By Crysta Coburn • Photography by Mary Bortmas
Of Rice and Men
There is something inherently exciting about descending a flight of stairs to a semi-hidden eatery. I walked past Of Rice and Men twice before my husband pointed out the door nestled between Conor O’Neill’s on the left and Blue Llama Jazz Club on the right. (The door isn’t hidden. It is, in fact, well marked. I just hadn’t realized the restaurant was below ground.)
The dining room is sophisticated yet cozy with a modern Asian vibe. Simple screens create more intimacy between tables. Behind the bar is a mural of what appears to be a horned Japanese oni (a kind of evil spirit from folklore) emerging from churning waves, in pursuit of a person in a rowboat.
The menu is pan-Asian with a modern take. For Example, sushi rolls and nigiri sit beside dumplings and dim sum on the menu. You will also find fried rice and noodle dishes. I particularly enjoyed the Kimchi Fried Rice, which I ordered with tofu rather than Spam because I can’t eat pork. It is for sure spicy (it cleared my sinuses), but the strong flavors come together beautifully, and the heat of the gochujang is slightly tempered by the presence of the poached egg and fried tofu.
I relished the flavors of the Yasai Vegetarian Roll with pickled radish, sweet shitake, cucumber, and tamago. And the Veggie Spring Rolls, stuffed with shitake mushrooms, cabbage, glass noodles, carrots, and tofu with sweet chili sauce, were savory and had the perfect crunch.
Other items on the menu include Seared Prawn Tom Kha soup (Thai), Seared Foie Gras Nigiri (Japanese), Prime Beef Tenderloin Satay (Javanese), and Charsiu Bao Buns (Chinese). Some of their signature dishes listed on the menu are Wok Fried Whole Sea Bass, Korean Short Ribs, and Peking Duck. So you can really see the spectrum of dishes from across Asia and how they’ve been elevated. And there are a number of vegetarian and pescatarian dishes for more diverse palates.
There is a decent list of tiki style cocktails, wine, beer, and sake to go with your meal as well as tea and coffee for non-drinkers. I was pleased to see the classic Singapore Sling cocktail listed on the menu. (Of Rice and Men’s Singapore Sling is made from gin, lime, house grenadine, and pineapple foam.)
If you are in the mood for a fun night out with innovative takes on traditional dishes, Of Rice and Men should be at the top of your list.
Of Rice and Men is located at 312 South Main Street in Ann Arbor. They are open Tuesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Closed Sunday and Monday. For more information call (734) 222-0202. Or visit ofriceandmen.com.
Smokehouse 52 BBQ
As soon as I stepped through the door of Smokehouse 52 BBQ in historic downtown Chelsea, I knew I was in for a treat. The air is filled with the mouthwatering aroma of smoked meats. The walls are rendered rustic with brick and wood, and I suspect the ceiling is the original vintage tin.
While my husband and I did order a full dinner, I personally was truly there for one thing: brisket. Many people I know picture pork when they think of barbecue. But I can’t eat pork, and barbecued chicken often leaves much to be desired, so I rely on tender, smoky, delicious beef brisket. With or without barbecue sauce, I don’t care.
But Smokehouse 52 BBQ does offer five choices of house-made sauces: All-American, Root Beer, Kiss & Vinegar, and mustard-based Smokehouse Gold. If you want a kick, there is the 52 Alarm sauce, for which they smoke their own jalapenos. And, of course, you can add as much of the signature 52 Rub as you want.
Being largely based around meat and vegetables, the menu is probably the most gluten-free friendly I have seen in a very long time. All of the sides are gluten free minus the mac and cheese and, sadly, cornbread. The cornbread is, of course, Jiffy brand, so I can’t really fault them too much for not being gluten free. How could they not represent their home town? (The Chelsea Milling Company that makes Jiffy mix is located only a ten minute walk from Smokehouse 52 BBQ.)
After trying the Smoked Chicken Corn Chowder, which was so rich and creamy that I savored every spoonful, I gleefully dug into my plate of brisket, sweet potato fries, and coleslaw. In my opinion, it was everything barbecue should be. The brisket was tender and packed with flavor. The sweet potato fries were crispy. And the coleslaw was crunchy and sweet, but not sugary—and not too peppery either. I washed all this down with a draft root beer, which was quite sweet, but it also had a pronounced root beer flavor.
My husband couldn’t resist ordering the Pig Mac, their “saucy slow smoked pulled pork or brisket smothered with [their] Signature Mac & Cheese, topped with bacon and served on Texas toast.” He chose the true Pig Mac with pulled pork and also had a draft root beer to drink.
Speaking of. You’re probably wondering how that root beer barbecue sauce is. It was actually pretty good! My husband and I both liked it, though I mostly stuck to the All-American. At first it just tastes like a sweet barbecue sauce, but then comes a wave of flavor that is distinctly root beer. What is life without adventure?
If you have a hankering for some good barbecue or just want to try something new, stop by Smokehouse 52 BBQ. It’s a real delight.
Smokehouse 52 BBQ has two locations, 125 South Main Street in Chelsea and 105 West Michigan Avenue in Saline. They are open Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. For more information call (734) 562 - 2565 (Chelsea) or (734) 316 - 7913 (Saline). Or visit sh52bbq.com.
Bon Appétit Cuisine
Ypsilanti is home to a new restaurant that specializes in delicious, authentic West African cuisines. The menu includes universally popular items like jerk chicken, fried plantains, and Jollof rice, but you will find several new things to try, too.
Bon Appétit Cuisine opened last summer at the former location of the closed Golden Wall Chinese restaurant. The tables are dressed in checked picnic tablecloths. The food tastes fresh and homemade. The owners are neighborly. It’s the perfect place to step into for a good meal.
When I ordered my dinner, I chose a mix of the known and unfamiliar. The beef “ish” kabobs were tender, savory cuts of beef grilled on wood skewers. Rather than pair these with rice or vermicelli, I chose attieke as my side, a “steamed granulated cassava.” Attieke looks like small pellet couscous and has a similar texture. I topped it with a small tub of what seemed to be pickled onions and cucumbers in oil, and it was so delicious. It reminded me of a couscous salad that I used to make.
My husband chose jerk chicken, made with Bon Appétit’s own blend of herbs and spices, and fried plantains. Because he enjoys these two dishes so much, he can sometimes be picky. Bon Appétit more than passed muster. I couldn’t say no to a taste, and I would order both for myself in the future.
Bon Appétit’s beverage menu includes freshly squeezed, unpasteurized juices such as ginger juice and bissap. Since I had never heard of bissap, I decided that I needed to try it. Bissap, also known as roselle juice, is made from roselle flowers, a species of hibiscus. It is in fact described as “hibiscus punch” on the menu. To me, the flavor was sweet and reminiscent of coconut. I was a fan; my husband was not.
He did, however, quite enjoy his can of Vimto, a soft drink that is originally from the United Kingdom but is also sold in parts of the Middle East and Western Africa. I also liked it. The flavor reminded me of Michigan’s own Faygo Red Pop. (So, vaguely strawberry.) Neither one of us had heard of Vimto before either, so obviously it had to be ordered.
With such tasty, international offerings, I believe that Bon Appétit will not only become an integral part of the Ypsilanti foodscape, but a reason to visit the city in the first place.
Bon Appétit Cuisine is located at 421 West Cross Street in Ypsilanti. They are open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Closed Mondays. For more information call (734) 221-5525. Or visit bonappetitcuisine.com.
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