Ann Arbor Restaurants

I have no idea what this place is called, but I ate there, and thus it gets a blog post.

The fish grill counter is inside the Sparrow’s Market/ Sweetwater’s building and serves up a variety of fish. I went for the fish and chips. There’s a definite skill to fish and chips, and this place got it right. They use high quality fish with a nice batter, served with a variety of vinegar, ketchup, tartar, and other sauces.

I asked the guy at the counter if people tipped. He replied, “you should, but some people don’t think they have to because it’s counter service.” I looked around for a tip jar; it wasn’t there. No tip jar, no tip.

As Stephen Colbert might say, pick a name. I’m not sure about one place having two names.

The RendezVous Cafe/Oasis Grill has Mediterranean food and coffee. I ate a gyro. It tasted good and was relatively cheap. I think the best part is the open air rooftop deck, which looks down on South University.

Location: 1110 S University

My dad talked about the Fleetwood Diner for years. How delicious, how amazing, how wonderful it was. Then the truth came out that he had never been there.

The Fleetwood Diner is more of an institution and experience than a place with delicious food. It’s cheap, open all night, and its greasy food does a great job as a hangover cure. They have so many regular customers that the first move of the waitress is to ask what you want, rather than give you a menu.

Location: 300 S Ashley St

I really appreciate a restaurant that can put an exclamation point in their name. Sometimes I sign my name John! just to get the point accross. No Thai! has a simple menu with prices that include sales tax so there is no scrounging for change. The service was quick and the food good. My only gripe is that my pad thai was so hot that I had to wait about 5 minutes to avoid a burnt tongue.

Location: 1745 Plymouth RD

Sparrow’s and Sweetwaters in Kerrytown cleared out space last Saturday to have a wedding rehearsal dinner for my friend Dave. The food and service was spectacular. The meal consisted of several courses and bottles of wine. I love that market and they really helped create a special night.

Location: 407 N 5th Ave

I went to Wendy’s. It tasted like every other Wendy’s. meh.

A few years ago I spent an afternoon learning about the history of various fast food places and legends such as Colonel Sanders (the most spectacular man I have ever seen) and Dave Thomas. I also learned the reason for Wendy’s square burgers: they don’t cut corners. Yes, Dave Thomas gave that answer.

Location: 1655 Plymouth Rd

Rod’s Place is pretty cool, and is the second Bi Bim Bop/Cheese Steak place that I’ve been to in Ann Arbor. The guy working at Rod’s (I assume he’s the owner) knew of the Broadway Cafe (also a Bi Bim Bop/Cheese Steak place) but said that they weren’t connected. The food here was great, and they also had frozen yogurt flurries.

When I was eating a frat boy type walked in screaming into his cell phone and whining to his mother. I asked myself WWCED? (what would Clint Eastwood do)

Location: 812 S State St

The Parthenon was one of the first Ann Arbor restaurants that I visited and I soon became addicted to the Gyro. I have even learned to pronounce Gyro in many ways; an impressive feat. The Greek food at the Parthenon is good and reasonably priced. The only downside (if it’s a downside) are their huge portions.

Location: 226 S Main St

The area I work, Jones Drive, is very limited for lunch options. So I headed to the Indian specialty foods store, Foods of India, to scrounge together a meal. They serve full meals after 4pm, therefore my only option was a Samosa. I had two and they were delicious. I know nothing about the cooking of a samosa, but I suspect it involves a deep fryer.

Location: 1143 Broadway St

I went to Grizzly Peak with a bunch of family members who all randomly showed up in Ann Arbor on the same day. The brew pub has a huge beer selection and an assortment of food. I ordered the reuben (some called it a heart attack on bread) and figured that my arteries needed a bit of clogging. The reuben was just average, which is strange for sandwich that contains about 97 grams of fat. Everybody else enjoyed their food though. I think my favorite choice at Grizzly Peak is the beer samplers.

Location: 120 W. Washington