Eaating My Way Through AA
Something I can never grasp or relate to is people who eat to live. I admire their self-control, but to me, food is far more than a utilitarian value (Babin/Harris, 2016, p. 29). Food is such an important part of my life that one could say I have a passion for eating. Due to my strong, somewhat embarrassing love for eating, I could not feel any more fortunate to be attending the University of Michigan. I don’t want to take the spotlight away from all the incredible things U of M has to offer such as game days and amazing academics. But Ann Arbor truly has the most aMAIZEing food. Whether you’re craving sushi, brunch, a good burger or 2 am cheesy bread, Ann Arbor has it.
Food clearly
has a great hedonic value (Babin/Harris, 2016, p. 28-29) for me. I
want to take the pleasure I get from exploring food and restaurants, and
provide you with your go- to -guide for all things food in Ann Arbor. Whether
you’re looking for a recommendation for date night, or the perfect spot for
drinks with friends , I’ll provide you with all the information
you need for any occasion. Despite the fact that eating is supposed to be about the experience and often influenced by one's social environment (Babin/Harris, 2016, p. 27), it can be expensive!! Students especially, need to be careful with
their spending habits because the cost of food can really add up (unfortunately,
I know this from personal experience). Therefore, this blog is not going to
only be about the best food around, I’ll introduce you to restaurants
with a variety of price ranges because although food is life, rent
and buying
groceries is important too.
So to kick off this adventure, I thought it was only right
to provide you with a preview to Ann Arbor eating by introducing some of my
all-time favorite spots!
The Start to the Freshman 15+
Sava's
Sava's is an Ann Arbor classic. It’s the perfect place to
take your parents during parent’s weekend, but also your favorite Friday night spot for dinner with friends.Why you may ask is Sava's
considered an Ann Arbor favorite? Simply because you can’t go wrong with anything
you order off the menu. From the sandwiches, salads, sweet potato fries and my
all-time favorite, the macaroni and cheese (to die for), you’ll love it all. But it gets even better. Sava's has a brunch buffet on Sundays! I recommend everything about this place, but if you plan on going during the weekend, I suggest you make a reservation because this place is a hot commodity in AA.
Atmosphere: Amazing ambiance; truly perfect for any occasion. Lovely design and decorations, the place looks chic yet simple. Perfect for jeans during the week, but feel free to dress up a little more on the weekend depending on the occasion.
Price: $$-$$$
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| Sava's Sweet Potato Fries |
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| Sava's Macaroni and Cheese |
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| Inside Sava's Restaurant |
Mani Osteria & Bar
Mani is my go to pizza place in Ann Arbor. As a lover of brick oven pizza I could not have been more excited when I discovered this restaurant. Mani's offers a variety of brick oven pizzas with some options of toppings that could push some out of their comfort zone. No matter what toppings you choose, Mani's never goes wrong with their crust and sauce. They offer fresh, quality ingredients that are noticeable in every bite. However, if you're just not feeling pizza, you can pick from a variety of pastas and salads. The proportions of dishes are perfect for ordering a bunch of plates and splitting with your table. Mani's is your perfect Italian fix, located right outside central campus.
Atmosphere: Cute and trendy. Don't feel pressure to dress up, but an amazing spot for dinner during the week or weekends. Includes a large cocktail menu and bar for those lucky enough to be over 21.
Price: $$-$$$
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| Mani's Brick Oven Pizza |
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| Mani's Pasta Dish |
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| Mani's Arancini |
Rod's Diner
I think the only proper way to cap this blog post off would be with
dessert. I happen to have a HUGE weakness for ice cream. Half of my freshman 15 came
from ice cream alone. Being an ice cream connoisseur, I am very particular about
what I like. So consider yourself lucky because after spending freshmen year
tasting every ice cream spot Ann Arbor has to offer, I am going to give you some background on the hands down best ice cream joint in AA; Rod's Diner. Rods is a run-down, old fashion diner that has everything from bibimbop to pizza, to chicken to ice cream. From the outside (or inside) it's hard to tell what all the fuss is about. However, Rod's is every ice cream topping lover's dream. Toppings range from pretzels to gummy bears to the world's best cookie dough. I'm not joking this cookie dough is life changing. Give Rod's a try, I promise you will not regret it!
