Steven Lelli's Inn On the Green — Restaurant in Farmington Hills

Not only is this a "destination" restaurant you'd be proud to bring your out of town guests, Lelli's has an unparalleled pedigree and holds a ranking high among the legendary and award-winning Detroit area dining establishments.

Here's a twist, I was one of Lelli's tuxedo-clad waiters several years ago, and by the end of this August, 2018...have I got something for all the patrons of Lelli's to read. While diners can hide behind their reviews, authors cannot hide behind their words.

Feeding the mAsses (No, mAsses is not a typo, look closely) is a compilation of true stories about people at their weirdest and worst while dining out; many of which occurred while I "served" at Lelli's.

If you think these 1 and 2-Star Reviews are nasty, wait until you read about some of the people I've served in that glorious restaurant.

As for the food...I defy anyone to find a more delectable Chateaubriand on the planet; and few places can compare to Lelli's minestrone and other long held family recipes.

As for the servers and their service...as I say in my book...EVERYONE should be made to wait tables for two straight weeks before dining out next; you'd be amazed at what an unbelievably difficult job serving strangers is, and you might even think twice before submitting a scathing review.

I consider waiting tables to be among the noblest professions. They say that if you can become a competent server, and Lelli's takes pride in hiring only the best servers in the metropolitan area, you can handle ANY job; because there's so much multitasking involved during the course of a shift on the dining room floor.

Lastly, Mark Zarkin is among the last of the great restaurateurs. His hospitality and affability are strong suits as is Fran's attention to every finite detail at the host stand and throughout the restaurant.

If you read all of the lower-starred reviews, you owe it to yourself to read this glowing one. Cheers to all my old Lelli's peeps. I hope to be stopping by soon with my bride. Stay well. I KNOW you EAT well! And that ain't "Fake News!"

PS: After reading some of the reviews I stumbled upon one written by a person I served. Not coincidentally, his rating was 1-Star. And, guess what, the full and "TRUE STORY" of what happened that night at that person's table is one of the favorites of mine in my book. Another coincidence? I think not. Perhaps I'll include their review...

Not what it used to be. Steak was flavorless and semi-tough. Sea bass was good (not great), yet overpriced ($90). Wait staff CONTINUALLY inquired about our reason for dining out ("Is it a special occasion? Someone's birthday?"), even though we repeatedly answered that we were just celebrating friendship. It started to seem awkward and pushy, like they wanted to sell us a cake or bottle of champagne. This was especially difficult to manage with a member of our party is in the early stages of cognitive decline. The insistence of the wait staff began causing confusion. The total bill came to $500 for four people, no alcohol, with a couple of desserts. Add the 20% tip, and that's $150 per person. Perhaps the entryway filled with private wine lockers labeled with the owners' names could have been our chance to evaluate the situation and go elsewhere. This is an overpriced imposter of what a true 'fancy' dining experience should be, riding out a rich legacy, coasting through on name-dropping and table-side hawking to pad the bill. Lelli's is not what I remember it to be. After decades of visiting Lelli's in various locations, we all agreed this would be our last. Update In response to Lelli's answer to my review, I will include the following: After asking about the Sea Bass on the menu (listed price around $62), we were told it was one of the daily specials. Two of us ordered that. Yet, when our bill arrived, we were charged $90 for each of those dinners, not including side dishes. When we asked for the desert to be sent back to be warmed, we were met with resistance and told that it was 'supposed to be a warm/cold combo'. Understood, however, there was no 'warm' to it. If your defense to our experience is that we should have been more assertive, then perhaps you're missing the points made. I don't wish to be on my guard during an elegant evening of dining. I come prepared to pay well for a relaxing, rewarding culinary experience. I do hope others can and will continue to leave honest, positive reviews when they...

I’ve visited Steven Lelli’s on the Green many times, celebrating significant events like my birthday and my brother’s bar mitzvah. I was excited to return, expecting the stellar service I’ve always experienced. Unfortunately, our New Year’s Eve visit was a huge disappointment.

Although I understand it was a busy night, we were seated 30 minutes late, which wasn’t a big issue, but the problems only escalated. I informed the waiter about my celiac disease and need for gluten-free food. When I asked if a drink was gluten-free, he shrugged and said, “I have no idea, I’m too busy.” I ordered a safe drink, but this set the tone for the evening.

I ordered a dish I’ve had here before, confident it could be made gluten-free, but when it arrived, the pasta looked identical to their regular spaghetti. I asked the waiter if it was gluten-free, and he assured me it was. After one bite, I felt something was wrong. The manager came over and assured me it was safe, offering to remake it. When the new dish arrived, the pasta was penne. I asked again if the original dish had gluten, and the manager again insisted it didn’t. He comped the meal, but I had already lost my appetite. Later that night, I was vomiting and experiencing severe GI issues, with lingering abdominal pain and facial hives the next day.

What ruined the experience was the manager’s repeated lies about the safety of my food. To make matters worse, we were charged $20 for valet service, but the attendant later said it should’ve only been $10 and when we questioned him, he quickly changed his answer to $20 leaving for an uncomfortable end to the evening.

I called the restaurant later in the week, when a different manager confirmed they only serve one type of gluten-free pasta: penne. This confirmed I was misled and gaslit about my food’s safety.

For a restaurant of this caliber, it’s incredibly disappointing to feel both unsafe and scammed. After celebrating many milestones here, I regret to say I won’t...