JULY 30 • 2020 | 45
the best of everything
Raskin
Remembering
the Mushroom
Cellar
D
ining in the cellar of a
restaurant has a cer-
tain charm … and the
Mushroom Cellar of the noted
Golden Mushroom was in a class
its very own.
Under the pres-
tigious Golden
Mushroom, with
its own entrance off
10 Mile, Southfield,
Mushroom Cellar
was much more
than just a down-
stairs to go to … and certainly
upheld the high standards its
upstairs grownup had earned.
Going down the Golden
Mushroom stairs where walls
were decorated by GM honors
and awards, Mushroom Cellar
was like a private club, although
open to the public … It had been
a banquet area until the spring
of 1973, a year after opening
of the Golden Mushroom … It
became very popular after being
converted into a cocktail lounge
with banquet chairs and a stand-
up bar.
The bar was a story in itself …
where regular customers were
recognized with bronze plaques
… Owner Reid Ashton came up
with the idea of remembering
retiring customers, among oth-
ers.
The clubby New York-ish
Mushroom Cellar wasn’
t just
another downstairs operation …
It was comfortable, intimate and
casual … Guests came in wearing
anything from jeans and casual
dresses to suits and sat amid
high-backed padded booths.
There was all kinds of pizza
and sandwiches … but also din-
ner courses of grilled chicken,
rock shrimp, fettucine, broiled
scrod, etc. … Also, lobster
bisque, Golden Mushroom
soup, etc. … And appetizers of
house smoked salmon, escargots,
oysters, salads and desserts and
more.
There was its own wine list,
and a bundle of single malt
scotches, one of Michigan’
s larg-
est collection … Lunch from
its own menu satisfied many
… with a little bit of Golden
Mushroom favorites.
Mushroom Cellar at Golden
Mushroom had many well-
groomed faces … and the nec-
essary ingredients to stand on its
own, but chose to be just a cozy,
intimate bit with all the ingredi-
ents to stand on its own two feet
as an excellent neighborhood
spot to go to for a most inviting
casual good time well spent.
WHEN TALK COMES turns
to executive chefs, few restau-
rants can be classed with those
many times heading the kitch-
ens at Detroit and its suburban
restaurants … Aldo Ottaviani,
Milos Cihelka, Leopold Schaeli
and others … They may have the
higher educations, but their own
out-of-the ordinary presentations
are numerously of another world
… Metro Detroit can and are
mighty proud of them … They
and many local chefs, although
not masters, are also always look-
ing for ways of improvement.
OLDIE BUT GOODIE … Two
young boys walked into a phar-
macy one day, picked out a box
of Tampax and proceeded to the
checkout counter …
The man at the counter asked
the older boy, “Son, how old are
you?”
“Eight,
” the boy replied, “but
these are for my brother. He’
s
four. We saw on television that if
you use these you would be able
to swim and ride a bike. He can’
t
do either one!”
CONGRATS … To Ray
Horenstein on his birthday …
To Joe Horenstein on his birth-
day.
Danny’
s email address is
dannyraskin2132@gmail.com.
Danny Raskin
Senior Columnist
LEFT TO RIGHT: Executive Chefs Aldo Ottaviani, Milos Cihelka and Leopold Schaeli
TRIBUTES.COM
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