The 2019 Farmer’s Almanac has predicted another cold, snow-filled winter for the state of Michigan. Big Surprise! Having lived in Michigan most of my life the prediction seems average at best. A mild winter is more of a rarity than one with consistent below zero weather and a foot of snow every two days. I say embrace winter! It’s a good time for winter sports such as skating, hockey, skiing, and sledding. Wintertime is tea time. After all, there is no better way to warm up from being outside in all the cold and yuck, than a warm, flavorful drink. Winter is a playground for various hot tea combinations. Some of the herbal teas, such as peppermint, can even spice up your coffee or cocoa.
Posts filed under Food & Nutrition
Maggie Long of the Jolly Pumpkin-- Bridging the Gap Between Farmer and Consumer
Over the last few years, there has been an increasing desire to know where and how our food is made. Farm-to-table restaurants, in particular, have been essential for strengthening this movement and lending transparency when it comes to what we eat. While many of us are starting to learn about the farms where our food is produced, we are still mostly unfamiliar with the people who are instrumental in making it all happen. For the better part of two decades, Maggie Long, the executive chef at Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales + Kitchen, has been working tirelessly to seek out and provide, as she would say, “food that is awesome.”
Great Tastes in Local Food-- Winter 2020
By Crysta Coburn, Photography by Rachel Everheart
19 Drips Coffee and Tea
There is no doubt about it, Ann Arbor loves its coffee! As a freelancer, I am always on the lookout for a new place to meet with collaborators, get some work done, or just kick back and relax with a tasty beverage alone or joined by loved ones. 19 Drips Coffee and Tea more than fits the bill.
Owned and operated by local father-son team, Hisham and Saeed Ebrahim, 19 Drips is located on the thin strip of West Liberty Street between Maple and Stadium roads. It’s cozy, simply decorated, and, despite its small size, 19 Drips provides several spots for intimate conversation or to hunker down with a book or laptop. Along the front window is bar seating with high-backed stools. While I was there, smooth jazz played on the stereo.
19 Drips sources its beans from fair trade farmers across the globe. The beans are then tested and locally roasted weekly. Per its website, “Every coffee we bring is inspected pre and post roasting, giving us the opportunity to get the beans we want to share with our community.”
Many different brewing methods are offered, such as drip, pour over, Chemex, AeroPress, French press, and more. I can’t speak to the benefits of all of these various methods, but I admit that I have not seen so many offered together in one shop and it impressed me. I ordered a con miel, one of my favorites less commonly found, and was not at all disappointed. Of course, you can also order an espresso, Americano, cappuccino, latte, mocha, and more.
Also on the menu are nine different teas, including another favorite of mine, the matcha latte, a latte-like drink made with powdered green tea. If you’re feeling peckish, 19 Drips offers sandwiches, oatmeal, honeycomb bread, sabaya (a layered sweet bread), Le Waf artisan waffles, and cookies. Customers are welcomed to ask about the weekly specials.
19 Drips isn’t a crowded coffee shop with an overbearing menu. It’s a neighborhood coffee shop that takes care and pride in its product. And it has been a wonderful addition to Ann Arbor’s far west side, where the busy intersection of Jackson and Maple roads can make things feel a little hectic. It’s refreshing to tune out the traffic, settle in, sip a cup of joy, and enjoy a sweet snack.
19 Drips Coffee and Tea is located at 2263 West Liberty Street in Ann Arbor. They are open Sunday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. For more information, contact them online at www.19drips.com or call (734) 585-0461.
Fillmore Bar & Grill
As you head toward downtown Dexter, you may well miss the Fillmore Bar & Grill as the building is a beautifully converted single-family home on Ann Arbor Street. Bright white columns and trim stand out against the dark blue siding, and concrete steps lead up to the front porch and front door. You may feel like you are visiting someone’s home rather than a trendy hangout.
Once I stepped through the front door, the house illusion slipped, and I found myself in the main bar area. The floor of the second floor had been removed, doubling the height of the bar’s ceiling and infusing the area with a sense of ease and openness. Natural light comes in through the (former) second floor windows, which keeps the room from feeling too dark. Being used to sparsely lit, hole-in-the-wall or basement brewpubs, I was surprised by the choice of light wall paint.
