The Grub Crawl

Grub Crawl. These are two of my new favorite words, which go beautifully with the very best word in the English language: happify (to make happy).

I have to thank 7 fabulous eateries in Ypsilanti - Corner Brewery, Harvest Kitchen, Aubree's, Cafe Ollie, Sidetrack, Ypsilanti Food Co-op and Haab's - for the immensely wonderful quantities of both food and fun I enjoyed on October 5 when each place was offering hospitality at the very first area Grub Crawl. The event was sponsored by the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber, and I have to commend everyone involved for friendliness, organization, and even perfectly sunny and balmy Indian summer weather. Everything about the evening was ideal!

Now, what is a Grub Crawl, you ask? Why, a food lovers' equivalent to a pub crawl! Buy a ticket, get it stamped at each of the participating locations, and enjoy portions of the eateries' very best goodies all evening long. This is a Food Floozie's dream come true!

I rounded up Jeremy and his dad, my ex-husband Stuart, for the evening's entertainment. Not only are they endlessly amusing when they're behaving themselves (though extremely trying when they act like competitive siblings), but they're also two of the best eaters I know. A grub crawl isn't the sort of event to bring a picky or a restrained person to, after all.

So we began our adventure by walking to the Corner Brewery. We were greeted very warmly, and invited to sample either a beer or some butterscotch pumpkin pudding. I don't drink beer and the boys don't drink at all (Jeremy won't be legal 'til January anyway), so this was an easy choice: pudding all around. It was lusciously thick, rich, and slightly spiced with a hint of the butterscotch shining through. I am never averse to starting dinner with dessert, so we were all happy after our first stop and ready to move on through town to the next place.

We wandered on over to Harvest Kitchen, a subscription meal service offering wholesome, organic meals prepared with locally sourced ingredients. The appetizer offering here was an eggplant egg roll; then there was a choice of pepper steak, Italian wedding soup or bacon macaroni and cheese to accompany it. Jeremy and I leapt at the pasta, while Stuart - still following the low-carb Atkins protocol, but not with 100% rigidity - chose the steak. The egg rolls were a huge hit: "This egg roll is fantastic! I can't even taste the eggplant!" (from Jeremy), and "I think that was the best egg roll I've ever eaten" (from Stuart). The mac 'n' cheese was creamy, smoky, rich and delicious. We were happy campers, indeed.

Our next stop was Aubree's, where each Grub Crawler could sample a slice of either cheese or pepperoni pizza as well as a cheesy breadstick. The pizza was fresh from the oven, gooey, and perfectly foldable for this native New Yorker who still eats her slice the way she did while growing up in the city. The breadsticks were almost like pizza themselves, but without the sauce - doughy, chewy, generously covered with cheese. The portions were full-sized, not just samples. This one could have been dinner all by itself!

Our next stop was Cafe Ollie, which offered an entire smorgasbord of treats: spicy red pepper hummus with garlic toast, 5-cheese macaroni and cheese, coffee roasted almost-locally in Wyandotte, and ice cream from nearby Guernsey Farms Dairy ... oh, my! The hummus was thick and vibrantly flavored, and the garlic toast was a perfect accompaniment. The coffee was excellent, and the mac 'n' cheese - topped with crushed potato chips, no less! - was exceptionally creamy and delicious. The ice cream was a perfect closer. Stuart ordered Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, which he liked very much. I chose Choco Malt Chip, which was sublime. And Jeremy picked McGuire's Irish Mint, a chocolate-mint option, which he pronounced to be the very best sample of this variety that he's ever eaten.

Now, I had known going into this that I was going to have to engage in some serious portion control no matter how good the food was. I only tasted my samplings with a bite or two (well, sometimes three!), hoping to get through my tour of the eateries without feeling as though I might explode. My hearty and hardy companions, though, ravenously devoured what I didn't finish because everything was so wonderful. I warned them to be careful, but ....

At this point, we were starting to feel the effects of our multi-course meal. We were not complaining, oh no! We fully intended to see this adventure through to the end and to taste every tantalizing tidbit offered to us. But we were going to have to be a bit more restrained, a bit less voracious and enthusiastic.