Atmosphere: Run-down, old fashion diner. Barely has enough standing room for more than 15 people and has maybe 4 booths and a couple of high-tops to sit at. Feel free to go in your pajamas or sweatpants, I promise you will not be judged.
Price: $-$$
I hope you enjoyed my taste of Ann Arbor! To conclude, here's a link to another local's favorite Ann Arbor spots to further expand your destinations!
https://www.bonappetit.com/restaurants-travel/article/ann-arbor-michigan-guide
**Photos taken from Facebook, Maniosteria.com, and visitannarbor.org
https://www.bonappetit.com/restaurants-travel/article/ann-arbor-michigan-guide
References
Babin. B., & Harris, E. (2016). In CB 7 (7th ed., p. 27, 28, 29). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.**Photos taken from Facebook, Maniosteria.com, and visitannarbor.org
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ReplyDeleteHi Jill!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog. When you think of a college town you think of pizza and more pizza, so thats what I was expecting when I first came to Ann Arbor. But I was pleasantly surprised when I saw all of the chic restaurants that reminded me of places in New York City I love. My two favorite restaurants in Ann Arbor are Savas and the Jolly Pumpkin. You mentioned you love Sava's, but have you ever tried the Jolly Pumpkin? My favorite thing about both restaurants is the atmosphere. Both Jolly Pumpkin and Savas offer outdoor seating, so when its nice out I enjoy sitting outside and people-watching. For me outdoor seating gives both restaurants a lot of experiential value because you get to enjoy a good meal while experiencing the hustle and bustle of Ann Arbor (Angell, 9/13/17). I never tried Rod's diner but you convinced me the cookie dough sounds amazing! I can't wait to read more of your blogs!
Angell, A. (2017, September 13). CB Chapter 2 Value. Lecture Presented in University of Michigan in Ann Arbor
Just reading your blog has me craving sweety fries from Sava's and a margarita pizza with burrata from Mani! I share the same love and appreciation for Ann Arbor restaurants, making your blog a must read for the rest of the semester (and beyond if you continue it)! As a freshman I remember the struggle of trying to figure out where to take my parents when they visited because there are so many options it was almost overwhelming, and a blog like this definitely would have made my life easier and I would have found my go-to spots so much faster. If you like sushi I highly recommend trying Miki, its kind of a hidden treasure not many people know about in Ann Arbor. I look forward to reading your next post!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog about food around Ann Arbor and I think this is very relevant to habits and understanding routine. Lately I have been thinking about my personal habits, and I realize that something I do is go to restaurants and order the same thing every time. I do this because I buy it once, love it, and don’t want to try anything new because I crave it. You discuss some late night eats like Pizza House. It is interesting because I realize that every time I want pizza, I always want Pizza House and I never try other places like NYPD and Back Room pizza. My friends all started enjoying NYPD and so it was difficult for me because I was the only one who was interested in ordering pizza house. I had to change my habit, and whenever I craved pizza, I had to order NYPD with them instead. In this scenario, I changed my habit by keeping my rewards and cues the same but I changed my routine, which allowed this habit of buying a different kind of pizza to over write my normal habits.
ReplyDeleteI like how you break down your blog into different kinds of meal choices. It is true, choosing a restaurant requires high emotional involvement, and therefore it is great to hear about all the different attributes of each restaurant!
Read below for a couple of new restaurant ideas in Ann Arbor!
http://www.juicykitchen-a2.com/
https://www.yelp.com/biz/roasting-plant-coffee-ann-arbor
Duhigg, Charles. The Power Of Habit: Why We Do What We Do In Life And Business. New York : Random House, 2012. Print.