A story

Once a girl walked by a coffee shop. Although Intimidated by the hipsters within, she pulled opened the doors and ordered a Brown Sugar & Sea Salt latte. Girl watched the hipsters prepare her drink as if it were a scientific experiment, but when she took a sip it tasted more like a piece of art. She sighed....

And the next day she craved that final heartwarming sip which she had cherished the day before.

 

Ann Arbor gets street food!

Mark's carts

Last week I took a trip down to Washington street, near the intersection with Ashley, behind one of my favorite stores in all of Michigan, Downtown Home and Garden.   Street food carts, all the rage around the country, have finally reached Ann Arbor.  If you haven't heard about this yet, A2ites, Mark's carts is a new food courtyard downtown that serves a variety of ethnic foods.

For this first time around we order from EAT, an Ann Arbor catering partnership with roots in the old Jefferson Market.  Last week we lunched on three different styles of sliders, a sloppy youssef (joe) moroccan style with a cucumber raita, pork confit with mustard gremolata, and korean bbq beef (without the kimchi for the little guy).  They were all different and wonderfully full flavored.  I loved getting the opportunity to try the different flavors, and I love the distinct flavor profiles all done clearly and well.  This is the way I love to attack my cooking projects, with a shout out to the edible flavor and texture icons of a culture.

I'm ruminating on the possibility of running one of these carts myself.  It's like a restaurant without all of the front of the house details.  I could do it; I'd love to attack this project. But I'd have to start from square one which is a bit daunting. I don't have a current catering business to work out of.  So for now, I'll start by sampling the other stands.  And maybe one day...

Taste of A2

You have about 90 minutes left of this year's Taste of Ann Arbor. It's a blast, although a little crowded. Just hold on to the hands of your little ones very tightly. Seems like they could have used three blocks instead of two- maybe next year. Here are a few shots from today's lunch experience.

Tomato mozzarella salad from Gratzi


fried ravioli from Palio


Chocolate covered pancetta


Fish taco from Black Pearl


Scallop & shrimp skewer from Great Seafood Co


enjoyed but not pictured::

• Shalimar samosa & paneer wrapped around baby corn
• BW3 wings
• Blue Nile spiced beef and mild chicken crepe, spiced iced tea
• Dolce Vita chocolate strawberry
• TeaHaus Black iced tea
• Cupcake Station red velvet mini's
  

new market

There's a new market in Ann Arbor, Plum Market. Opened in early February. Feels like an urban WF, stylish and updated - Not just intended for the "crunchies" among us. Although I love cooking for my family, once in a while I need a break, and at PLUM there are many options. All of the prepared food that I've tried to date has been wonderful, both fully cooked and semi-prepared. Favorites so far have been the southwestern turkey burgers and tortilla chip crusted tilapia. In both of these items, the flavors were balanced so well; it was as good as homemade. Not something I often find with supermarket prepared foods. My single complaint was the chicken tikki masala dish from the hot bar was made with breast meat. While I'm aware that decision was probably made to lower fat content, the chef should know that chicken breast cannot be braised in a sauce and then kept warm for hours. The meat was tough, almost inedible, if it hadn't been for the absolutely delicious sauce.

Other tasty things we've tried there: chicken salad, minestrone soup, turkey lasagna, sushi & pizza, specifically the pesto artichoke is my fav.

The produce is beatiful and wine selection looks thorough (although I haven't spent a lot of time in that area).

One slightly unsettling thing is the music playing in the background. A cross between house music and music that my massage therapist plays. They pump it outside the building too, so that you feel like you're entering an alternate universe. It wouldn't bother me so much, except for the fact that I'm in there for an hour every time I go, buying much more than I planned. >:D