But then we got to the Sidetrack. Oh, my word! We were graciously greeted by owner Linda French. When I introduced myself and told her that I'd written about how much I'd enjoyed the monthly "Opera on Tap" extravaganza and the exceptional carrot cake (prepared by the amazing pastry chef Bryant Stuckey of Decadent Delight), she gave me a big hug and welcomed my little family as though we were a part of her own.

There were 3 different beer samples being offered at one end of the bar, with rich and spicy tastes of pumpkin pie waiting at the other end. But the grand attraction was the buffet table in the center of the room, hosted by Linda's daughter Jessica and by long-time master chef Walter Love. There we found yet another variety of macaroni and cheese, this one also very rich and featuring thick slices of kielbasa. Next to it was cheeseburger soup, hearty with ground beef and creamy with lots of cheese in the base; it was our unanimous favorite.

Then there was tender Yankee pot roast served atop perfectly lumpy - so you know they're real! - mashed redskin potatoes. And the final offering was barbecued pork sliders that Jeremy declared to be better than my own famous-among-friends shredded pork. Rather than one single taste, we were informed as soon as we arrived that we could eat as much as we wanted to - seconds, thirds, whatever. The boys had seconds on one or two items, but I couldn't finish everything although I tried each item and enjoyed it all immensely. I can eat more than most people think a skinny girl can, but this was quite a test of my abilities!

We walked (waddled?) across the street to the Ypsilanti Food Co-op for eatery #6 of the 7 on our list. Since this is primarily a grocery store that offers some prepared foods, I wasn't quite sure what to expect; so I was delighted to find a buffet table laden with gorgeous, nutritious items! There was a roasted root vegetable salad of vibrant orange and green that featured a dressing with a subtle hint of cumin. Excellent roll-up sandwiches were filled with spicked chickpeas. A vegan walnut spread was a great complement to the crisp-crusted whole grain bread baked by the River Street Bakery next door. The pumpkin bread was a very nice accompaniment to everything; however the orange-glazed gingerbread was so stellar - moist, spicy, and with a perfect citrus glaze - that it easily won my heart. There were also crispy sweet potato and quinoa fritters topped with a brightly flavored yogurt-cilantro sauce. It was truly a feast!

Finally, we took the trolley that was so conveniently offered to help transport Grub Crawlers from site to site. It was provided by Golden Limousine International for those who chose not to walk either because of distance or because of feeling sluggish from their gleeful ingestion of goodies. The boys fell into both categories, as our final destination was a bit further away than the cluster of the other restaurants (four of which were in the same block, with another across the street). I would have preferred to walk off some of the overload of calories I was happily fortifying myself with, but I kept Stuart and Jeremy company for the ride on the quaint and charming trolley.

Although it's an institution, I have to admit that I had never eaten at Haab's before ... and that's quite a shame. I can't explain it, I've just never had occasion to go there; but that has now been rectified, and happily so. From the very flavorful black bean burger with a spicy chiptle sauce to the crispy fresh salmon cake, the food was very good. The zesty gazpacho was full of vegetables; and the butternut squash soup - which is only available from September 1 through January 1, because it is made with Michigan produce in the prime of its season - was so rich and creamy that I had thought there might be cheese in it. (There isn't.) The cream cheese apple blondie was sweet and spicy, and a lovely way to end both the tasting and the evening.

The Grub Crawl was so much fun! I highly recommend enjoying treats and meals at each of the participating restaurants; they offered such exceptional fare and so proudly represented Ypsilanti at this fabulous event.

Frugal Floozie Friday -- Opera on Tap at Frenchie's

Opera on Tap is a fabulous event held at Frenchie's, next door to the Sidetrack Bar and Grill, on the first Tuesday of each month. I happen to love opera, and everyone knows I love to eat! Food and fun are both found here!

That you can also find your food and fun at Opera on Tap for $5 or less person ... well, that qualifies it to be this week's Frugal Floozie Friday feature.

