Eaat, Sleep, Repeat!
Welcome back fellow foodies! Hope
you came hungry and prepared to drool over more food found in my all-time
favorite city. Did you get a chance to try some (or all) of my favorites
discussed in the last blog? If not, I hope my post at least inspired you to get
out there and explore some of the aMAIZEing restaurants offered in Ann Arbor.
The best part about the food scene
in Ann Arbor is that it has a spot to offer for every single occasion and mood.
Going out to eat is all about the atmosphere and experiential value (Angell, 9/13/17) obtained from a restaurant. For me personally, eating out as opposed to staying
in and eating a subpar meal on my couch is somewhat exciting. However, despite
how great it is to have so many diverse options for restaurants, it can be a
little overwhelming. No worries though! I’m about to dedicate this post to educating
you guys on the perfect scene for any occasion during any night of the week!
In order to avoid completing
overwhelming you, I’m going to narrow the list down by categorizing it into
three specific occasions: date night, late night eats, and a casual meal with
family and friends.
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| Main Street, Ann Arbor, MI. |
Operation Date Night
For those of you lucky enough to
enjoy your food journey with a significant other, I recommend Aventura for a
romantic night out to celebrate a special milestone, or to just enjoy some intimate
one-on-one time. Aventura serves authentic tapas that depicts the rich
history of Spain and Spanish food in every bite. Intimacy is illuminated in
every aspect of the restaurant. To begin, Aventura offers small plates that
encourages people to share and get closer to one another. In sharing, you learn
more about one another’s tastes and learn to take a liking to the same flavors.
In addition, the ambiance of this place is warm and seductive. With warm
lighting, exposed brick and stone, couples can enjoy a candle-lit dinner that
screams romance. Moreover, if you’re really looking to spice things up for a
special occasion or just for the fun of it, you can request private dining in the
wine cellar. With exposed stone, dim lighting and authentic Spanish styles,
dining in the wine cellar is as romantic as it sounds.
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| Aventura's small plates |
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| Aventura's table setting |
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| Aventura's Wine Cellar |
Late Night Eats
If you’re
looking for a place to eat after a night of drinking (if you’re 21+ of course),
or want a place to go in sweats with your friends when you’re craving late
night greasy food, Pizza House is the place to be. Moreover, Pizza House has high
functional value (Angell, 9/13/17) as it is at the epicenter of central campus and has every type of food a person could dream of. No joke, their menu is at least 4 pages, front and back. However, if you want the
ultimate Pizza House experience you HAVE to order the cheesy bread. Whether you
get the feta bread or the original (my personal favorite), you cannot leave Pizza House
without devouring it. The best part is that it even has a bar, Garage Bar,
connected to it so when you and your friends are done with the bar scene you
can walk 2ft to Pizza House to order your late night favorites. Also, if you’re
in need of a late late meal, Pizza House is open until 4 am, so no shame in
ordering that 2 am milkshake to compensate for a stressful day of school work. Overall, I would not recommend this place for
a first date, but the casual atmosphere and bar type foods allows for any
attire and any excuse to enjoy the ultimate cheat meal.
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| Pizza House cheesy bread |
Family and Friends
There is probably no bigger or better reason for people,
especially myself, to eat out than influence from their social environment (Babin,
2016, p.27). Going out and enjoying good food, with people who can
always make me laugh is the best kind of night. If you and your friends are
looking for a place to dine any night of the week, or if your parents are in
town and willing to treat you to a meal, Jolly Pumpkin is your go-to restaurant.
Jolly Pumpkin Café & Brewery is located within downtown Ann Arbor, outside
of central campus. From the menu items to the atmosphere, everything about this
place is unique. The ambiance is relaxing and comforting with its dark wood,
dim lights and funky art work all over the walls. In addition, nothing about
this place screams fancy. The menu is simple and fresh, which allows even the
pickiest of eaters to find something they will like. Furthermore, the
atmosphere is energetic and approachable. The extensive in-house beer menu
makes it a fun spot for you and company to explore new tastes, and really get
the conversation flowing. For me, I have a
high emotional involvement (Babin, 2016, p. 95) with this place as I have formed
so many fond memories here with family and friends. I truly feel the atmosphere
promotes laughter and comfort, which is something I hope you and your
friends/family can experience someday soon.
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| Upstairs of Jolly Pumpkin |
To end this blog I have attached a link to an article all about the owner's original inspiration and plan behind opening up Aventura back in 2013. Fun fact, the owner, Sava Lecaj, is also the owner and starter of Ann Arbor's famous Savas (discussed in my last post) and Babo Market. I hope you enjoy this interesting read on a fascinating business women.
