POTTER AUCTIONS
London Chop House
The Motor City’s
Culinary Legacy
“Same Location Over 80 Y
ears”
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Monument Center Inc.
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