I think this is part of what sets the Fillmore apart. It is not a dark and brooding space, but light and fun, a place you can kick back with your friends, enjoy a few drinks, some good food, and maybe watch a game on the TV behind the bar. It’s also clean and sophisticated, but not ostentatious. It’s a neighborhood bar that suits its surroundings.
On to the food! The menu pulls together several popular dishes, such as poutine, spinach dip, chicken wings, pretzel sticks, and offers the Fillmore’s own unique twist on each. Among the appetizers, you will also find items like Pan Seared Scallops and Pork Belly Bibimbap, so there is something for everyone. The Happy Hour Five Cheese dip is quite tasty and segues nicely into a French fry dip when the entree arrives. There are several clearly marked on the menu gluten-free and vegetarian options. Buns can be substituted with a lettuce wrap.
Read related article: Eats From the Streets: Your next Foodie Adventure
I couldn’t resist ordering one of my favorite meals, steak frites. The steak was melt-in-my-mouth tender, each bite a delight. My husband chose the Korean Barbecue Burger, which is such a great combination of flavors. The fries are great even without any special dipping sauces (though the dipping sauces are also pretty tasty). He also ordered a Mule Beer by Short’s that did, indeed, taste like the ginger and lime cocktail Moscow Mule, and he’s still telling people about it weeks later.
Our server was personable and happy to offer comments and suggestions on the menu options. I love it when a restaurant’s staff is both knowledgeable and enthusiastic about what they’re offering. When they take a vested interest in my experience, I feel more emotionally invested in it, and that enhances the meal. (The reverse is also true.)
If you are in the area, drop by. When the weather cooperates, there is a large and lovely deck for outdoor seating. Treat yourself!
The Fillmore Bar & Grill is located at 7954 Ann Arbor Street in Dexter. They are open Monday through Thursday from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Happy Hour is every day from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit fillmorebarandgrill.com or call (734) 426-3727.
Shimmy Shack
Shimmy Shack began as a popular vegan and gluten-free food truck in 2013 as a test to see if people were ready for such a restaurant. The answer seems to have been a resounding yes, and now, in addition to the truck, Shimmy Shack has a brick and mortar location in Plymouth, and it has not lost any of its charm. Shimmy Shack is in its element!
The clouds were heavy and a light rain was falling on the day I first visited. Safely tucked under the overhang beside the front door was a rack of “recycled and repurposed” clothing. How perfect, I thought, for a business that is devoted to kitsch and lightening the load of our carbon footprints.
Once through the door, I knew I was in for a treat. The tables, chairs, and stools are all mixed and matched vintage pieces, no two settings alike. I didn’t feel like I had stepped back in time so much as the best pieces of kitchens past had come together to create a colorful, eclectic, welcoming space. I think a lot of thought and care went into creating this unique restaurant, yet it comes across as effortless and just plain fun!
Of course, I was there for the food, too, and the all vegan and gluten-free menu is definitely a star. I immediately saw Shimmy’s scrumptious cookies, which I know from local Ann Arbor cafes (such as the Crazy Wisdom Tea Room), but I managed to forge ahead and pass them by in favor of a Cookie Monster shake (their own cowgirl cookie blended with vanilla soy ice cream), a Shimmy Coney (grilled Lightlife® brand soy hotdog, vegan chili, mustard, and finely chopped onion on a grilled gluten-free bun), sweet potato fries, and garlic dipping sauce.
Shimmy’s menu is obviously diner-inspired with burgers, coneys, pitas, chili, nachos, fries, soups, shakes, and some other fun surprises. It proves that vegan food doesn’t have to be fancy or out-of-reach for the average person. What is more traditionally American than burgers and fries? What says “Michigan” more than a coney dog? Shimmy brings what might seem like a difficult food choice well within everybody’s reach.
If you are a meat-eater (as I am), the occasional opening up of your diet to new choices and possibilities won’t hurt you. Next to the register is a sign that offers different reasons to go vegan, including allergies, weight and health, religion/spirituality, family, compassion, and the environment. Even cutting down on meat consumption one day a week can have an impact on all of these areas as well. (#MeatlessMonday, anyone?)