Link: http://www.annarbor.com/business-review/sava-lelcaj-reveals-plans-for-aventura-spanish-tapas-restaurant-in-downtown-ann-arbor/
Stay tuned for my next post as I will reveal the perfect spots for every budget!!
Stay tuned for my next post as I will reveal the perfect spots for every budget!!
References
Angell, A. (2017, September 13). CB Chapter 2 Value. Lecture Presented in University of Michigan in Ann Arbor
Babin. B., & Harris, E. (2016). In CB 7 (7th ed., p. 27, 95). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
** Photos from Facebook, JollyPumpkin.com/AnnArbor, Aventuraannarbor.com, Pinterest.com
I really enjoyed reading your blog and experiencing another perspective on Ann Arbor restaurants. Having been to all three of the restaurants listed, I completely agree with your analysis. My friends and I are habitual late night pizza house visitors, although we often opt for delivery out of conveniency, serving a more utilitarian function (Angel, Lecture 6, 9/25/17). Pizza house also offers late night deals, such as a free milk shake with feta bread, which gives customers more bang for their buck and a greater value. I also believe group influence greatly impacts customers visits to pizza house, as friends encourage each other to go/order together, offering social value (Angel, Lecture 2, 9/11/17). I also agree with the experience of both Aventura and Jolly Pumpkin. I find it very interesting that Jolly Pumpkin has the same owners as Savas because Savas has become a regular routine when my family comes to visit. My mom has grown to have an emotional attachment with the restaurant, wanting to go every time she is in Ann Arbor. My moms influence has extended throughout our entire family, as they all enjoy and appreciate the restaurant now. My mom discovered Savas through word of mouth, from other parents (Babin, 2017, p.168). This proves the strong power of word of mouth marketing. Check out this article of the new hottest restaurants in Ann Arbor! https://detroit.eater.com/maps/best-new-ann-arbor-restaurants-bars
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog, and definitely agree with many of your observations about the different restaurants! I completely agree with your thoughts on Pizza House and how it is often a go-to restaurant for late night food. You could say that Pizza House has its own microculture for those of use who like to go there late at night, either because of a long night of studying or partying (Babin/Harris, 2016, p.200). You should try the chipati next time you are there, which is my go-to food item there (although I still love the cheesy bread). I definitely want to check out Aventura because it sounds like a great restaurant based on your description. There definitely seems to be a high social value in this type of restaurant, and would be a great place to go with a group (Babin/Harris, 2016, p.157). I also love the restaurant Spencer, for dining with friends and family, which you should definitely check out. Here’s an article with some great restaurants to try in Ann Arbor (including Spencer): https://www.bonappetit.com/restaurants-travel/article/ann-arbor-michigan-guide
ReplyDeleteBabin, B., & Harris, E. (2016). In CB 7 (7th ed., pp. 157-200). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Nice post! One of my favorite things about Ann Arbor is the restaurant scene, and like you, I think every restaurant offers up a different "experiential value" (Angell, 9/13/17). For me, it may include the other patrons, the servers, the interior design, the music. I loved your tip about Aventura because I have been there a number of times but I never considered going into the wine cellar. I actually did not have the best experience the last time I went to the Jolly Pumpkin and have not returned since. I thought my meal was expensive and did not live up to my expectations of quality, given what I was paying and the positive feedback I had previously heard. I am definitely willing to give it another try after hearing about your positive experience there! The owners of Jolly Pumpkin are actually opening a restaurant in my hometown (--> http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.ssf/2017/08/when_is_north_peak_brewery_ope.html) so I am inspired to go with my family next year.
ReplyDeleteAngell, A. (2017, September 13). CB Chapter 2 Value. Lecture Presented in University of Michigan in Ann Arbor
This blog was very informational. I really enjoyed reading this. With starting up my senior year here at Michigan, I have not been to most restaurants Ann Arbor has to offer. After reading this blog, I do need to go out and explore these places. I have been to Pizza House before, and I did enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I do find there feta bread a little overrated. I even created probably the best milkshake combination that it has to offer. I highly recommend trying a caramel strawberry milkshake, it's by far the best I've ever had. I have to definitely check out Aventura before I graduate. First, I need to find someone to go with. My favorite restaurant currently in Ann Arbor is Sava's. I only go there when my attitude is influenced, when I feel the food is of high value, and my attitude is positive (Angell, Lecture 7). Especially when I accomplish getting high grades or doing good on my papers. I enjoy the Puffed French Toast, I highly recommend it if you haven't. I have put the menu so you can read the ingredients.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.savasrestaurant.com/menu/
Angell, A. (2017, September 15). CB Chapter 7 Attitude. Lecture Presented at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor