Whole Foods Market – Ann Arbor (Cranbrook)

5 04 2009
  • 990 W. Eisenhower Parkway
  • Ann Arbor, MI 48103
  • (734) 997-7500
  • Website
The Whole Foods Market on Eisenhower in Ann Arbor

The Whole Foods Market on Eisenhower in Ann Arbor

A trip to Ann Arbor is not a trip to Ann Arbor unless you go to Whole Foods.  There are bloggers in Lansing (*cough*amy*cough*) who make special trips to Ann Arbor just to go to Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s.  Until J and I went to the Ann Arbor store on Washtenaw last fall, I had never been to one.  J used to shop at the store in Willowbrook, IL and would buy most of her meals there.  She actually went to the Washtenaw store on Saturday while I was working, but didn’t want to buy anything cold, so we made plans to go back on Sunday.  Since I needed to do some shopping, we went to the new store near Briarwood Mall.

This Whole Foods is on Eisenhower Street in the Cranbrook Village shopping center.  It’s in a strip mall so the exterior is pretty bland.  When we were driving by, I didn’t even realize it was a Whole Foods.  It could have passed for any random grocery store.

The inside of the store was also unexpected.  At first, J said she didn’t like it because it wasn’t like every other Whole Foods Market she had been to.  She was turned around and departments were laid out differently.  Read the rest of this entry »

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Categories : Ann Arbor, Grocery, Michigan, Reviews

Conor O’Neill’s Traditional Irish Pub & Restaurant

5 04 2009
  • 318 S. Main Street
  • Ann Arbor, MI 48104
  • (734) 665-2968
  • Website
  • Menu
Conor ONeills Traditional Irish Pub & Restaurant in downtown Ann Arbor

Conor O'Neill's Traditional Irish Pub & Restaurant in downtown Ann Arbor

One more day in Ann Arbor.  I was actually supposed to work another day, but the softball game I was supposed to work was moved to Saturday because of the threat of nasty weather.  J and I got a hotel to stay in Ann Arbor Saturday night.  Our plan was to go shopping on Sunday but before we could do that, we needed to find lunch.

We headed downtown to find the Prickly Pear after Amy suggested it to us.  When we got there, we found a menu outside and realized we weren’t really in the mood for Southwestern so we walked down Main Street until we found someplace to get sandwiches.

Conor O’Neill’s is on South Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor.  There are a lot of restaurants in the area and a lot of fancy restaurant in the area.  Conor O’Neill’s offers a more price friendly alternative. 

The outside of the building is painted in bright colors and really, it looks like a lot of other Irish pubs.  Inside, they have the typical decor.  There’s a lot of dark woods, old furniture, and Guinness signs.  The walls and ceilings are hand painted with words of wisdom.  We were shown to a table where one side was a padded bench an the other side had chairs that I thought I was going to break when I sat down.  It creaked pretty loud when I sat down, but the furniture really added to the overall look and feel of the bar.

The ambiance includes a lot of TV’s playing soccer games.  If watching soccer isn’t enough, the volume was up loud that it could have been heard over a live band.  It was obnoxiously loud for the one guy who was drinking at 11:30 on a Sunday morning and watching a Manchester United game because he probably doesn’t get the channel in his dorm room.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Ann Arbor, BBQ, Big Ten Tour, Burgers, Downtown, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Press Release – Governor’s Bet on NCAA Championship

5 04 2009

From a press release from the Governor’s office.  It doesn’t say what food is on the line, but I would put up a Michigan Cherry Pie vs. some Carolina Pork. 

Governors Granholm, Perdue Place Friendly Wager on NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship

LANSING – Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today placed a friendly wager with North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue that the Michigan State University Spartans will win the 2009 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship when they play the University of North Carolina Tar Heels Monday night at Ford Field in Detroit.

“Coach Tom Izzo and the Michigan State University Spartan men have given the state of Michigan a great gift – the chance at a national championship from the hardest working team in college basketball,” Granholm said.  “Thanks to the Spartans for uplifting our entire state and for giving us hope.  Their victory Saturday night was our victory, and we wish them great success in the championship game Monday night.”

Granholm and Perdue have agreed that the governor of the losing team must be photographed enjoying some tasty treats from the winning state while wearing the winning team’s jersey and hat.  A photo of the occasion must be publicly released.  The governor of the losing team also will donate $100 to a local food bank in the winning team’s state.

Over the years, Governor Granholm has placed similar wagers with other governors in observance of championship games with the governor sending gift packages that include Faygo soft drinks, Kowalski sausage, Bell’s beer, and Michigan cherry products.
   
Governor Granholm attended Saturday night’s semi-final championship game between the MSU Spartans and the University of Connecticut Huskies.  She is scheduled to attend the championship game Monday evening between Michigan State and North Carolina.