I know there are people who may worry about being “preached at” at a restaurant like this, but I never felt that way at all. It’s a celebration of good food. I myself have a restricted diet, so Shimmy’s menu is great for me. If you, too, have food intolerances or allergies, you may well rejoice! Especially with those cookies.
Shimmy Shack is located at 1440 Sheldon Road in Plymouth. They are open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., closed Mondays. For more information, visit shimmyshack.com or call (734) 228-5990.
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HumusFalafil: Sharing Culture, Cuisine, and Wisdom
My first bite of Middle Eastern gastronomy was around age fifteen. There was a lovely Lebanese woman in her seventies who owned a food cart in a small shopping mall. She made her falafel like giant vegetable burgers with hearty chunks of chick peas, tahini, fresh parsley, garlic, lemon, and other magical ingredients she had in her secret stash. She would not share her ingredients or recipes with me except explaining a little cultural background and what basic ingredients went into her tasty street food. Her kibbhe was not the traditional raw ground lamb though. She instead baked finely minced lamb and seasonings into a square patty that was quite thin and crispy. I cherished her food. I later found out she was an aunt of one of my friends.
Agricole: A New Local Market Arrives in Chelsea
Agricole is a word we can easily recognize as something related to agriculture, but its new namesake is more than that. Agricole Farm Stop and Coffee Bar is about cultivating a culture of community through our connections to its people, soil, and local foods combined with a central meeting and trading place in the heart of historic downtown Chelsea. The grocery and coffee bar sits just off the railroad tracks across from the Jiffy Mix mill. Here is where the intersection of past and present food entrepreneurs remind us of our agricultural heritage and the responsibility we have moving forward to support this locally grown economy and community in a sustainable way.
Local Farm and Orchard Visits
When school starts and the stars begin to twinkle a bit earlier in the evening sky, one can’t help but think of picking apples, carving pumpkins, Halloween costumes, and hay rides. We’ve compiled some of the most unique orchard and farm experiences we could find in southeastern Michigan. Grab your jacket and wellies and enjoy the crisp autumn air before Jack Frost dances on your eyelashes!
Why Your Gut Won’t Heal – And What You Can Do About It
According to two studies, 25% or more of the population in the U.S. has a functional gastrointestinal disorder, or an FGID. That is one out of every four people! But what is an FGID, and if so many people have it, why don’t you know about it?
Leaps of Faith Fall 2019, thrive juicery and Ann Arbor Pharmacy
This column is a look at brave souls who have taken a leap of faith to open their own businesses in and around Ann Arbor. What follows are personal profiles of business owners following their dreams and thriving despite the odds. Featuring thrive juicery and Ann Arbor Pharmacy.
When Old Becomes New: The Hidden Power of Plants in the Matthaei Medicinal Garden
Upon arrival the Matthaei Botanical Gardens may seem a bit intimidating, with a barrage of rattlesnake warning signs posted along the long winding drive through the wild, prairie-like, bucolic setting. But once you pay for your parking at the self-pay port and enter the arboretum or gardens, you are transported to a happier place from within the deep recesses of your childhood memories. It is altogether beautiful, peaceful, and engaging. There are many display gardens and areas of interest, but this article focuses exclusively on the outdoor Medicinal Garden.
Renewal for the Body, Mind, and Spirit at Grass Lake Sanctuary
Clinical trial. Deductible. Dosing. Pre-op. Protocol. Blood work. If you are familiar with any of these terms, you’ve likely had some encounter with health care services in the United States. However, the traditional medical model – a condition-focused, interventional approach controlled by clinical providers – toward health and wellness has been challenged. In seeking recovery via alternative models, Americans are exploring options beyond the doctor’s office. The Ann Arbor area is a nexus for many of these resources, including Grass Lake Sanctuary, a nature-focused retreat space in Manchester that has served the region for over ten years.
Eats From the Streets: Your Next Foodie Adventure
The phrase “street food” may not sound too appetizing, but the real dishes behind the term are now considered by many to be the most authentic sampling of a culture’s cuisine, made popular in part by celebrity foodie Anthony Bourdain, who was a huge fan and helped to elevate street food’s popularity with his travel shows. Street food is sold from baskets, pushcarts, trailers, and trucks. What all of these modes have in common are their transportability, and they’re usually found very close to, if not parked on, the street.