Rather than being a stodgy affair, this is a most entertaining evening for which attendees must make reservations. (Call 734-483-5230 to leave your name and the number of people in your group. I don't know how bookings are for September 6, but try anyway in case they can fit you in.) There is no charge - just pay for your food and drinks, and leave a generous tip for your server.

Tom and I meandered into the August session a bit late, so we unfortunately missed any introductions there may have been. My understanding is that Opera on Tap features local singers, music students, and enthusiasts, all of whom performed with exceptional talent.

Everything from the most passionate Italian arias to the beautiful "Summertime" from Porgy and Bess was performed - some melodrama, some humor, and great variety. The singing was so profoundly moving that I can truly say tears came to my eyes at one point. And yet, two of the singers also took turns wearing Brunhilde-worthy horns and schmoozing with the audience while drinking beer between songs. A good time was had by all!

Now, this describes the "fun" portion of the evening. What about the food???

That came in the form of carrot cake - the triple-layered vision of loveliness pictured above, available for ordering from the Sidetrack menu.

Prepared by the amazing pastry chef Bryant Stuckey, of Decadent Delight, the cake is moist, dense, rich, spicy, and topped with a crowning glory of smooth, sweet, luscious cream cheese frosting ... sigh. One could easily relish this in utter selfishness, not sharing so much as a crumb; but it's so luscious that really, you want to share your bliss by having someone you love join you.

At $5.50 per slice, splitting dessert not only saves you calories but money as well. Order a cup of tea to complement it, and you're still within our Frugal Floozie Friday limit of $5 per person. There are also lots of other appetizers and desserts to enjoy on your own or to split with friends and family, all within our restrictive budget.

So immerse yourself in music and treats, delights to all your senses. Opera on Tap offers a fabulous evening of food and fun!


Frenchie's/Sidetrack Bar and Grill
56 E. Cross St.
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
734-483-5230


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Burgers, Burgers Everywhere ....

I registered with the Restaurant Reviewers BlogRoll recently, because so many of my posts were dedicated to eating out that I felt I was earning the title even if I didn't have anyone backing me up with an expense account. (I don't want the clout or the power that come with being the New York Times reviewer, God forbid! I just want someone to pay my tab ....) And then, of course, I started cooking again and writing up soups and desserts and such. But I'm baaaack! I've been to two different restaurants this past week, and I'm here to tell the tales.

On Thursday night, Jeremy and I ate dinner at Great Plains Burger Company, which essentially makes only 3 items -- burgers, fries and shakes -- but makes them exceptionally well. Okay ... they make beef burgers and turkey burgers and black bean burgers, and they offer chocolate, vanilla or strawberry shakes. And you can order either a standard supply of fries or an entire basketful. But these are merely variations on a theme -- make 3 things, and do it right.

Jeremy and I each ordered a beef burger, and picked most of the same toppings from the list of lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mustard, etc. and so forth. We split a regular order of fries, as the basket would have been enough to feed a family of 4. And Jeremy ordered a strawberry shake which, as you can see, was so enticing and so luscious that in the time it took me to answer a phone call, he could not resist sucking down half the shake before I could take out my camera to photograph it in all its unsullied glory. Topped with whipped cream, drizzled with syrup, and creamy beyond my admittedly verbose descriptive abilities ... if I had to choose only 1 favorite item at Great Plains, it would be the shakes without hesitation. They are that good.

The fries were crisp and freshly made, without the raw taste that I've noticed in some other fries I've had recently. (Shhhhhh ... Rabbi Israel Salanter stated that "Not everything that is thought should be said."). And there are thousands of potatoes to be found in their crates and boxes, such that the fries are not frozen or pre-packaged, but started their trip to your plate as spuds in Idaho and didn't metamorphose into fries until just after you placed your order. The burgers are hand-formed and only cooked when you show up at the counter and pay, so they are ridiculously juicy and literally dripped down our hands and onto the baskets' paper liners. This is how burgers and fries were meant to be!

