Go Blue! - Ann Arbor, MI Trip Recap

With 80 degree weather in the DC area, Michigan might not be high on the list of destinations this time of year, but the bf and I had a fun (and cold) time with his family anyway! I swear I was the only person in full snow attire with a puffy coat, hat, scarf and gloves. It was in the mid-30's and that's apparently considered a mild winter! I wanted to share some delicious places to check out if you're ever in the Home of the Wolverines.

Day 1

Beirut Restaurant
7650 Merriman Rd
Romulus, MI 48174
(734) 326-1000

We took an early flight and ended up in Detroit before we could get picked up. With time to kill, we took a short cab ride to eat some Lebanese food that we found on Yelp. By the way, it was snowing and 2 guys were smoking outside in tshirts...maybe we're just weaklings.

We ate a lot! We ordered spinach pies, chicken wrap, falafel wrap, french fries, rice pudding and Turkish coffee. Our favorite items were the wraps and home made fries, which all had a very pungent garlic sauce. The service wasn't great (think high schoolers working at their parents' place), but food came out fairly quickly. Random, but the server was in love with my camera, so I let her shoot around the restaurant.

Day 2

Maize and Blue Delicatessen
1329 S University Ave
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(734) 996-0533

If you didn't already know, Ann Arbor is home for the University of Michigan. This college town has a lot of school pride and great sandwiches. We were taken to two famous deli's for a taste competition. Thankfully with the students being on Spring Break, there were no lines anywhere!

We ordered the New Yorker (Pastrami, turkey, Switzerland Swiss, Dijon mustard and onion on grilled sourdough rye) (top) and the Maize N' Blue Special (Roast beef, smoked turkey, cheddar, Jarlsberg cheese, honeycup mustard, lettuce, tomato, onion, mild pepper)(bottom). Out of the two, I liked the Maize N' Blue Special because the honeycup mustard added a nice kick. 

Angelo's
1100 Catherine St
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(734) 761-8996

We then stopped by Angelo's On the Side to compare against Maize and Blue. The original restaurant is next door, but this is their carry-out location. That must have been a pain to write on that board so neatly...

We ordered a Reuben (subbed the corned beef for pastrami, sauerkraut, thousand island dressing, Swiss cheese).  It's served warm on their homemade bread. Tastes best dipped in their hot sauce. OMG, I'm salivating as I type. I still think about this sandwich at random times, like loading the dishwasher. That's what you call memorable. I'm sure you can tell... this is my winner!

The Scrap Box
581 State Circle
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
The bf's niece celebrated her 9th birthday at a very unique place. They are a "place for creative recycling", which means they sell you donated scraps. The scraps can be used for craft projects, art classes, etc. I'm all about being green! Companies and individuals who donate the materials would have thrown them away anyway. During the party we decorated magnets, made marble mazes and ate birthday cake. It was a cute time.

Seoul Garden
3125 Boardwalk St
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
(734) 997-2121

For her birthday dinner, we went out for Korean BBQ. Our table was filled with beef, chicken, vegetables, soup and sushi. All of that for 4 adults and 2 kids! Everything was delicious and the service was on point.

Day 3 


Seoul Street
1771 Plymouth Rd
Ste 101
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
(734) 719-0085
This was my first time trying Korean fried chicken. It's characterized by its thick, crunchy skin and hot and spicy glaze. After ordering over the phone and then waiting over an hour in person (ridiculous), we finally got our order of wings and thighs. Was it worth the wait? Probably not, but I was impressed! Tasty, spicy, crispy, juicy and filling.

Ann Arbor has some great food and I was happily surprised. Family - If you're reading this, thanks for having us!