Bee Sweet: A Local Solution For Preserving Your Food and the Environment
Despite the fact that starting any new business often comes with overcoming financial hurdles, working up the courage to start can often be the hardest part in and of itself. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the work that goes into running a business. The thought of hiring employees, managing the day-to-day operations, and trying to turn a profit can be a lot to juggle. However, I have discovered a local entrepreneur that dispels many of the myths centered on running a successful, and environmentally sustainable, business.
Great Tastes in Local Food
Our restaurant review column featuring reviews of Wild Poke, Dalat, and Fresh Forage.
Good Food, Good Cells: How Proper Nutrition Supports A Healthy Body
by Shannon Roznay
Which of the following scenarios applies to you?
You’re feeling fine and you go to your medical doctor for your annual physical. You are shocked to hear that your blood work comes back showing borderline diabetes and your doctor is putting you on medication…
Or, your energy is dragging, you haven’t been feeling your best for a while. You feel like something is wrong and you go to your doctor for blood work and she tells you there is nothing wrong with you, you are perfectly healthy. You leave wondering how it is possible. Or, your doctor may even suggest that your symptoms are due to stress, or it’s all in your head, and then recommend antidepressants or antianxiety medications…
Or, you are somewhat overweight and no matter how hard you try, no amount of exercise or dieting takes any weight off at all? You are completely frustrated and are ready to give up, even though you really don’t like being overweight…
These are some of the most common complaints I see as a holistic health doctor, but there are many, many more. Joint pain, migraines, digestive problems, infertility, insomnia, high blood pressure, thyroid problems, sugar cravings, you name it! Hundreds of people are walking around experiencing symptoms that are preventing them from fully enjoying their life and reaching their fullest potential.
And I find one thing that everyone suffering from these various symptoms has and it’s this—they are all eating food that isn’t good for them.
Your whole body is made of cells — you may remember this from biology class — and your cells are always dying. But you are still alive because your body is constantly growing new cells. Have you ever stopped to consider where your body gets the material it needs to grow the new cells? Well, you may have guessed by now, but the material is acquired from the food you eat.
The ramifications of eating “bad” foods is that your body grows “bad” cells. And then one or more of the organs in your body develops dysfunction. And when that happens, you will develop symptoms. And it can be any of the symptoms we mentioned above or many others as well. Major illnesses like Alzheimer’s and cancer have this same root cause. From my 17 years in the holistic health field, I have found most Americans are eating way too much sugar, toxic chemicals, and other products that prevent their bodies from growing healthy cells. And when people are not feeling well, and their energy is flagging, what do they do? They reach for junk food! And thus a vicious cycle is created in which they keep feeling worse and worse and getting sicker and sicker.
Sugar, processed foods (including genetically modified foods), and excess caffeine are not only lacking in nutrition, but actually cause nutritional deficiencies because the body must use vitamins and minerals to try and stay balanced when we consume these things.
Stress is another cause of deficiency, depleting the system of magnesium, B vitamins, and Vitamin C to name a few. With chronic stress often comes chronic health issues like frequent colds, anxiety, insomnia, and hormone imbalance. Our organs take a beating, especially our brain and adrenal glands, which then cause all kinds of symptoms. Are you getting the idea? A lack of proper nutrition will cause organs to malfunction, which leads to symptoms and eventually disease.
So what is proper nutrition? Most people know they should eat vegetables, but beyond that things get confusing. Many subscribe to a low carbohydrate or ketogenic diet, while others say a vegetarian or vegan diet is best. How do you know what’s right for you?
Its’s true there are variations from person to person on what foods should be eaten and in what quantity. Some people don’t tolerate onions and garlic, although these are certainly very health foods for a lot of folks. Others have major trouble with tomatoes and peppers. These issues are usually identified through trial and error, noticing that you don’t feel well after eating a specific item, but often the real culprits can go unnoticed because sometimes the offending food doesn’t cause symptoms until several days later.
