Spice Merchants

14 09 2008
  • 401 N. 5th Ave #2C
  • Ann Arbor, MI 48104
  • Website
  • (734) 332-5500

(I’ve updated this review after Kelly pointed out I had the wrong name..It’s right now and I’ve found more info on the web.)

The Ann Arbor Spice House in the Kerrytown Shops

The Spice Merchants in the Kerrytown Shops

The Spice Merchants was another incredible find in Ann Arbor.  After walking around the Farmer’s Market (review HERE), we headed inside the Kerrytown Shops to see what that was all about.  We didn’t find much on the list of businesses next to the elevator, but there was one shop on the second floor that I wanted to check out.

I’m assuming this is a fairly new store because there’s no information about it anywhere on the web.  Even the Kerrytown Shops website lists the store as being vacant.  It’s definitely not vacant. It’s filled floor to ceiling with spices and not your run of the mill, everyday spices.  There were things in that store I’ve only seen mail order.

Along the walls, the spices are stored in bulk in glass jars.  You’re asked not to handle the jars, but for the more popular spices, there are bags of prepackaged spices hanging near the bulk.  If you want something that’s not already packaged or want more, an employee will package it for you.   In the middle of the store there are racks of spice rubs.  Same deal as the bulk spices except this time they add shakers of the rub to the display. Read the rest of this entry »

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American International Bulk Foods

27 06 2008
  • 6016 S. Pennsylvania Ave.American International Bulk Foods
  • Lansing, MI 48911
  • (517) 393-1130
  • No Known Website

American International Bulk Foods was recommended to me by my girlfriends boss once she found out I like to cook.  I was told they have a good selection of spices, so I stopped in one day to see what exactly it was.  To my surprise, they had a lot of spices and a lot of hard to find spices at really good prices.  The store is set up like a bulk candy store.  There are rows of plastic bins filled with spices.  Just like a bulk candy store, you pick up a plastic bag and use a scoop to fill it up.  Tie the bag up and write the bin number on the bag and keep going.  This store is incredibly helpful if you cook a lot of Middle Eastern or Indian food.  There’s a lot of spices that you can’t get at the local mega mart. Read the rest of this entry »