I'll be flying to Ann Arbor in a few weeks for the Michigan v Ohio State game. GO BLUE As I haven't been to UM in about a hundred years, what's the 411 on some good nightlife in Ann Arbor? Good restaurant/bar?
Sorry, I haven't looked in on this forum in a while. I'm guessing you probably know about these, except perhaps for the newest ones. Bars: You probably haven't been here since the 3 brew pubs got here. They are all pretty good. Grizzly Peaks (corner of Washington and Ashley): Okay beer and the best food of the brew pubs. Arbor Brewing: 2 blocks East of Grizzly Peaks. The best beer and pretty good food. Leopold Bros: Just beer, pretty much and what I’ve bought bottled has been good, but I haven’t been in there (they are also remarkable for their zero-waste production methods). They're on Main, but a little ways south of the other restaurants, at the bottom of the hill. The bars in A2 are legion, but the “Irish pub” Conor O’Neill’s (on Main St.) is pretty soccer friendly. The Red Hawk is a great bar and a great restaurant; right near main campus on State St. Expect it to be mobbed (actually, expect everywhere to be mobbed that weekend). There are any number of bars in the Main St./Washington St. area, so you can wander around and get in. Restaurants Siam Kitchen, which was God-awful for years, has rejuvenated its menu and now serves decent Thai food. It’s in West Gate shopping center right of I 94 exit 172. Also in West Gate is the brand new Zingerman’s Road House, which is getting rave reviews. They claim to have authentic Eastern NC pulled pork. I’ll believe it when I taste it, and I’ll taste it once I manage to get in there. Italian Food: Gratzi and Palio, right across the street from each other and owned by the same consortium, are still the best in town. I prefer Palio. Cajun: Stay away from the decent but overpriced Zydeco (Main St.) and head to Saline for Mac’s Acadian Seafood (Corner of Main and US 12). Cali-Mex: Prickly Pear, on Main St. is still pretty good. The Blue Nile, on Washington near Division (or is it 5th?) is good Ethiopian food. Pacific Rim by Kana, has good, um, Pacific Rim food, including the best Phad Thai in town. On Liberty near Ashley.
Thanks alot bungadiri, that was really helpful. Sounds like I'll be checking out Pacific Rim, cause I love Phad Thai. Man, I'm SO stoked for this weekend. I hope we kick OSU's ass. Is the weather still mid 50's? We're flying out friday morning and I don't want to over pack or get caught without and freeze my arse off.
You're welcome. Here's a link to a review of Pacific Rim by Kana http://www.arborfood.com/reviews/pacific-rim.shtml It's still unusually warm during the day, but it's below freezing in the mornings. Saturday predictions are for lows in the upper 20's with a high close to 60. I think we're playing some of the best football in the country right now and we ought to slap them around, but I'm hoping we put it out of reach early. I don't like this weird voodoo OSU has working for it this year. By the way, if you're interested there's a UM vs OSU crew regatta in the morning on the Huron river. You get to it by going to Bandemer Park, which is off North Main, going north, just before you reach M 14. Not much parking, though. It's a head race rather than the time trial that is typical of the Fall regattas, which is more exciting (relatively speaking--it ain't the world's best spectator sport, especially on a frosty morning).
bungadiri, thanks for your post. It was truly valued as I printed it off before I left. We made it to Palio's friday night. We had to wait a little but well worth it. The food was amazing. I had the ultimate weekend and fell in love with Ann Arbor all over again. Saturday after the game was awesome. The town was rocking. It's a couple of days I'll never forget. Thanks again..... Chico
You are totally welcome. That was a great game--nice to see Navarre come out on top at the end of his career here. Palio is my favorite restaurant in town. My wife doesn't even ask where I want to go for my birthday anymore.