cafemonamie's Profile
SE Michigan summer fruit markets
I agree that the AA Farmer's market is always a good place to get a wide selection of local fruit. I also like the u-pick farms because they are always a fun place to go where one can pick their own fruit or buy freshly picked fruit direct from the farmer. Wasem's Fruit Market in Milan had some nice red and black currants and gooseberries along with delicious tart cherries this past week. They even have some low-branch trees that are full of cherries - so small pickers like me didn't have to use their ladders. I believe they sill have u-pick cherries for the next few days.
This week, Whole Foods in Ann Arbor had some Michigan sweet cherries that were the biggest, juiciest cherries I had eaten in a long time ($3.99/lb). I think Hiller's also does a fairly good job of carrying local fruit like blueberries and raspberries and produce like rhubarb and tomatoes in the summertime. Four Seasons Market and Bello Vino are a couple of other places I find local fruit. People's Food Coop is another place that comes to mind.
I've found the site: http://www.localharvest.org to have a very convenient search tool to find local food.
Red Haven peaches are great indeed. I hope I can find a place that has u-pick peaches this summer. A lot of places I've contacted had their peach/sweet cherry crop diminished by the hail storms this year.
-Christine
http://www.holybasil.wordpress.com
Ann Arbor - quick review of Cafe Japon
I agree that Cafe Japon's restaurant/bakery combination has proven to be perhaps unworkable - in terms of consistency with the service provided. A year + seems ample time to smooth out staffing issues. Nevertheless, most of the restaurant items I tried had that good "homestyle" taste and preparation - including the katsu and bifteck sandwiches, the seaweed salad as well as the cobb salad. I haven't tried any of the sushi there.
Their baguette is still *by far* my favorite in Ann Arbor, for the reasons I originally mentioned above. I mean, come on, *artisan* bread should not mean a 1/4 inch thick, hard-as-a-rock crust -- (and you know who I'm referring to!) Sorry, had to get that out.
I've yet to try Jeff Renner's - the idea of only being able to have a fresh one on a Wednesday is a bummah). However, I will have to try it out one of these days.
Ann Arbor - fresh Mangosteen and Jackfruit
I purchased some fresh mangosteen - the *queen of fruits* for $5.99/lb and some fresh jackfruit for $1.39/lb (the whole fruit weighed about 15 lbs!) at ZZ Produce the other day and both were quite good.
Fresh mangosteens have only recently become available - since July 07 and are still quite expensive but I felt they were worth the splurge this time.
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Ann Arbor - Meyer Lemons at Hillers Market
I was JUST there yesterday and they still had meyer lemons- Yay for Hillers! (Yes, the gal doing cartwheels was me). They also had lovely, lovely mandarinquats - similar to kumquats, but larger, more "tear drop" shaped and perhaps sweeter, with a thinner, fragrant rind. Also on my hit list were Moro Blood Oranges and Cara Cara oranges. I do think they have some of the best selection and quality of citrus around. All of these were priced at $1.49/lb.
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Closing: Murukai Dollar Store - Fountain Valley
I went to Murukai in Fountain Valley (corner of Magnolia and Talbert) and everything is 50% off due to the store closing. I purchased some lovely bowls and plates for 75 cents each and parchment paper rounds also for 75 cents.. The sale started on Feb. 1 (I think) so there wasn't the best selection but there's a few deals to be had.
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Photo not appearing on Recipe
I was able to successfully submit a member recipe but the photo is not appearing. The size of the photo is 56.6 Kb - so I don't think it's a size problem...Is there a reason why the photo is not appearing next to the recipe?
Ann Arbor - Meyer Lemons at Hillers Market
Jim - Wow. Giving meyer lemons to dogs - L.A. is so hip, isn't it? And yes, I think CA clementines are just as good as the Spanish or Moroccan ones. I love CA citrus growers - I feel they work so hard to provide diverse and interesting varieties. The winter citrus fruit is what I actually miss most about the farmer's markets in LA. Some of the best pomelos I've ever eaten - even better than ones I ate in Viet Nam - were from the LA farmers market.
Buttermonkey and berkelybabe - Thanks for the tips on the Detroit locations. If I'm in the area, I'll know where to go.
Ann Arbor - Meyer Lemons at Hillers Market
I was at Hiller's tonight and found that they just got another shipment of Meyer Lemons ($1.49/lb.) If you've never tried them before, you can check out this article from Today's LA Times food section:
http://tinyurl.com/ytvylw
Unfortunately, these lemons have a rather short season (now is the peak). They are wonderful in both savory and sweet dishes. I recently added them to white wine for a fragrant, citrusy Moules à la Marinière.
