Page 42 – North Central News, October 2012

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Café ChatOld favorites, freshideas at Miracle MileBy Teri Carnicelli

When the doors open at 10:30a.m., there’s usually a handful of cus-tomers waiting to come in. But busi-ness doesn’t really get hopping at theMiracle Mile Delicatessen untillunchtime, when two lines in the cafe-teria-style eatery serve the hundreds ofcustomers who come in to get a quickmeal to take out, have a business lunchinside the spacious dining room, ormeet old friends over old favorites.

The Miracle Mile located in theColonnade Mall at 20th Street andCamelback Road may have only beenopen since 2000, but the Miracle Milename has been an icon in Valley diningfor more than 60 years. Jack Grodzinsky,a Brooklyn transplant, started his restau-rant business in the early 1950s with asmall café next to a bus stop. Two yearslater he and his sisters purchasedHerman’s Corned Beef Junction atMcDowell Road and 16th Street.

The area from 7th Street to 24thStreet on McDowell Road was the firstbusiness district to be developed awayfrom the downtown area and becameknown as the “Miracle Mile.”Grodzinsky decided to change thename of his restaurant to capitalize onthe location. After a kitchen fire in1954, Grodzinsky opened a new loca-tion at Park Central Mall on Central

Avenue and Earll Road. This particularlocation is where Miracle Mile’s “cafete-ria style” concept was introduced. Therestaurant lasted there for 46 years.Another restaurant opened in theChris-Town Mall in 1965, serving thatcommunity for 43 years.

It was at the Chris-Town locationwhere George Garcia entered the picture,signing on as a busboy as a teenager. Hemet Grodzinsky’s daughter, Jill, when hewas 15 and she was just 12, helping outin her family’s business. Years later thetwo would marry and take over the day-to-day operations from Grodzinsky, whopassed away in 1998.

Other restaurants have come—andgone—over the years, leaving theColonnade location and one at theScottsdale Promenade. The next genera-tion has come into the picture, withGeorge and Jill’s son, Josh, now handlingmuch of the management responsibili-ties of the two locations. Jill still helpsout occasionally with catering orders andGeorge comes in almost every day tolook things over, visit with customers,and troubleshoot where needed.

“It’s in his blood,” Josh says. “Hecan’t stay away. It’s what he loves.”

For Josh, it wasn’t necessarily a donedeal that he would enter the family busi-ness. An avid tennis player in college,Josh spent a year and a half atWimbledon in London as an intern inthe marketing department. But in theback of his mind he always knew thefamily business was there if he wanted it,

Members of the Garcia family, (from left) Josh, Jill and George, continue the family tradi-tion started by Jill’s father, Jack Grodzinsky, in offering quality food in large portions at anaffordable price at the Miracle Mile Delicatessen (photo by Teri Carnicelli).

CCOOMMEE UUSS!!Membership is available to all - you don’t need to be Italian to join.

7509 N. 12th St.602-944-3090 • www.azaiclub.org

BingoMondays and Fridays at 6 p.m., Sundays at 1 p.m. Over $3,000 in payouts each session.

Newly remodeled air conditioned room, snack bar and smoking patio.

EventsSaturday, Oct.6: Columbus Day Dinner & Dance featuring music by R & B PROJECT.

Appetizers, Baron of Beef, Chicken Piccata, Pasta Bolognese, Veggies and Salad. Dinner at 6 p.m.,music at 7:30 p.m. $25 per person advance ticket purchase only at the club by Wed, Oct. 3.

Friday, Oct. 12: Buffett & music by The Gina DeFazio Band. Buffet at 5:30, music at 7:30 $11 per person.

Friday, Oct. 26: The Second AAIC Wine Class and Tasting featuring “The Wines of Italy.”Come taste and learn about the different regions of Italian wines. 5:30 to 7:00 p.mAdvance tickets only available at the club for $20 per person with light appetizers.

Friday, Oct. 26: Halloween buffet and dance featuring The Rocket 88’s! Dinner starts at 5:30 p.m., music starts at 7:30 p.m. Come dressed for Halloween!

$11 per person, no advance tickets. GET THERE EARLY FOR A SEAT!

Saturday, Nov. 10: Rare Fine Art Exhibit & Offering from the “Barr Collection” 1 p.m. to 6 p.m Come meet the artist, Gary Barr and enjoy light h’ordeuvres. $5 donation to charity.

