F

avorite recipes from three highly regarded 
but now-shuttered restaurants in Metro 
Detroit provide nostalgic satisfaction at 
Steven Lelli’s Inn on the Green. A two-sided 
paper menu acknowledges dishes originated at 
the famous Lelli’s in Detroit, but also highlights 
standouts from the kitchens of other resident 
chefs. They are Brian Micknass, with the former 
Pepino’s Restaurant in Oakland County, and 
Chef John Somerville of The Lark, which was an 
award-winning restaurant in West Bloomfield. 
The Italian-accented Lelli’s is rated “Excellent” 
on the TripAdvisor website — and with me. 
Looking back, it was more than 80 years ago 
that Steven Lelli’s grandparents, Nerio and Irene 
Lelli, operated their classic eatery on Woodward 

Avenue at Bethune Street. But time marches on. 
This later incarnation of Lelli’s opened for 
business in November 2010 on the grounds of 
Copper Creek Golf Course in Farmington Hills. 
Lelli and Mark Zarkin, business partners and 
lifelong friends, were able to capture or reinter-
pret the elements that made the original Lelli’s 
popular. In so doing, they honored the restau-
rant’s slogan: “Food is king since 1939.” 
Steven Lelli’s Inn on the Green is known for 
its well-prepared staples of both Italian and 
American cuisine. It’s a go-to destination for ten-
der steaks, filet mignon and lamb chops; seafood 
choices that include Chilean sea bass and Chef 
Brian’s Rainbow Trout; “house” specialties, such as 

ESTHER ALLWEISS INGBER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

NOVEMBER 3 • 2022 | 35

Center cut filet mignon

Surf and Turf 
with glazed 
carrots, creamed 
spinach and 
twice-baked 
potatoes

Seabass

Steven Lelli’s Inn on 
the Green is Back

continued on page 36

Steven Lelli’s Inn 
on the Green

27925 Golf Pointe Blvd. 
Farmington Hills
(248) 994-1111 
www.lellisinn.com 
$$$½ out of $$$$$

NOSH
DINING AROUND THE D

LELLI’S INN ON THE GREEN FACEBOOK