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*jumping up and down* as I write this, Jim.
RAVE: Korean spots in Ann Arbor, MI
We also went to the old SK (now Maru) on Sunday, Dec 23 - which the owner told us was their first opening day after they acquired the restaurant from the previous owners. Their side dishes were good. We ordered the spicy pork, which we found nicely plated and perhaps slightly better-tasting than previous times - the meat was tender and flavorful with a good amount of heat. One minor defect would be that I found the dish to be a little on the greasy side. We also ordered the Soondubu - which was pretty tasty, though the broth was not quite as rich deeply flavored as in the past nor was the tofu as silky or soft. Nevertheless, we were pleased with our food and look forward to coming back to see their progress.
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Great Vietnamese in the Detroit area
Jeff-
Thanks for the recommendation...could you tell us which dishes you tried, or the ones that stood out for you?
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RAVE: Korean spots in Ann Arbor, MI
Hi Mom's Kitchen - The few dishes I've had at Kang's (Spicy Beef Soup, Kimbop, KimChee Fried rice) were good. I do prefer Seoul Korner in the UM area spots. I just like her banchan...the pressed tofu, grated daikon and seaweed, savory yam cubes, mung-bean jelly, and cabbage kim chee are all good. Hanna, in Ypsilanti has the most banchan though, I think.
Jim M-
I plan to go soon - I'll certainly post my 2-centimes when I do.
Yes, pig ear sounds a bit quirky, but I grew up eating that stuff (often thin, pickled slices) and happen to love the cartilaginous texture. Interestingly, I recently came across a recipe for pressed pig's ears in Fergus Henderson's latest cookbook - Beyond Nose to Tail. He and Anthony Bourdain have renewed my interest and affection for "variety meats," as they're called here.
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Ann Arbor - Raw Milk? Cow share?
Thanks for the info. Yes, I know about the M&Y thing...I did try contacting that farmer but he hasn't responded...I'll definitely give PFC a call. Thanks again
Ann Arbor - Raw Milk? Cow share?
I've ALREADY posted this question on Yahoo's Ann Arbor Food group but I'm posting it HERE in case there are others out there that can help:
Is there anyone out there that participates in a cow-sharing program? Is there a group carpooling to pick up the milk?
Thank you for any information.
Kindkly,
Christine
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RAVE: Korean spots in Ann Arbor, MI
Jim-
I'd agree with all your recommendations. In Ann Arbor, I think Seoul Korner (not to be confused with Seoul Garden - which doesn't really serve home-style Korean), and Panda are my favorites. Panda has this amazing banchan (side dish) of fresh spicy cucumbers - awesome stuff. There's Hanna, on Michigan Ave in Ypsilanti. Everything I've had there has been great. She serves a clam, seaweed, and daikon radish banchan that is out of this world.
Unlike Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai food in this area, Korean food is still quite authentic and delicious. It's the one ethnic Asian cuisine where you'll find many other Asians - in this case, Korean, patrons dining.
Christine
http://www.holybasil.wordpress.com
Ann Arbor Restaurants
Momskitchen-
I have only been to Annam once. I think I ordered the lemongrass chicken or something like that. It was rather unremarkable, as I recall. I may be wrong, but my feeling is that their aim is to offer a modern, hip interpretation of Viet dishes rather than authentic, homestyle cuisine. In that regard though, my impression is that they come up a bit short. It's a nice place for a date or an evening out - with its simple and fairly elegant decor. The food, however, lacks the inventiveness, quality and attention to detail that a slightly upscale restaurant like this should possess, in my opinion.
Jim M-
Indeed, my Thai friends share the same sentiments. I certainly agree with them. Of course, since I'm not Thai, I can dine at Thai establishments here with a bit less offense. I hope you do make it out to SoCal this winter. It's farther than Florida, but worth the trip! If you need Viet food recs, please let me know via my blog or email at holybasil(at)mail(dot)com
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Ann Arbor - Aladdin's Market
My husband and I were shopping at Aladdin's Market, located in the small strip off of Packard and Platt Rds. While we were in the store, they happened to bring out some fresh samosas from the back. We picked up a few of the chicken and beef samosas. They were very delicious with a light, flaky crust and a good proportion of filling. And, for $1.25 each, you can't get much better than that. They were a lot better than the ones I had purchased at Foods of India (off of Broadway and Plymouth Rd.) They also had some fresh, warm Mountain Bread that we quickly snatched up. It was sold in a bag with two round loaves for $1.99. I've never had this bread before - It reminded me of a softer, slightly less chewy version of focaccia. With some German ham and cheese that we purchased at the Euro Deli a few doors down, we had ourselves a fabulous sandwich.