Over so many years helping people improve and recover their health using dietary changes and supplementation I have seen many types of conditions and just as many solutions. My advice for anyone struggling with their health would be to start by eating nourishing foods—minimally processed, whole ingredient, occurring in nature foods. A simple thing to change is the type of fats and oils you consume, ideally sticking with butter, coconut oil, avocadoes, and nuts, plus fat occurring in healthfully raised proteins like eggs, fish, and meat. Another strategy is to buy produce that’s organic, or even better, that’s local and hasn’t been treated with chemicals. And of course, check any labels for sugar because, as we discussed earlier, it’s a major cause of deficiency, inflammation, and ultimately ill health.
If making changes to your diet causes an improvement in how you feel, keep it up! It takes time to heal naturally and symptoms are the first thing to disappear, but full healing takes at least a few months and sometimes a year or more. Know that the body is an amazing machine that can endure and recover from major assaults if given the right tools.
If you think you are stuck in a vicious cycle of bad food and poor health, I have good news for you. There is hope! We have helped thousands of people restore their health, safely and naturally, without the use of drugs or surgery, by simply helping them sort out their diet and recommending specific supplementation to correct deficiencies and help the body heal. I have seen some very sick folks improve from simple dietary changes once they know the exact changes to make. It’s amazing how powerful food can be!
Dr. Shannon Roznay, D.C., is a doctor of chiropractic and specializes in using Nutrition Response Testing to help people improve every area of health. For more information you can visit Dr. Roznay online at thrive-wellness-center.com or give them at call at 734-470-6766. Thrive Wellness Center is located at 6901 State Road, Suite D in Saline.
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Tea Time With Peggy: Stressed? Drink Tea!
Life these days can be stressful. If you don’t believe me spend five minutes driving on I-94 between Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor during rush hour. Stress is not good for the mind, body, or spirit. It can cause inflammation, high blood pressure, and even anxiety. In order to maintain a healthy lifestyle it is recommended that an individual decrease their level of stress—often easier said than done!
Book Review: Spring is the perfect time for Liver Rescue by Anthony William
“As within so without” is a universal law. What’s going on outside of us is often times identical to what’s going on inside of us. Reflections are everywhere. So it makes perfect sense that, in this time of overflowing landfills and homes bursting with too much stuff, our own internal trash receptacles, that is to say, our livers, are being inundated with an abundance of waste
Coffee Buzz — The Art, Science, and Community of Coffee. A Round-Table Discussion with Local Experts.
Coffee has always been this rather predictable dark beverage served upon waking or with a friend while we engaged in deep conversation. I never gave the making of coffee much thought except for finding a roast I like and a brewing method that worked for my taste and lifestyle. These two things have changed over the years—the only consistent being that I like it simple and on the stout side. I recently became more curious about specialty coffee, especially our local artisan scene.
Four Seasons of Fresh Inspiration at Brighton’s Stone Coop Organic Farm & Learning Center
When my business partners and I bought the property that Stone Coop Farm lives on in November of 2011, I knew we had to save it as farmland for future generations. Our farm is on 30 acres, but it is zoned residential. 1000 new homes in four new subdivisions are being built on both sides of us. I can hear the excavation equipment every day. A wastewater treatment plant is being built and the high-pressure sewer line will be connecting these subdivisions along our property line. Developers are approaching us to sell the farm, so that more homes can be built. The value of our land is increasing as residential lots, not as farmland. I know my mission is to save the farm, but that often feels like an insurmountable task, given what’s going on around me.
Great Tastes in Local Food: Afternoon Delight, Pocai, and Lan City
I watched the man through the window stretch a length of dough arms width apart, bring the ends together, twist it, slap it on his work table, then repeat the process until the noodles were ready to be cooked. These noodles were about to be my dinner.
An Apple A Day: The Seven Forms of Nutrition Our Body Needs
Do you ever think about the nutrients that are in the foods we eat? Are you getting adequate amounts? Are they benefiting you in a positive way? These are important questions when it comes to nutrition. To ensure that you are on the right path to living a long healthy life, I invite you to pay close attention to the next bite you take. Proper nourishment is essential for the healthy development and growth of children, as well. Let’s set a good example and teach our children what healthy really tastes like.
Local restaurant reviews for Winter 2024: The Deep End Cafe and Gallery, Cups n’ Chai, and Hidden King Cafe and Bar.