Clover Eats!
Sharing restaurant experiences through photography!
CloverEats: bibimbop at Bell’s Diner in Ann Arbor
Recently, I watched the film, “Jiro Dreams of Sushi,” and found the sheer passion surrounding food to be overwhelming. I’ve written about the film on my movie review blog, but it felt out of place to talk there about how the film affected me on a more personal level. I highly recommend the film if you haven’t seen it yet! In addition to sharing a unique story, it has such excellent visuals – the cinematography really brings the sushi to life. It inspired me and reminded me of how much joy I find in sharing my restaurants experiences with others through photography. If you’ve seen some of my older posts, you’ll notice that I used to be a lot more rigorous, breaking down experiences into categories – I used to take notes and just use my iPhone for pictures. Over time, I found that writing these detailed critiques grew tiring, and that I got more pleasure from photography. Some of my favorite food photography blogs are 101 Cookbooks, Bunny and Pork Belly, and Smitten Kitchen.
That all being said, Bell’s Diner is one of my favorite Korean places in Ann Arbor. It’s in a very humble location, and the inside kind of feels like someone’s kitchen at home. It’s not fancy by any means, but the service is always nice and speedy. The kimchi here is absolutely amazing, with crisp cucumbers and just the right amount of heat. Their bibimbop is delicious, and you can get it with brown rice. Their gochujang has the perfect ratio of spicy to sweet. They also have a wide variety of typical diner fare, which I can’t speak for, as I haven’t really forayed into that realm, given the excellence of their bibimbop. I have tried their waffles before, and love the thick whipped cream that they use. It’s a bit of a drive to get to Bell’s, and sometimes it’s really busy on weekends, but the food is good and the price can’t be beat. Check them out on Yelp!
CloverHearts: Valentine’s Day tasting menu at Pacific Rim
I don’t know how far my boyfriend had to book these in advance, but we got reservations to Pacific Rim’s Valentine’s Day tasting menu! I’ve mentioned before how Pacific Rim is one of my favorite restaurants in Ann Arbor, and it never fails to disappoint. Everything was perfect, and as always, the service was superb. Although I was initially hesitant to go for the multi-course tasting menu, the portions were just the right size. It’s definitely on the pricey side, but what a treat it is! We’ve been so busy this year that we haven’t had the chance to go out very often, especially compared to when we were first and second years. I suppose the timing of this post also reveals what a long backlog of photos I haven’t gotten around to processing. Happy belated Valentine’s Day, everyone! And hail to what hopefully is the end of a very long Michigan winter!
Restaurant Week; other visit. Yelp; website!
CloverEats: What Crepe? in Ann Arbor
Atmosphere: I liked the frosted glass and detailed decorations. We went while it was still light out, so things seemed a little too bright; I think everything would have looked nicer at night.
Drinks: My boyfriend drinks ridiculous amounts of water with meals, so it was nice to have an entire carafe at our table. In terms of cocktails, I originally ordered a martini, but the bar turned out to be out of Valentine White Blossom vodka, so I had a Strawberry Fields instead. Our waiter was very excited to make the drink, so I felt too bad to tell him it tasted like water.
This beautiful crepe was actually supposed to go to the table next to us. Luckily, we spent a long time taking pictures of it and hadn’t taken a bite before it was sent to its correct owners.
The Green Goat: chicken, bacon, green apples, caramelized onions, mixed greens, goat cheese, roasted garlic, and shallot vinaigrette. We opted to spend an extra $1 to have this crepe made with buckwheat, and it was very tasty! The goat cheese and green apples were the most distinct parts of this dish.
The Honey Bear: raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, peanut butter (we substituted Nutella), honey, and graham crackers crumbs. The honey and graham cracker crumbs were perfect together, and while the fruit did not make a huge appearance, this crepe was delicious!
Service: Our waiters were very nice and earnest, but made some beginner mistakes, like trying to take our menus before getting our orders. However, it wasn’t anything that detracted from our overall experience, if anything, it was kind of cute; it was clear they were trying to make sure everything went well!
Price: Our meal came to a total around $40; many Yelp reviews criticize What Crepe? for being too pricey for their portion size. However, I enjoyed both crepes, and didn’t think the bill was too unreasonable.
Overall: This feels like a restaurant that just opened, rather than one that has been working for a while, but maybe things will improve over time. There are a lot of negative reviews on Yelp, which may have lowered my expectations, but I like the concept and had a pretty good experience!
Check them out on Yelp or at their official website!
CloverEats: Zamaan Cafe in Ann Arbor
I’m afraid that when I leave Ann Arbor, I’ll never again be able to find such delicious shawarma. It’s extra garlicky here, which I love. The smoothies were refreshing, and the Turkish coffee was strong. It’s always pretty quiet when I eat here, so I’ve never had a problem with service. Some restaurants have giant chicken shawarma wraps, which I always have trouble finishing, so I like how Zamaan Cafe’s wraps are just a little on the small side. It’s cheap, quick, and tasty! Check them out on Yelp!
CloverEats: Amadeus in Ann Arbor
In days where restaurants are all about fusion or new, experimental foods, it’s nice to once in a while visit a restaurant with a dedicated cuisine like Amadeus. The restaurant was described by one reviewer as feeling like someone’s house, albeit someone with a nice house. It’s very cozy and somewhat rustic, and as far as I know, is one of the only restaurants in the city that focuses on Eastern European food. Everything we had was hearty and wholesome; I felt like very little was fried or oily. I got the Polish Plate, which included a wide range of foods: grilled polish sausage (kielbasa), Golabek (stuffed cabbage roll), Bigos (pork sauerkraut stew), and one pierogi (I got mushroom at our waitress’ recommendation). Nothing was really outstanding, unfortunately, but I liked being able to try a little but of everything. On the other hand, our dessert was amazing! The bill was a little expensive, and I felt we were the youngest diners there. I’ve read about their Budapest brunch and would love to come back sometime when the piano is playing. Check them out on Yelp or at their website!
