Clover Eats!
Sharing restaurant experiences through photography!
Snapshot: Beezy’s Cafe in Ypsilanti
It was a rainy day when I walked into the bright and cheerful Beezy’s. The chalkboard menu seemed to be very vegetarian-friendly, although I didn’t personally try any of those dishes.
The cashier happily informed me that they did not carry any diet sodas, because it was unnatural, but suggested I try their homemade iced tea, which was crisp and refreshing.
I ordered a bacon/lettuce/tomato/avocado sandwich on their veggie bread, which turned out to be delicious.
CloverEats: brunch at Jefferson Market and Cakery in Ann Arbor
I hadn’t previously heard about Jefferson Market and Cakery, but stumbled upon it during a search for Ann Arbor’s best brunch places. It’s a little bit away from the downtown area, in the Old West Side neighborhood, which meant parking was wonderfully available. The atmosphere was very sweet and cute. We arrived shortly after it opened at 10AM on Sunday, and it was already bustling with activity. There isn’t a lot of seating available, but one of the servers helped us rearrange some chairs so that we could sit together at the community table.
CloverEats: bd’s Mongolian Grill in Ann Arbor
I had been to bd’s Mongolian Grill a few times when I first moved to Ann Arbor, but hadn’t been there recently. They graciously invited me out to try some of their new menu items, and participate in their June stamp rewards card program! We went for dinner during the middle of the week, and had a great time!
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CloverDrinks: Glassbox Coffee & Juice in Ann Arbor
This month, my fiancé is working in the ICU, and I’m taking a break to study for my boards. He leaves at 6 in the mornings and sometimes doesn’t get home until 10, so it feels like my undergrad days, when I was living by myself. It’s actually been really peaceful to spend my mornings at home, with the cats following me around everywhere, studying at my desk with my laptop and a cup of coffee. However, by afternoon, I get antsy and go out looking for somewhere fresh to study. On one of these afternoons, I found Glassbox. It’s in the Arbor Hills Crossing little mall on Washtenaw, so there’s always parking to be found.
I love the wide open space of Glassbox. The modern furniture, the high ceilings, the giant windows. The wifi is speedy, and my drink, although a hefty $6.50, was smooth and delicious.
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CloverEats: Mark’s Carts in Ann Arbor
I love how Ann Arbor is fully of little secrets. I had seen Mark’s Carts on Yelp before, but had never been able to find them. It turns out they’re tucked next to the parking lot off of Main Street, and are not open during the winter. There’s a huge variety of cuisines, everything from Indian Fusion to Grilled Cheese. Delicious! To be honest, a bunch of these photos are actually from last year, and this year the carts have switched up. I especially like Beetbox’s beet juice, San Street’s buns, and the “nutrilicious” Shanu Chaat from Hut-k. The new dumplings from are also tasty, and you can get them either steamed for fried! I was less impressed with the bacon-wrapped dates from Simply Spanish, a dish that I learned to love from Tapas Barcelona in Evanston. The horchata from El Manantial was super refreshing on a warm summer evening. On cooler days, they’ll sometimes light up a fireplace. It’s especially fun to go on the nights that they have live music or dancing. Overall, Mark’s Carts is an amazing place to grab a bunch of different food and chat with friends. Plus, Bill’s Beer Garden is right next door! Check them out on Yelp, Facebook, or at their official website!
CloverSnacks: Dom Bakeries in Ypsi
I love a good donut, and Dom’s never fails to deliver. It’s a bit of a drive to get there, but there are always delicious donuts available. Dom’s has an interesting schedule – rather than waking up early to make donuts in the morning, they start making their donuts in the evening. They have a 24-hour drive-through, but only accept cash. They’re very affordable as well. I’ve heard great things about their apple fritters, but haven’t tried one myself. I can’t decide if I like them or Washentaw Dairy more. Check them out on Yelp!
CloverEats: Cafe Zola in Ann Arbor
I love interesting light fixtures. Cafe Zola is often cited as being one of the best brunch places in town, and while there’s always a wait on the weekends, I believe it’s worth it. Their Southwestern Omelette, is “filled with chorizo, roasted poblano chiles, sour cream, pico de gallo, and topped with Jason’s Spicy Green Chile Sauce.” It’s bursting with flavor and very filling!
Special Guest Feature! FredEats: Exotic Bakeries & Syrian Cuisine
CloverEats: Bigalora, Wood Fired Cucina, in Ann Arbor
I really loved the space of Bigalora, the wide open area. Everyone was completely focused on a basketball game when we came in, but once it ended, the atmosphere became more relaxed. I love, love, love the bar setup with a ladder!
I remember the first time I saw this kind of bottle at Frita Batidos a few years ago, but now I feel like they are everywhere. It’s nice to have a carafe at our table because my boyfriend always drinks both his glass and my glass of water at a rate that’s always faster than we get refills.
I really like how this pic I took of the ovens through a piece of glass turned out, with the television reflected on it.
I read good things about the brussels sprouts on Yelp, and recently had an amazing experience with brussels sprouts at Aventura. However, not only were these extremely hot, they were quite bland and flavorless. The pancetta it was served with was extremely salty.
Being Clover, I had to order the Clover Club Cocktail, made with gin, raspberry syrup, lemon, and egg white. It tasted rather watery.
My boyfriend’s Strozzapreti norcina, with very tasty bacon sausage, tomato, cream, and white truffle oil. The noodles were interesting, and the sauce was amazing, but because the noodles were so long, it was hard to get a good sauce to noodle ratio.
The mozzarella on my margherita pizza was amazing, but the dough was very plain and flat and there was a lot of crust. I don’t like crust, and in this case, felt like I skipped over half the pizza. Each slice only provided two to three bites, and I ate the whole thing without feeling like I ate anything. In other news, I got a new 50mm f/2.5 macro lens, and I love how details turn out with it. I prefer Mani’s pizzas.
This was the very intriguing Ultraviolence cocktail, served with a big piece of hibiscus raspberry ice. The drink came in two separate containers, and out waitress mixed them at the table, explaining that the flavor of the cocktail would change as the ice melted. It was a very strong drink, and unfortunately didn’t let enough raspberry flavor through, even once the ice had melted.
Lastly, our giant salted caramel parfait dessert, which was amazing. The brittle and ice cream went together perfectly, and there was just the right amount of salt.
Our final bill came to about $70 for the two of us, although we had cocktails, an appetizer, and a dessert, more than we usually get with a meal. Our waitress was very attentive and prompt. It was overall a good experience. Check them out on Yelp or at their website!
Snapshot: Glass House Cafe in Ann Arbor
There have been many reviews of Glass House Cafe criticizing its price, service, and food. However, I rather enjoyed my experience there. It’s at a really convenient location, and the space is full of light. Our waitress was kind enough to push two tables together for our large party, and although a little on the slower side, we were in no rush. Three people at our table got the special, a tilapia burger with chips, which according to them was not particularly flavorful. My mac and cheese was delicious, with sweet potato crisps and scallion that really elevated the dish. Things came to what I thought was a reasonable price. It’s not a restaurant I would go out of my way to visit, but with a great location, it’s not somewhere I would protest eating at. Check them out on Yelp or at their official website!
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