North Central News, October 2012 – Page 43

and his business administration degreefrom University of Redlands gave himthe training he needed, on top of his life-time exposure to the restaurant business.

“I remember sitting on a pickle bar-rel behind the line doing my home-work as a kid,” Josh recalls. “I grew upin this place, and I still love it here.”

So, too, do a lot of the regular cus-tomers, who come in almost daily. If youwant to know what the most popularmenu item is, just stand in one of thetwo serving lines and listen. Day in andday out, it’s “The Straw”—a hot pastra-mi sandwich with sauerkraut and meltedSwiss on rye or your choice of bread.Josh says that on average Miracle Milegoes through two tons (that’s 4,000pounds) of pastrami every month, com-bined between the two locations.

It’s hard to get good pastrami, hepoints out. At Miracle Mile, it’s servedthe way it should be—steamed to keepit moist and then sliced when you orderit. “How many people have a meatsteamer at their home?” he points out.“We do all the work for you and ittastes like it was meant to taste.”

Miracle Mile is not just a sandwich(and burger and kosher hot dog) place.Every day customers can order hotentrees such as homemade macaroniand cheese and Hungarian-style stuffedcabbage, along with daily specials.

The menu hasn’t changed substan-tially in 60-plus years. But Josh knowsthat the Colonnade location appeals toa business lunch demographic as well ascasual lunch diners, and has put hismarketing background to good use,adding social media tools to the e-mailblasts that tout upcoming specials.“We’re trying to get the younger gener-ation to know about Miracle Mile aswell,” he explains.

He’s also looking to add a few newsandwich and salad selections to themenu before the end of the year, someof which take advantage of the popularavocado and bacon trends but with aSouthwestern flair. “We like to keepsome of our menu options fresh andcurrent,” he points out.

Hours are 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m.Monday through Saturday, and 11a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. For more informa-tion, visit www.miraclemiledeli.com orcall 602-776-0992.

www.northcentralnews.net

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Dining BriefsMary Coyle donatesMondays to nonprofits

Mike Stoffey, owner of Mary Coyle‘Ol Fashion Ice Cream Parlor, hasannounced that beginning Oct. 1 therestaurant will be closed each Mondayto all walk-in business. However, theice cream parlor will “open” 6 to 9 p.m.to host fundraising events for any localphilanthropic entity.

“We will open for any pre-sched-uled and appropriate nonprofit entityto host a fund-raising ice-cream social,”Stoffey explained. During these events,20 percent of all proceeds will be givento the nonprofit.

Mary Coyle ‘Ol Fashion Ice CreamParlor is located at 5521 N. 7th Ave. Tobook a Monday night fund-raisingevent, call Ed Kolesar, general manager,at 602-265-6266.

‘Pink bagel’ featuredat Paradise Bakery

Paradise Bakery & Café is bringingback its popular Pink Ribbon Bagel forthe month of October as the cafés joinin the fight against breast cancer.

The Cherry Vanilla Bagel is formedin the shape of a ribbon and enhancedwith a mix of cherry chips, dried cher-ries, cranberries, vanilla, honey andbrown sugar. A portion of the sale ofeach bagel ($1.25) benefits the SusanG. Komen Foundation.

Paradise Bakery & Cafe has loca-tions at 12th Street and GlendaleAvenue, and the Arizona Biltmoreshopping center at 24th Street andCamelback Road. For more informa-tion, visit www.paradisebakery.com.

High tea returnsto the Biltmore

Though afternoon tea at theArizona Biltmore is a tradition datingback to 1929, the experience changeseach year. On the menu for the 83rdseason are an array of black, green andwhite teas and infusions, a selection oftea sandwiches and salads, and freshlybaked scones and desserts. The dessertmenus will be themed seasonally.

Afternoon tea is served Thursdaythrough Sunday from Nov. 1 throughMay 11, 2013, with two seating times:12 and 2 p.m. Cost is $36 per person,or $46 with a cocktail; children under12 are $26. Tax and gratuity are addi-tional. Reservations are strongly recom-mended. Call 602-381-7632.

COUPON GOOD ONLY 6:00 PM TILL CLOSING ANY DAYGOOD THROUGH NOVEMBER 1, 2012

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For local restaurant listings,visit our Dining Guide at

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