Clover Eats!
Sharing restaurant experiences through photography!
CloverEats: Zingerman’s Roadhouse in Ann Arbor
Out on the west side, Zingerman’s Roadhouse is hard to miss. There’s a big, silver drive-through/walk-up trailer out in the front. Of course, it has all the zany illustrations that are characteristic to Zingerman’s franchise. I liked how the ground outside the restaurant was covered in oyster shells! (more…)
Grand opening! Blank Slate Creamery in Ann Arbor
Jenny and I woke up early this bright Sunday morning to get in line for the grand opening of Blank Slate Creamery! It’s at Liberty and First, just a block away from Mark’s Carts. There’s a small parking lot on site, but we parked at a lot a little bit away and walked over. We got there at 11, and there was already a long line, which only grew longer as the official opening time of 11:30 drew nearer. The first 300 people received freezer-safe cups with the store’s logo, which you can use to get extra ice cream!
CloverDrinks: Bill’s Beer Garden in Ann Arbor
Just a skip and a hop from Mark’s Carts, Bill’s Beer Garden is a much-loved outdoor space that serves beer. Set up in the parking lot of Downtown Home & Garden, it’s always buzzing with activity on warm summer nights. The local kitty, Luis, patrols the scene, where the line for beer can go all the way out the door. (more…)
KevinEats: Ginger Deli in Ann Arbor
Samples!
E. Liberty St. is quickly becoming a hub for trendy Asian eats near campus, with Slurping Turtle and Tomukun Korean Barbecue opening up recently and joining the already-present TK Wu and original Tomukun. Now we can add another name to the list: Ginger Deli. I first noticed Ginger Deli had opened at the corner of E. Liberty and Division when I was on my way to a group lunch at Mani Osteria. Intrigued by the long line outside the window counter, I decided to come back a few days later for lunch and yet another time with Clover.
Excellent takeout design
The concept can best be described as “takeaway Vietnamese food.” There is no real seating at Ginger Deli, only a couple tables on the sidewalk and a small counter by the walk-up window counter where you place your food order. When we went, they were still operating on a limited menu and in the process of easing into full service. The only banh mis available were the chicken and pork ones, which were good but small. The employees were eager to proffer that all the bread was baked in-house daily. Clover and I are both fans of pho, and I was excited to see that I’d now have a pho option for lunch within reasonable walking distance of the medical campus. Unfortunately, the pho was underwhelming due to a combination of tough beef and overcooked noodles that lacked sufficient bounce/chewiness/elasticity and tended to just fall apart.
Note the spork.
Snowmazing
However, I will definitely go back to Ginger for lunch and it’s for two reasons: the summer rolls and the “Snow-mazing.” The summer rolls are light and refreshing, packed with mint and veggies and shrimp and come with a spicy peanut dipping sauce that I really liked (disclaimer: it’s not actually that spicy at all). For me, four summer rolls would be a perfectly satisfying lunch! The “Snow-mazing” (an in-house name for the dessert) is a really interesting frozen, shaved dessert that’s lighter than ice cream but heavier than shaved ice. I’d recommend going with the Asian flavors like ginger, sweet red bean, or taro and adding condensed milk on top for a unique and delicious experience. Fittingly, the ginger flavor in particular was spectacular.
Check them out on Yelp, or at their website!
Enjoy Kevin’s writing style? Check out more of his posts here.
CloverEats: Palm Palace in Ann Arbor
Palm Palace is really very aptly named, it feels very much like a palace with lots of palm trees. It’s a nice location, with lots of decorations and a large space that would probably be good for large parties. We ordered a variety of dishes, and split a quart-sized smoothie among the five of us, which gave each of us just more than half a glass. There’s great bread puffs with garlic sauce provided at the beginning of the meal, and the shish tawook sandwich I got was quite tasty.
Ann Arbor Restaurant Week: Seva
Seva, Ann Arbor’s great vegetarian/vegan restaurant, recently closed their downtown Liberty St. location and moved to a much larger space at the Westgate Shopping Center, near Zingerman’s Roadhouse. We hadn’t gone there in a while, and thought a visit was much overdue, especially since their Restaurant Week menu featured a mole dish! (more…)
CloverSamples: the new Mainstreet Venture restaurant, Mezzevino
I believe the last time I tried a Mainstreet Ventures restaurant was back during my first year, when I moved to Ann Arbor. Mainstreet Ventures is the powerhouse behind the cluster of restaurants, mostly on Main St., that offer those great birthday days, 50% off for two, 33% off for three, etc. You know, Palio, Gratzi, Chop House – the big restaurants. The newest of these is Mezzevino, described as “small bites with big Mediterranean flavors” – it just opened this week! I got an email about it earlier this week and after reading their website and the three Yelp reviews, felt like I had to visit it. (more…)
CloverLearns: cooking classes with Chef Andy at Fustini’s
I’ve been a longtime fan of Fustini’s, the olive oil and vinegar shop in Kerrytown. Before I visited, I never realized just how much flavor you could infuse into one of these liquids. There are sample cups by each fustini, the large metal container, and the sommeliers are always offering mixture suggestions and ideas for cooking with the sauces.
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CloverEats: Zola Bistro at Arbor Hills Crossing in Ann Arbor
I like the new series of shops that have opened up in Arbor Hills Crossing. We had a big birthday dinner party at Zola Bistro, and it was nice to be able to have easy parking. We stopped by Lululemon, Madewell, and Anthropologie beforehand. I really liked how open the space was, but we arrived right around sunset, and the sun was directly in our eyes. There were shades covering the floor-to-ceiling windows, but they weren’t much help. I didn’t notice too many differences in the menu compared to Cafe Zola, although I’m sure there are a few dishes unique to Zola Bistro. I had a ginger hibiscus cocktail, which was quite tasty and refreshing. My tuna tartare was reasonable, the avocado was in good condition but the tuna was kind of tasteless and completely overwhelmed by the soy-yuzu vinaigrette. My boyfriend reported that his burger was okay. Lastly, while it’s always expected that things will take longer for large parties, the service was still on the slow side. It took almost three hours for our meal; we’ve eaten in large groups like this at other restaurants, and never felt like things were this slow. Overall, an okay meal with okay service, but at a great location. Check them out on Yelp or at their website!
CloverTravels: Riu Palace las Americas in Cancun, Mexico
We recently took a trip to an all-inclusive resort in Cancun. Breakfast and lunch were amazing buffets including delicious tropical fruits that I ate plates and plates of – guava! Passion fruit! Papaya! The sweetest mango! However, for dinner, the resort had several themed restaurants that one could book reservations for. I was surprised by how tasty and well-plated some of the dishes we had were!
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