What I also like about this place is that right next door is a Middle Eastern produce and fruit market. They often carry a nice variety of fresh produce like Quince, Persimmon, Meyer Lemon, Eggplant, Yucca Root, fresh walnuts, etc. It's a great place to get a variety of produce at cheap prices. However, I've noticed that they don't always stock the best quality products so you'll have to survey all your items with a keen eye to avoid getting something that is not very fresh or bad quality.
Aladdin's Market
3188 Packard Rd.
Ann Arbor MI 48108
Enjoy!
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Ann Arbor Restaurants
So here's the dealio...
There's NO good Viet restaurant in Ann Arbor or Ypsilanti (ducking for cover, as I write this). Ask any reliable Viet cook you know in the area, they'll probably tell you the same thing - believe me - as a Michigan transplant, I've asked.
If I'm in the area, I might consider dropping by some of the places in Madison Heights. Pho Hang, next to Kim Nhung Superfoods on 13 Mile and Dequindre is decent. Their pho bo (Viet Beef Noodle Soup) is much better (& they provide the correct herbs such as culantro, cilantro, asian basil, etc) than any you'll find in Ann Arbor/Ypsi (but if you read my comment above, that's not saying much). Their Bun Thit Nuong is the other fairly reliable dish I've found there. The biggest plus for going to this restaurant is that it is right next to Kim Nhung, which is the largest Viet grocery store in the area. They carry the most variety when it comes to Viet and SE Asian (Thai/Lao/Cambodian) products.
There's also Pho Khanh, off of Dequindre and 12 Mile (in front of the Universal Mall strip). Their pho bo was decent, but I believe they've changed ownership recently, and I've yet to visit them since.
Vy Nga - off of John R Rd (also in Madison Heights) - haven't been there for a long time. Their Viet sandwich (Banh Mi) is the most decent one you'll find in SE Michigan. Their Hu Tieu was also not bad. The next closest place I've found decent Banh Mi is Toronto. There's probably a huge thread for that on the Toronto board.
One thing you'll notice if you go to any of the above is a lot of other Viet patrons - always a good sign. Still, they sometimes get stingy with herbs and other accompaniements (bean sprouts, tuong, ot hiem, etc) - (especially if they believe you're not a native Viet) so be sure to speak up if you'd like more.
As for Windsor, the Viet restaurants are not much better than in Madison Heights and therefore, not worth driving through the bridge/tunnel for. The dim sum, however, is another story. Jade Palace is actually pretty good, especially on Saturday (late breakfast/early lunchtime). Perhaps not as good as Phoenix in Chicago, but still good enough for me to make the drive from Ann Arbor every once in a while.
I know not everyone's had the chance to try authentic Viet cuisine in Viet Nam or Southern California (Little Saigon). However, if you do get that chance, I believe you might have yourself a culinary epiphany - no joke. It's that much better. Viet restaurants there are highly competitive and have access to the best, local produce. Here, there's not nearly the same level of competition and so places get lazy, in my opinion. There's this awful consensus among many of them that Caucasians and other non-Viets don't know any better so there's not need to offer the real thing. They've told me this themselves.
So what to do? Be smart customers and don't settle for mediocrity. I hope eventually, they might get the picture.
Ann Arbor Restaurants
There's really nothing here that comes close to Chicago's Chinatown. Great Lakes is decent but if you go there, I wouldn't get your hopes up. Their dim sum is not nearly as fresh or varied as Phoenix in Chicago.
As a Viet, my palate is perhaps a bit more discerning towards my own cuisine. Thus, I have to disagree on Da Lat. I've been there at least 5 times now. Each time has been one disappointment after another. I keep coming back trying to disprove myself but that hasn't happened. They don't offer the essential herbal accompaniments, for example. If you go, look around - do you see other Viets dining there? Probably not (I never have), because their dishes are not authentic or even good, for that matter.
If you've *never* had good quality, authentic Viet cuisine, then you might find it palatable.
On to the other topic - Zingerman's Roadhouse is a good option that won't be as over-crowded as the Main St. shops that weekend. Their sandwiches are really great as well as their desserts. Slightly pricey but not much more than those on Main St.
Good luck!
http://www.holybasil.wordpress.com
Grocery Stores - Detroit Metro area
Kim Nhung Superfoods is a Vietnamese grocery store that stocks a lot of SE Asian products as well as Chinese groceries. Their address and location (along with other Asian stores in the area) are listed on my blog, under the AU MARCHE tab.