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Sidetrack Bar & Grill

5 04 2009
  • 56 E. Cross Street
  • Ypsilanti, MI 48198
  • (734) 483-1035
  • Website
  • Menu
Sidetrack Bar & Grill in Depot Town in Ypsilanti

Sidetrack Bar & Grill in Depot Town in Ypsilanti

When I see that there’s a place that serves a burger someone has proclaimed to be the best, I’m gonna take an opportunity to try it for myself.  That was the case when I was working in Ann Arbor recently.  J made the trip to Ann Arbor with me and picked me up after my game was over.  Somewhere, I saw that a bar in Ypsilanti made one of the best burgers in the country.  I looked at a map and saw Ypsilanti was near Ann Arbor.  So I dragged J to another bar in search of the perfect hamburger.

Sidetrack Bar & Grill is located on Cross Street in Ypsilanti’s Depot Town.  Guess what.  It sits beside a set of rail road tracks.  As I’ve already alluded to, GQ Magazine proclaimed Sidetrack’s hamburger as one the 20  burgers you must eat before you die.  It was also featured on an episode of the Oprah Winfey Show.  With that much hype, it was something I was looking forward to all day.

We parked behind the building and entered through a back door.  There’s a sign that points you to the front door where a hostess took us back through the dining room we just walked through to a table along the wall.  The decor is that of an old bar.  There’s exposed brick walls, tin ceilings and hardwood floors that have seen better days.  The walls are covered with dead animals.  There was a big moose head right above my head and some giant penguins hanging above the door.  The tables are packed into the space.  When I initially suggested a bar for dinner, I was a little worried that we would have trouble getting a table.  Word is,  Sidetracks is always packed on Friday and Saturday night and this Saturday night, MSU was playing in the Final Four.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Bar, BBQ, Burgers, Michigan, Pub, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches, Ypsilanti

Mia Za’s Cafe – Ann Arbor

5 04 2009
  • 615 E. University Avenue
  • Ann Arbor, MI 48104
  • (734) 555-1211
  • Website
  • Menu
Mia Zas Cafe near the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor

Mia Za's Cafe near the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor

Once again, I spent my Saturday working.  Not complaining at all.  I love it when I get a chance to work.  However, it takes weekends away from J and I .  When I work, my days are 10 hours and that doesn’t include travel, so I spend all day work and when I get home, I’m exhausted and don’t want to do much.  Instead of sitting home by herself, J decided to come to Ann Arbor with me.  We got a hotel room and she was going to do some shopping while I worked.

At lunch time, J came back to the Wilpon baseball softball complex to pick me up.  I only had an hour so I wanted to stay somewhat close to campus.  Last week while working in Champaign, IL, I stumbled upon a little cafe that served up really good food really quickly.  One of their two other locations happened to be in Ann Arbor and I knew it was something J would like, so that’s where we went.

It was a really busy Saturday in Ann Arbor.  There were people everywhere and traffic was slow going.  We finally made it to Mia Za’s which is on University Street in Ann Arbor near the campus of the University of Michigan.  There is street parking on either side of University so we started looking for a spot.  I saw one going the other direction so I did a U-turn and made it back before someone else picked it up.

There is quite a bit of construction going on in the area including a massive construction project at the building next to Mia Za’s.  The sidewalk is closed and the temporary sidewalk structures almost cover up the awning and front of the building.  I almost missed it when we drove by.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Ann Arbor, Big Ten Tour, Cafe, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Alumni Field

5 04 2009
  • 1202 S. State Street
  • Ann Arbor, MI 48104
  • (734) 647-2583
  • Website
The backside of the grandstands at Alumni Field in Ann Arbor

The backside of the grandstands at Alumni Field in Ann Arbor

My very busy April of shooting baseball/softball continues this weekend in Ann Arbor.  I was actually supposed to shoot baseball yesterday in Ann Arbor, but the weather kept that game from happening. 

This isn’t my first trip to U of M for spring sports.  Right after we moved here last year, I got a call to shoot the very first softball game in the remodeled Alumni Field.  I shot a couple baseball games later in the spring, but this is the first time I’ve been back to Alumni Field since then.

The University of Michigan’s softball team calls Alumni Field home.  The field is part of the larger Wilpon Baseball and Softball complex which is part of the even large sports complex on the Ann Arbor campus.  The softball diamond shares a parking lot with the baseball diamond, Ooseterban Fieldhouse, the UM Indoor Track and Field Building and Yost Ice Arena.  The center field wall butts up to the center field wall of Fisher Stadium.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Ann Arbor, Big Ten Tour, Entertainment Venues, Live Entertainment, Michigan, Reviews