Category Archives: Dessert
CloverEats: bacon and maple syrup waffles at Ann Arbor’s new Wafel Shop!
Are you a waffle person or a pancake person? Both types of people seem pretty adamant about their breakfast carb of choice, but I believe that Ann Arbor’s just-opened Wafel Shop will sway a fair share of folks over to the waffle side. The smell of batter cooking swarmed us as soon as we walked into the cozy little space next to the robot shop. There was a little bit of a wait; it seemed like the restaurant was still working out some kinks, but after I bit into my Liege with bacon and maple syrup, all of that was meaningless. What was this amazing flavor in my mouth? There was the inherent sweetness of the Liege waffle, with the smoky bacon and sweet syrup mingling in a way that was nothing short of perfect.
Unfortunately, there was no Brussels batter when we arrived, but after we finished our first course, we immediately ordered another waffle, this time with Brussels batter. While the Brussels waffle comes out larger, I have to say I liked the flavor of the Liege better. It was denser, and I felt the topping distribution ended up at a better ratio. I’ve spent the day telling everyone about this new treat, and will definitely return soon. Next time, I want to try the Biscoff spread!
Check them out on Yelp!
CloverSnacks: Ann Arbor’s Cupcake Station!
In undergrad, I got introduced to Chicago’s amazing cupcake scene. Every time I took the bus downtown, I’d drop by MORE. In Ann Arbor, there’s unfortunately no Sprinkles or Molly’s Cupcakes, but there is the cute Cupcake Station. There are specials for each day of the week, ranging from $2 cupcakes on Tuesdays to buy 2, get 1 free on Wednesday. They also have cute games at the tables, and a nice variety of flavors capable of satisfying my cupcake cravings. Yum! Check them out on Yelp or at their official website!
CloverEats: amazing pastries and palm trees at Dearborn’s Shatila!
This is the second half to this last post. The culinary adventure continued with Shatila, the largest bakery I’ve ever been to. There are literally palm trees inside, as well as a vast array of pastries ranging from European to Middle Eastern. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here.
Delicious, beautiful, and also cheap! What more do you want? Check them out on Yelp or at their official website!
Restaurant Week: The Black Pearl
Fred took me to The Black Pearl once for drinks and chocolate mousse, which were both delicious. I loved the wooden fans that hovered over the bar, and how the front opens on warm summer days, but we never got the chance to have a full meal there. With Restaurant Week kicking in, we took the opportunity to try it out for real this time. We made reservations for dinner at 6PM, ordering off of the Restaurant Week special $25 flat rate menu. (Do you guys have any recommendations for Restaurant Week-participating restaurants to try?)
Maybe it’s because we sat tucked into a corner, but we got completely overlooked by the wait staff for the first 30 minutes. We had to go up to the maitre d’ (who, to her credit, apologized profusely). I got the salad, ribs, and brownie combo, and Fred ended up ordering a hamburger off the regular menu. Our “grapefruitini” and chocolate/vanilla/coffee brownie dessert were both good! The actual entrees were of nice quality but not particularly delicious, though to be fair, we completely bypassed the seafood in a self-defined “Seafood and Martini Bar.”
Check out The Black Pearl on Yelp or their official website.
Snapshot: dry ice milk shake at Ann Arbor’s Vinology!
I really love the decorations at Vinology, especially this broken tree piece. I like the pieces of wood against a brick background, and I like how it descends over the stairs. If only I could decorate my apartment without worrying about dismantling or damaging the property!
We ordered a carafe of Riesling to share, and it was sweet and delicious! Sorry for the low quality of the photos; they were taken with the iPhone rather than the Rebel XTi. I’m really looking forward to exploring Vinology’s wine list, which was quite extensive!
Last time, we sat next to a party which ordered the cheese tray, and it looked so good we had to try it out! I love varied platters like this, though all the cheeses were a little too salty for my taste.
Dinner itself was savory, as always, but my favorite part was dessert! I ordered the “Castaway,” after reading about it on The Food and Wine Hedonist - basically, it’s frozen coconut dipped in chocolate and nuts, and it comes out looking like a coconut! It gets cracked with a chisel and a mallet right next to your table, which is really fun to watch. We also ordered a “dry ice milkshake,” which is whipped up also right next to your table. Delicious! Check out Vinology on Yelp or its official website!
CloverSnacks: froyo+mochi at Ann Arbor’s Lab Cafe
Hip!
My favorite feature of Ann Arbor is how late everything is open. For a late-night study break, Lab Cafe is right down the street from Phi Rho, and UAAMSA members get a 10% discount! I really like all the strange modern/progressive videos they have projected onto the wall behind the counter. One time, it was the original “Tron”! Another time, metal car-creatures dissolved into droplets that became whale-like animals that then became wolves running through a forest, with plants growing everywhere they stepped…
There's always something interesting playing at Lab Cafe.
Lab Cafe is mostly known for their coffee, but we always go for their frozen yogurt! The yogurt is self-serve, with a variety of flavors cycling through the machines. They range from normal ones like vanilla to really interesting ones like chile-chocolate and pumpkin!
Rainbow mochi! Omnomnom.
I don’t think anything can fully recapture that fateful summer in Evanston when I discovered Red Mango…for several weeks, I went there every single day after lunch for a cup of delicious original frozen yogurt; it was the perfect balance between sweet and tart, between rich and light. But for Ann Arbor, Lab Cafe is hip, cool, and convenient! Check them out on Yelp or at their official website!
CloverDesserts: chocolate and spanish coffee at Ann Arbor’s La Dolce Vita!
Couches and little tables.
A little joint half-attached to Chop House, La Dolce Vita is a dessert-only venue! Seats are low, sometimes just couches, and the whole restaurant is pretty dimly lit in a dark, sweet atmosphere. Since dessert is my favorite part of the meal, I couldn’t believe my luck when I found out about La Dolce Vita!
Spanish coffee! Flamed!
For drinks, we got spanish coffee, the preparation of which involves flames and sparks! It was definitely a great performance on the waitress’ part; I videotaped it on my tiny camera, sorry for the bad quality. My favorite part is when the cinnamon lights up!
Beautiful!
For the actual dessert, we got an amazing molten chocolate brownie. It was beautifully presented, and absolutely melted in the mouth. Delicious chocolatey goodness!
Gooey deliciousness!
Check it out on Yelp; the official website!
CloverCooks: chocolate chip cookies!
Eggs, butter, salt, flour...
I am very excited to present to you guys the first ever baking post in CloverEats! Struck by a late-night craving for chocolate chip cookies, we hunted through Phi Rho supplies for cookie-making materials: butter, check; flour, check; sugar, check; eggs, check.
From the quagmire, a semblance of cookie appears.
At first, it looked like there was going to end up being way too much dry material, but eventually, we got something that appeared to be cookie dough-esque.
Plating the cookies...
Aaaand the final masterpiece, along with a Princess Peach inspired note. Everything took a lot shorter than I expected, which makes me want to bake more and more!
The final masterpiece!
Recipe from 101 Cookbooks, one of my favorite cooking blogs with beautiful photography!
Snapshots: unique and accessible treats at “Frita Batidos”
Frita Batidos glows outside, and has a small window where orders can be placed.
The mini bar offers an assortment of drinks.
It is always crowded!
Limes, salt, and bottled water line the wall next to each bench. I love the decorations here!
Our coconut and passionfruit milkshake!
Our newest discovery: warm, fluffy cinnamon-orange churros with super viscous chocolate espanol. Amazing! We've already hiked all the way down here on three separate occasions just for these!
Check them out on Yelp or their official website!