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Best Bread in Detroit Region
The Polish Market in Troy has a good selection of pumpernickel, rye and multi-grain breads. I love their dark, multi-grain rye called "Sunny" - made with sunflower seeds. They have a fabulous variation on that using soy beans - incidently, it's called "Soya." They bake fresh loaves of both breads at least twice a day. You can buy them pre-sliced but I found those dry out too quickly - so I suggest purchasing them whole. They also freeze fairly well.
Polish Market
2938 E Maple Rd
Troy, MI 48083
248-577-5334
Good luck!
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Greenfield Village - The Henry Ford
Has anyone had tea at Cotswold Cottage? I'm wondering about the quality of the sandwiches and pastries. Thanks for any info!
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Looking for Ann Arbor restaurant recommendations
Logan has been consistently good the few times I've been there. The Oaxacan short ribs and beef roulade were quite delicious. I found their menu to be fairly innovative for a Michigan restaurant. Everyday cook, a newer establishment, is also another option. Their lunch menu changes daily and they're really off to a promising start.
Logan Restaurant
http://www.logan-restaurant.com/
Everyday Cook
http://everydaylunch.blogspot.com/
Good luck!
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Butcher in Ann Arbor?
I think Sparrow Meats in Kerrytown is a great place to find naturally raised pork and beef. I've occasionally spotted rabbit and duck there as well. I think their prices are fair - certainly not sky-high as Zingerman's.
Bello Vino on Plymouth Rd. has decent homemade sausage at a very reasonable price (around 3.99/lb?) - basic varieties though: feta & herb, spicy italian, sweet italian, plain.
Their grass-fed beef is pretty good too and perhaps the cheapest (?) that I've found in the area.
Hiller's Market - although it's a chain grocer, I've shop their frequently as I think they have good quality produce and good quality meat (chicken, pork, beef, etc). Interestingly, my friends who have come here from Asia find most American pork to have a funny smell that they attribute to lack of freshness. Yet, they found the pork from Hiller's to be palatable. Something to be said of the quality of the meat there, I suppose.
Good luck!
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Asian Legend in Ann Arbor
Thanks for the post. I've walked by there since it's opening but wondered if it was like all the other chinese places around campus that cater to the meat n' potatoes crowd. Do we really need more Orange Chicken? Anyway, I'll have to check it out now.
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Any can't miss eats in Huntington Beach/Fountain Valley/Westminster?
I hope you'll check out my two favorites:
*Com Tam Tran Quy Cap-
16175 Harbor Blvd, Fountain Valley 92708
corner of Harbor & Edinger Ave (In Smart & Final Parking Lot)
--- authentic cha gio made with rice paper and fantastic Com Tam
*Brodard in Garden Grove/Westminster
http://www.brodard.net/
really good nem nuong
Best of luck,
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Ann Arbor Farmer's Market - poll
Is he the same one with the honey? I'll have to check this weekend. Thanks!
Ann Arbor Farmer's Market - poll
Are there vendors that you love to visit at the AA Farmer's Market?
What are some things not to miss?
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Ann Arbor - quick review of Cafe Japon
While it opened several months ago, this past weekend, we finally paid a visit to this charming cafe, located in downtown Ann Arbor 113 E. Liberty. As we entered, we were greeted by the owner/baker Miyoko, who chatted with us for a good length about some of the new developments for her cafe. As we chatted, we tasted the pain aux noix which was studded with gold and black currants and delicious walnuts; as well as the pain au fromage Roquefort. Both were made using traditional bread making methods and organic ingredients. The baguettes and demi-baguettes were also well made, evidenced by their soft, creamy and well aerated interior and perfect crust.
The bakery also makes fantastic croissants and pastries with traditional french flavors such as almond and raisin and chocolate, but I was pleased to see her add a Japanese touch by including pastries made with red bean paste and desserts like strawberry mochi.
Equally welcoming are the prices. For example, the baguette costs $2.25 and the specialty croissants cost $3.50.
Finally, a place in Ann Arbor where you can find quality, artisan bread/pastries that don't charge you an arm and leg!
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Dim Sum in Madison? Detroit?
As for Windsor dim sum - be sure to try Jade. Wah Court also serves dim sum but it's actually worse than in Ann Arbor. Shangri La is probably one of the better places in the Detroit area. Good luck!
Burritos in Ann Arbor?
Big 10 burritos are somewhat decent. Qdoba is a joke, sorry. The accepatable place for a burrito around Ann Arbor is Chipotle, off of Washtenaw and Huron Pkwy (next to the Beaner's coffe shop). The place is well-designed, clean and fun to be in. They mostly used naturally-raised beef and pork, which is great -- considering they are a chain. The service is also fast and courteous.
