To say Moro's Dining in Allen Park is one of a kind is just not good enough. From the tuxedoed front-of-house staff, to the focus table-side presentations, Moro's is fine dining in execution. Don't let the tuxedos (servers' uniform) fool you though, there is no pretentiousness to be found at Moro's.
Every single person who steps through the door is treated like family.
Like their impressive attention to hospitality detail, Moro's entire staff has been trained in a most comprehensive manner. Anyone who waits tables has worked up to that position, so they have literally worked every other job in the restaurant. “Captain of the Dining Room” Mark Luecke started as a dishwasher decades ago and now he is steering the ship.
Luecke's brand of hospitality is brilliant in its conciseness, “Treat the famous people like normal people and the normal people like famous people.”
Just to reiterate, “every job in the restaurant,” means just that – all of the servers have been cooks, so serving is the ultimate goal of any Moro's employee. Luecke talked about their hiring of one sixteen-year-old each year in the hopes of grooming that person to eventually become a server.
In the restaurant industry it's crucial to make sure your customers are happy, but oftentimes employees can be neglected. At Moro's, employee training and growth are foundational to their business and it shows in how customers are treated and in employee interactions with other employees.
It is my belief that great service is exceedingly important to a restaurant's survival, but another equally important part is, of course, the food. Moro's menu is unique in that there is a regular menu that has not changed much in thirty-five years plus of business and that menu is augmented by a ten to fifteen item specials menu that is never on paper. This means the servers commit the specials menu to memory each night, a technique that breathes life into the nightly specials rather than simply seeing the items printed on an 8.5 X 11 sheet of paper.
Specials range from Italian to Hungarian to Greek with at least a couple of fresh fish dishes too.
Really, every dish on Moro's menu is special. Soup, their biggest selling item, is made from luscious house-made stocks. Don't miss the Swiss Onion, it's a richer, beefier version of French Onion without the cheese and it is topped with tremendously crunchy croutons. Every entrée includes salad, soup, bread and butter, vegetable and potato. “You will never leave hungry,” Luecke says, “You will probably bring food home, too.”
Don't expect to pay exorbitant prices either – the vast majority of Moro's menu is priced under $30. Speaking of entrées, the cannelloni is a must-order. Handmade pasta is wrapped around a mixture of seasoned beef and veal then topped with with bolognese and a touch of béchamel for creaminess. It is a comforting dish that sounds heavier than it is. More importantly, it reminded me of my grandmother's cooking, which is the highest compliment I can give any Italian cooking.
Along with this incredible pasta, don't skip the fantastic house salad that is prepared table side – it is included with the cannelloni of course. Cherries Jubilee is also prepared table side and should be experienced once if only for the theatrics (don't worry, it's delicious too).
Maybe I haven't been clear enough, but there is no place in the metro Detroit area like Moro's.
Maybe it's strange to say that about a place in Allen Park, but that location makes sense (they are only 10 minutes from Detroit Metro Airport). Regardless of location, Moro's Dining is truly one of the best values around. Exquisite food, impeccable service, and a welcoming atmosphere make Moro's a place that should be visited not just once, but multiple times a year.
Where to go
Moro's Dining
Morosdining.comAddress
6535 Allen Road
Allen Park, MI 48101Phone: (313) 382-7152
Hours
Monday-Friday: 11:00am - 10:00pm
Saturday: 4:00pm - 10:00pm
Sunday: 2:00pm - 9:00pm
