feature
in &
around By Nick Roumel
de dN ach os fr om T he Lunch Room
I
oa
n a crazy and unpredictable world, those of us in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and environs can always count on finding a great meal or refreshing adult beverage. Here’s what’s been filling my plate and glass lately, from fancy-pants restaurants to dive bars. I serve you one-sentence reviews and the occasional longer feature for what’s really noteworthy.
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Check it out: Photo by Chase Masters
Lunch Room,
Kerrytown. Most diners come for the creative food and architecture – they don’t care that it’s vegan. 407 N 5th Ave. thelunchrooma2.tumblr.com Current’s best new restaurant is beautifully designed, with an open kitchen, two outdoor seating areas, and glass walls overlooking the Kerrytown courtyard. Its clientele ranges from professionals meeting for lunch, to families, to senior dining clubs. The crowds have surprised even the Lunch Room’s co-owners, Joel Panozzo and Phillis Englebert, who estimate that no more than 10% of their customers are actually vegans. The others just come for the beautifully presented, fresh and flavor-packed breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and baked goods, each one made from scratch and meticulously tested before going public. Try the Bánh Mi sandwich, Sloppy Joes, and Mexican hot chocolate cookies. Joel and Phillis work overlapping 14-hour shifts and already have 20 employees. They’ve been heartened by the overwhelmingly positive response, from vegans who have told them the restaurant has made them to decide to live in Ann Arbor rather than look for jobs elsewhere, to omnivores who just want to eat healthy and delicious and can’t believe it’s not cheese.
Cardamom,
Ann Arbor. You’ll bleat with pleasure after tasting the goat, and other Indian goodies. In the courtyard Shops 1739 Plymouth Road cardamoma2.com Continued on p. 8
ecurrent.com / october 2013 7