CloverEats: sushi and shabu shabu at Saica in Ann Arbor
I read an article a while ago that talked about the rise of sushi. The concept is certainly unusual – what other meat do we eat raw on such a regular basis? How can it be clean? Wouldn’t it taste strange? And yet, in recent years, sushi has become more and more present in the culinary world; it feels like there are more sushi restaurants than most other category of restaurants. It is interesting that all sushi restaurants seem to follow a similar format – a sheet from which you can order rolls/sashimi/etc, a miso soup and ginger salad appetizer, an emphasis on beautiful plating, and of course, classic American rolls like the California or Philadelphia. Over the years, I have found myself moving away from maki and ordering a sake don – salmon sashimi over a bed of sushi rice. That all being said, Saica is a great place to order takeout from, but when we do come and dine in, we like to get hot sake and shabu shabu. It’s no Little Fat Lamb, but it does the job on a cold winter night. Check them out on Yelp or at their official website!
Special Guest Feature! KevinTastes: Aventura in Ann Arbor
In 2014, some people may have noticed an enormous new “TAPAS” sign lighting up E Washington St at night. I have a love obsession with Spanish tapas, and why not? Small plates, big variety, and a fun experience every time. I’ve been to Aventura a couple times already, and it always takes me on an exhilarating taste adventure as its name promises. The seating upstairs is loud, very crowded, and lively which may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the restaurant has space downstairs for larger, private parties. Aventura makes its own tonic water for its gin and tonics, and they were delicious (though buyer beware: the gin and tonics are really more like cocktails). Plus, the normally pricey $12ish dollar drinks are only $5 during Happy Hour, M-F before 6pm.
This time we went for the cochinillo (suckling pig) and ordered a variety of accompaniments to go with it. I really enjoyed the patatas bravas, a rich dish of fried potato wedges and honey aioli topped with a sunny side up egg. It was perfect to pair it with the coles de bruselas y manzanas, a surprisingly refreshing mixture of Brussels sprouts and apples with crème fraiche. Clover fell in love with the churros, which seem to be served with a trio of dipping sauces that rotates monthly (this time they had a delicious salted caramel sauce that wasn’t served last time during Restaurant Week). I thought the paella was a little dry, but I like my paella with a little more liquid and it may be an issue of personal tastes rather than poor preparation. Overall, Aventura has never failed to deliver a great food experience and might just be my current favorite place in Ann Arbor for a fun night out. There is so much variety in the menu, one could eat forever and not get bored. If you’ve read this far and haven’t already called for a reservation yet, what’s wrong with you?
Check them out on Yelp and their official website!
CloverLoves: Cardamom in Ann Arbor
I mentioned Cardamom in a previous post about underrepresented restaurants on this blog. I’ve ordered takeout from them so many times I’ve lost count, and so it was about time that I wrote a dedicated post on my favorite Indian restaurant in AA. I remember the first time I tried Cardamom, when it first opened last summer. Everything they made was amazing. I’ve never had mango lassi with such thickness, such texture, or paneer makhani bursting with such flavor and perfect cubes of paneer. Their kashmiri naan is the most wonderful naan I’ve ever had. When they first opened, there were some bumps along the way, where dining in involved a long wait, or when our takeout orders got mixed up with another customer’s. However, I’m happy to say that these seem to have been mostly ironed out, and we had a great experience during our most recent dine-in. Although it doesn’t really apply to me, the menu is also ridiculously vegan/gluten/allergy-friendly.
Check them out on Yelp or at their official website!
Special Guest Feature! KevinDrinks: The Last Word in Ann Arbor
Hi guys, it’s Clover! I just got back from a super awesome night out and wan- Hey wait! What are y-
…
…
A-hem. Sorry ‘bout that, folks, but Clover’s going on a little break tonight, see? She’s a little tied up at the moment, if ya get my drift. So yours truly is gonna tell you guys and dolls about The Last Word, a little joint just a few blocks offa Main. This 1920’s style speakeasy is hard to find (just as it should be), unlit and unmarked on the outside. Once inside, the drink prices might seem like a lotta scratch at first, but you definitely get the bang for your buck when it comes to the hooch. The dim lighting and carefully crafted drinks are reminiscent of some East Village spots back in the Big Apple, like Booker & Dax. Most of the libations are unique, but two of them were real standouts. The Osborn is a gin cocktail with jalapeno and ginger beer that tickles your throat with spiciness, and the Port Flip is a Hennessy and egg yolk mixture that’s the perfect combination of creamy and bodied. The Last Word also offers some non-traditional bar food, but to be honest most of it was underwhelming and everything with pork seemed to come soggy. However, the oxtail poutine was a better-than-the-original reimagining with tender beef and a dollop of ricotta instead of the traditional cheese curds. All in all, the tasty drinks, laidback ambiance, and excellent service make for a great night out.
As your gal Clover would say, check them out on Yelp or at their official website! 1/2 price Whiskey Wednesdays and 20% off before 7pm Tues-Sat!
CloverSips: Sweetwaters in Ann Arbor
When I first came to Ann Arbor, I felt such a presence from Sweetwaters that I initially assumed it was a chain like Starbucks before learning that it was founded by two University of Michigan alumni. I love their Dragon Pearl Jasmine tea and baked goods. It’s a great study spot. Check them out on Yelp or at their official website!
Info:
Exploring restaurants in Ann Arbor, Chicagoland, New Haven, and elsewhere.
LocalEats featured blog
Follow on Bloglovin'
Chicago Food Bloggers
Top Posts & Pages
Clover Eats! 