Half Way to 2016

 

The numbers don't lie. Over 68 million citizens have already early voted in the 2020 presidential race. 

In 2016 the final tally for president topped out at 136 million, which means as of today October 27th more than 50% of the total votes cast last time have already been voted in 2020.

We don't know what the final totals will be, but all non-partisan metrics tell us that even with the increase in Covid-driven early voting the final totals will be well about any previous election. 150+ million votes is not out of the question.

Of course, before making any predictions or popping any corks, we must also consider the effects of: the electoral college, and election day weather, and faulty polling, and a late October surprise, and dead voters in Chicago, and a halloween zombie invasion. Oh and that asteroid!

Ann Arbor @ Curbside [September]

 

September Reviews - five establishments

Matty J's (972 E. Michigan Ave., Saline) A bakery and more, definitely more. Curbside only right now and they close at 2 PM. But you have to order early, really early to get the Brioche Rolls (which are now only available on Friday and Saturday). We found the sandwiches (Vegan Veggie and Chipolte Turkey Avocado) to be outstanding. The Sunflower Rye is just one of the half dozen breads available. By the way, Matty J's supplies bread to several locations in and around Saline. Next time, we're going for the Deep Dish Quiche.

Seva (2541 Jackson Ave.) Carry out, curbside and limited seating.  The to-go menu is more limited than the dine-in but we had no issues satisfying our gastronomic needs. Greek Quinoa Salad, Asparagus Ravioli, Black Bean & Sweet Potato Quesadilla and Cilantro-Peanut Stir Fry satisfied another socially-distanced gathering of four.

Bell's Diner (2167 W. Stadium Blvd.) Look there are a lot of good diner dishes at Bell's Diner. Our problem is that they serve a great Bi-Bim-Bop, which means we never get to any of the other good stuff. There is a comprehensive Korean menu at Bell's along with great diner breakfast offerings (or so we've been told). A full grill menu of burgers, hot dogs and fresh sandwiches are also available. But they make a great Bi-Bim-Bop.

Le Dog (306 S. Main St.) Yes, Le Dog is back. They reopened Mid-September and yes, the Lobster Bisque is on the menu Thursday and Friday. But all the rest of the soups are also available and highly recommended. Expect future reviews of the wide variety of soupy options and the occasional wiener. But leave it said: the lobster bisque is rich, perfectly seasoned, plenty of lobster bits. You will need to pick-up a loaf of crusty bread to sop it all up.

No Thai (Kerrytown) Yes, for the third consecutive month No Thai makes our list. Another socially-distanced lunch with friends at our home. We have managed to find one tiny complaint, when ordering the mild heat on a dish many times there are little pockets of medium or even higher spice. For some this is a short sinus-clearing moment, for others its a lunchtime shock.

Ann Arbor Curbside - July

Ann Arbor Curbside - August

Ann Arbor @ Curbside [August]

 

August Reviews - 4 + 1 establishments

Four new reviews in August and one repeat.

No Thai (Kerrytown) Yes, our first but not the last repeat. No Thai remains a solid Top Ten on our go-to list. This time we had friends over, socially-distanced of course. The mix of dishes was interesting but in the time of Covid we did not share, which is a real loss because I definitely wanted to try the Green Curry. Highly recommended are the spring rolls and my favorite the Drunken Noodles.

Zingerman's@Home If you're not from around here (Southeast Michigan) you might not know about Zingerman's, feel free to follow the link. For our purposes here we took advantage of a Covid response by the catering kitchen at Zingerman's called Zingerman's@Home. A limited but scrumptious menu is offered for pick-up or delivery. We tried the @home option twice in August. The Hungarian Paprikash and the Fungi Pot Pie were good the first week but the Atlantic Salmon on our second try was outstanding. Locals know all the facets of the Zingerman's family of restaurants and stores. We will be heading back to the @Home option again when the salmon appears.

Cornman Farms (Island Lake Road, Dexter) Another Zingerman's business is Cornman Farms. Generally, an event center (mostly weddings) they also offer seasonal culinary adventures. This summer it was Fish & Chips. You had to order online and then pick-up on the picnic table outside the farmhouse kitchen. Eating on the extensive grounds was a treat in late August. The fish was tender, not greasy and a large portion. We are watching carefully for the next food adventure from Cornman Farms.

Core Life Eatery (205 N. Maple) Green bowls. Grain bowls. Broth bowls. Power Plates. Warm Rice Bowls and, of course, Create Your Own Bowl. Everything at Core Life is just so damn healthy. The surprise for many is that the dishes are also tasty, filling and come with a wide variety of sauces and veggie options.

JULY REVIEWS

Ann Arbor @ Curbside [July]

 

Ann Arbor is a great foodie town. In this time of Covid, we all feel the need to support struggling eateries. We chose to do our part at the curbside when possible. So here begins a somewhat belated monthly review of local restaurants we have patronized each month.

July Reviews - 6 establishments

No Thai (4 locations: S. University, S. Main, Plymouth, Kerrytown) We order from the Kerrytown store. Personally, you can't go wrong with any dish from No Thai, at least we haven't found a hole in the menu yet. As you will see in coming months, this has become a go-to for us. We do use home delivery at times, in violation of our "curbside" theme. This is definitely a nominee for our Top Ten Restaurants in Ann Arbor.

Pita King (2412 E. Stadium) Pitas, pitas and more pitas. Plus lots of other Middle Eastern delights: humus, grape leaves, falafel, mujaddara, tabouli, fattoush, shawarma, gyro and at least half a dozen variations on pitas. If you're in the mood for pita, well Duh! Pita King.

Chela's (three locations: Dexter, S. Maple, downtown [currently closed]) We are fans of both the small main store on S. Maple at Liberty and the much larger sit-down venue in Dexter. In either case, Chela's is out absolute favorite Mexican restaurant in the area. Hands down tasty food. Our only objection might be that the Dexter store has a limited menu. But both have easy pick-up, we recommend curbside in Dexter and walk-in for the S. Maple locations. Another Top Ten nominee.

Olga's (3500 Washtenaw Ave.) Olga's is a long-time favorite of a dear friend. We often swing by for a pick-up order before we visit with her. The staple dish would be a gyro, except that Olga's uses a house bread that is not a pita but so much better. We'd mention the other dishes but we seldom get passed the wide variety of Olga "sandwiches."

Naked Burrito (2871 Carpenter Rd.) Do not be fooled by the name, this is much more than a burrito place. The menu starts with some tasty bowls, try the Vegan Portabello Passion. Do not try the Flamin Hot Elote unless you are a hot and spicy connoisseur and we mean hot! There are lots of tacos and burritos and quesadilla, we do wish the online menu had a more complete rundown on the various components to build our own platter. [UPDATE 10/9/2020: Naked Burrito has permanently closed. The owners will soon be opening JJ's Crab House at the same Carpenter Road location.]

Everest Sherpa (2803 Oak Valley Dr.) Tucked away in a shopping center, Everest Sherpa is a hidden wonder. Just a brilliant menu full of succulent taste treats. Don't be misled by the Oak Valley address, just head to the corner of Ann Arbor-Saline Rd. and W. Waters. We would give you a few recommendations but we've tried so many dishes and still have many more to go. Never a disappointment.