Friday, April 13, 2012

Frugal Floozie Friday - Jolly Pumpkin Cafe & Brewery


Jeremy had been wanting to try the Truffled French Fries at today's Frugal Floozie Friday feature - the Jolly Pumpkin Cafe & Brewery - since I first told him that I'd found the intriguing dish while searching through a variety of menus one day while making a list of restaurants to visit.  He's not a fan of mushrooms, usually, so I wasn't very sure that he'd enjoy these.

So imagine how thrilled I was when Jeremy announced that "These are pretty delicious.  These are the best fries ever!"

They were utterly irresistable - so crisp, so fragrant with rosemary, so subtly and perfectly flavored with truffle and salt - that we'd have each happily devoured our own serving rather sharing.   The fries were perfectly complemented by a rich mayonnaise-based dipping sauce - ketchup would be a sacrilege.  I've already made a note to myself that these fries will be on my Top 10 list for the year.  And they only cost $5, our mandatory per-person budget, despite a truly generous portion!

Another fabulous dish, though one that would need to be split to stay within budget (it could easily feed 4, particularly served with the fries) is the Three Cheese Pizza for $9: "Herb flecked ricotta, parmesan and gruyere cheeses, with shaved broccolini, caramelized onions and salsa verde."  The cheeses were rich and creamy atop a crisp, hand-formed, granite-baked crust ... sigh.  Purely, simply delicious!

I'm sure some of you are wondering why I'm focusing on the restaurant's food offerings and ignoring the brewery options, since Jolly Pumpkin is noted for its beer and ales.  Well, first of all, I don't drink beer - that makes me sufficiently ignorant of the offerings that I shouldn't dare to pontificate about them.  And a pint would just about use up our $5 per person budget - to my thinking, more food and less beer is a better value.  But I certainly don't want to discourage anyone from enjoying one of the fabulous creations.

In lieu of beer, Jeremy tried a $4 non-alcoholic Black and Tan, which is equal parts ginger ale and artisan ginger beer.  It was bright and refreshing, and would be spectacular on a hot summery day.

There are soups and ice cream available for $5 each, an olive assortment to split for $6.  Many options await you that all qualify for our $5 per person (or less!) budget.

The atmosphere is cozy and inviting, welcoming guests to come in and enjoy themselves without rushing.  Share some fries, indulge in pizza, nurse a craft beer ... just be sure to find your way to the Jolly Pumpkin, where the food is exceptional and there are great values to be found!


Jolly Pumpkin Cafe & Brewery
311 South Main Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(734) 913-2730



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Jolly Pumpkin on Urbanspoon

4 comments:

Unknown said...

I love the name of the restaurant! Jolly Pumpkin.. that is catchy! lol
As for the fries.. OMG, I can so see where these are the best fries ever. I recently got to try duck fat fries with a truffle aioli that was to die for, I can only image that these are the same, if not better! Great.. now I'll be craving french fries all day!! :)

Cranberry Morning said...

There aren't very many places that have truly great fries - and those look spectacular! We have a restaurant brewery in our area too. On the wall there's a sign, 'Don't import the brew; import the brewmaster.' I thought that was clever and made so much sense. The Jolly Pumpkin sounds like a very inviting place!

gluten Free A_Z Blog said...

You found another wonderful place for your $5 challenge. Just that the fries should not be eaten with ketchup, screams sophistication! I would skip the beer too..

Wholesale Food said...

I love pizza.Cheese pizza really looking very delicious..


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