And yet, they have some serious competition from the Sidetrack Bar & Grill, which I've written about before and which I chose specifically for my Mother's Day lunch with Jeremy and Tom. Other people can go to fancy brunches where they wear corsages and panty hose (aaauuuggghhh!!!); I wore jeans, sat next to folks with tattoos and paint-splattered pants, and even noted that the country music -- which I normally loathe -- perfectly suited the ambience, since thankfully it wasn't too twangy.

As per usual, my brain went into paralysis over all the options -- and I'd even looked up the menu the night before, just to try to settle on something pro-actively!!! BBQ pork sandwich with cole slaw and yam fries? Spicy Louisiana-style cornmeal-crusted-fish sandwich, highly recommended by Tom? The fabulous beer-battered fish? The fish tacos with fruit salsa? Burger, the fabulous ol' standby??? Oh, my God, please make it stop!!!

I am trying to eat nobly for awhile. ("Ha!" said my alter ego, the woman who ate a piece of strawberry-rhubarb pie last night -- albeit a small one -- simply because it was there.) I'll be attending a fancy dinner and the graduation ceremony next week for Tom's beautiful and dynamic daughter, who is currently finishing up the final crush of work (due tomorrow) for her Master's program in Urban Design from the University of Pennsylvania. Not only will I be meeting Cassidy for the first time, but I'll also be meeting the ex-wife and her family ... hmmmm.

I am therefore feeling even more pressure than usual to tone my floppy underarms and to suck in my stretchmarks. My days of gym membership ended along with my marriage, and I spend way too much time sitting in front of this screen to be in any kind of shape (BMI on the borderline between "underweight" and "normal," but flabby nonetheless). Societal standards are oppressing me as I read the menu -- feed my soul or wear my jeans with no muffin top nonsense going on while the ex assesses me???

But I digress ... ah, but what else is new?

With all of this swirling around in my mind, it's a wonder I didn't just pass out and hit my head on the floor. But I persevered, and ordered a Springtime-only -- so it's just found its way back to the menu! -- spinach salad with oranges, strawberries, dried cherries, and grilled chicken, all served with a lovely raspberry vinaigrette. Some of my favorite foods (with the exception of chocolate) on one plate, gorgeous colors, nutrition ... I was happy, truly.

The "boys" ordered like men: Jeremy chose his usual Reuben, having become quite the connoisseur after eating them in virtually every restaurant he's ever been to ... if there's a Reuben on the menu, there will likely be a Reuben on Jeremy's plate. This one was not gargantuan, but was most certainly very generous. And by the time he'd eaten the sandwich and moved on to the fries, Jeremy -- a 19-year-old male, remember, whose sole purpose in life sometimes seems to be eating me out of house and home -- couldn't finish everything. Thankfully Mom has a good appetite, and finished the fries for him ... :)

And Tom chose the classic and award-winning burger 'n' fries, which always seems to call more loudly than anything else on the menu and wins above the din of the other options. (There are times when you need earplugs not to hear the Siren song of that burger!) With tomato, lettuce and onion, as well as the pickles that can be added from the excellent assortment of condiments (hot peppers, pickles, Tabasco sauce, and vinegar among them), the famous burger -- hand-crafted with freshly ground beef -- is a thing of beauty that is only exceeded by its exceptional flavor.

Once we'd finished eating, a waiter came up to ask us if we were interested in dessert. We had discussed the strawberry shortcake before ordering lunch; it is an astoundingly gorgeous thing -- big as a plate and easily just as tall -- which could be shared by 3 as an entree if desired. But after eating all that chicken and beef and corned beef, there was no way dessert was going to be an option. The waiter asked, and I let out some sort of yelp of ridicule that made the waiter -- as well as Jeremy -- giggle. It was obvious that we had eaten all we could manage, expressed entirely without words but without any vulgar noises like burps, I'm happy to say.

I'm glad that there was no competition between burgers or ranking system required -- there's no way I could choose a favorite among these options. Fortunately, I don't have to! But then, my wishy-washiness is why I get paid no money for my reviews and have to pay my own tab, too ....