JOHN GRAP/THE ENQUIRER Temo Perez of D'nicio's Koney Island lights up a saganaki, a Greek dish, at the restaurant in the Minges Creek Plaza. D'nicio's serves specialty items, from Coney Island hotdogs to juicy gyros. PLACE: D'nicio's Koney Island LOCATION: Minges Creek Plaza, 5420 Beckley Road. HOURS: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Takeout available. AMBIANCE: Diner style, sit down service. PRICES: Hot dogs and sandwiches, $1.30 to $5.45; meals, $3.85 to $6.85. CREDIT CARDS: Cash only ALCOHOL/SMOKING: No CALL: 979-1016 TELL US: Want us to check a new diner or that place around the corner you've been thinking about going? Call 966-0697 or e-mail dcarter@battlecr.gannett.com.

But on Beckley Road, a small, unassuming restaurant offers a tasty Coney Island hot dog or a juicy gyro that would satisfy any Motor City native with a craving for this fast food treat.

D'nicio's Koney Island, at 5420 Beckley Road, opened late last year in the Minges Creek Plaza.

Art and Temo Perez had worked at a Greek-style restaurant for many years. The Perez brothers, who are Hispanic, had considered opening a Mexican restaurant but opted to stick with what they know.

Art Perez opened the restaurant, his first, after he noticed the coney competition was a bit light in Battle Creek. They had come from the Jackson area, where they would have had to compete with about six other similar restaurants.

D'nicio's offers a wide variety of sandwiches and Greek specialties, but its hard to resist the featured food. After all, you can go a dozen places in Battle Creek to get a burger.

The Coney Island chili has a good flavor, is enough to cover the hot dog, but not so sloppy it's impossible to eat. The combination platters are a good deal, although the fries are close to ordinary and the iceberg lettuce salad is justified only by the tangy Greek dressing.

What is really impressive is the gyro. The pita is soft and the meat is shaved from a rotisserie and grilled. It's not the lifeless, thin slivers of frozen meat that should be legally banned from any decent Coney Island. And the sauce -- oh, that precious cucumber and yogurt taziki sauce -- is mild and creamy. It melts its way into the meat and the bread, finishing the sandwich to near perfection.

The souvlaki sandwich -- kabobs on a pita -- is served pretty much the same way, but the cubes are a little tough, although flavorful.

The tiny space has about a dozen tables and the service is speedy and polite. Let them talk you into the rice pudding, which finishes off the meal nicely.

With plastic utensils and harsh florescent lighting, it's more a spot to pick up a snack after a trip to the mall or have a quick lunch than a place to impress a date. They offer takeout, which means you can wolf the messy fare in front of the television with juice dripping from your chin instead of trying to daintily nibble them in public.

The small diner is hard to find. It's sign should be up any day now, Temo Perez said. And while it's a delicious alternative to the Beckley Road chains, it's not the healthiest food in Cereal City.

Knowing this, you have to feel sorry for the clients of the weight loss clinic, which is located right next door.

Is there a new diner in your neighborhood? Wondering what restaurant to take her on the first date? Tell us about places you'd like to see featured in our eat&drink guide. Call 966-0697 or e-mail dcarter@battlecr.gannett.com

Originally published Thursday, April 24, 2003