Blog Archives
CloverEats: Restaurant Week at Ann Arbor’s Pacific Rim
Grilled lemongrass-marinated beef tenderloin strips, with julienned green papaya, cilantro, chopped peanuts and a spicy thai peanut sauce
Mixed spicy greens with roasted butternut squash, turnips, spiced pecans, blue cheese and a soy-balsamic vinaigrette
Thin slices of grilled Certified Angus ribeye, with sesame crispy rice, sautéed julienned vegetables, quail egg and Korean chili sauce
I have to say that, hands-down, Pacific Rim is my favorite restaurant in Ann Arbor. Unfortunately, their Restaurant Week menu doesn’t include my favorite Big Eye Tuna dish, but it’s always still delicious. This time around, we tried their take on Thai Iced Tea, which is always a favorite; it was every bit as flavorful as any Thai Iced Tea I have had, and somehow felt more wholesome. Check them out on Yelp, and book early if you want a table during Restaurant Week!
CloverEats: Ann Arbor’s Northside Grill
I love brunch. Not only is it nice and bright for photography, but if you go with your SO, you can split a savory dish and a sweet dish! Northside Grill is just on the outskirts of the White Coat Ghetto, and is very affordable for students. It might not offer a particularly wide array or fancy contemporary twists, but it’s a nice, classic diner. It’s got some cute rustic touches, and an absolutely amazing orange-squeezing machine that pumps out the sweetest, pulpiest, freshest orange juice you can imagine. Their ketchup also just happens to be a brand that I like. Check them out on Yelp!
CloverEats: Restaurant Week – pork belly at Ann Arbor’s Mani Osteria & Bar
Mani served up just the right amount of pork belly, with the most perfect marmalade-like sauce. As always, the pizza was wonderful. We also tried the sangria for the first time, and it was excellent. I love how Restaurant Week menus always have so many courses on them; otherwise, I’d just get a pizza and miss out on all the fascinating appetizers! We also got to talk to our waiter about Isalita, the new restaurant next door with the same owners. He was kind enough to give us their menu, and now it’s definitely on my list of new restaurants to visit. That, and Vellum.
Going back to Mani – I am normally not a fan of olives, but the little jars were filled with quite a few types, and they were surprisingly tasty! Check them out on Yelp or at their official website, and thanks to Claudia for organizing this!
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!
CloverEats: Restaurant Week – Ann Arbor’s Grange Kitchen and Bar
Surprisingly, the best part of this meal was the brussels sprouts. Granted, I think they were fried in butter, but they were delicious. The appetizers were an interesting array of sauce and bread, and the salad had some delightful candied walnuts, but really, the brussel sprouts were the best. Overall, I think I prefer their brunch to their dinner. Check out Grange on Yelp or at their official website.
CloverHearts: Ann Arbor’s SONGBiRD Cafe
In case the huge set of photos included in this post doesn’t give it away, I LOVE Songbird. I was on a big streak during our Neurological sequence, as evidenced by my brief but memorable Foursquare Mayorship. Today it was snowing, and on cold winter days I don’t think there is anything more comforting than a soy fig vanilla bell pepper latte and an amazing Turkey-Pistachio-fig spread-goat cheese sandwich. Unlike a lot of the cafes in Ann Arbor, Songbird has a lot of room, and although it gets busy around mealtimes, I’ve never had a problem finding a seat. I really love the design, the music is surprisingly similar to my own mixes, and the food is tasty and heart-warming. Check them out on Yelp or at their official website!
CloverEats: Restaurant Week – Ann Arbor’s Cafe Felix
Cafe Felix was nice enough the last time we visited, so we decided to go again for Restaurant Week with the badminton team. We had a good time, but I think there are nicer restaurant options available! Check them out on Yelp!
CloverEats: pho at Ann Arbor’s Saigon Garden
After a community health fair, a bunch of us got together for one of my favorite dishes, pho! I rarely venture to South U, so have never been to Saigon Garden. Almost our whole table got some variant of pho, see Figure 1. The host was very accommodating of our party of 12. Check them out on Yelp or at their official website!
CloverEats: Brunch at Ann Arbor’s The Raven’s Club
Last year, LivingSocial offered a deal for brunch at The Raven’s Club, including unlimited mimosas. I loved the decorations, and the food was delicious too! Check them out on Yelp or at their official website.
CloverEats: Brunch at Ann Arbor’s Grange Kitchen and Bar
Although we’d had dinner at the Grange before, their brunch was an entirely different experience. The breakfast sandwich that we got was absolute amazing, and the maple syrup was almost smoky. We also had a Restaurant.com coupon for this meal, placing it at a well-affordable level. Even though brunch has a tendency to be a leisurely meal that takes up most of a whole morning’s potential productivity, it’s still something I always like to indulge in. Yelp, website.
