Comet Coffee

Belle Cheves  

My last column discussed Café Ambrosia as an excellent study spot. Today, let’s just take a few steps into Nickel’s Arcade and go to Comet Coffee. For those who enjoy an early morning, classy, exotic cup of coffee at a refreshing study spot, Comet Coffee is an excellent alternative to the norm of crowded, noisy coffee shops.
For example, on a Sunday morning such as this - take a stroll through the arcade (for those of you who may not know, the arcade runs between State and Maynard and the entrance off of State is right by Bivouac and Espresso Royale) and order your cup of coffee. However, this coffee isn’t just a regular, “house” brew. You must choose between four or five coffees that constantly change. My cup is from Ecuador! They brew each cup individually, and you can get either drip, French press, or made in a vacuum pot (I consider myself an avid coffee drinker and even I had to look that one up - it is coffee prepared by an air vacuum and vapor pressure).
The atmosphere is very welcoming - soft, slightly strange yet interesting music playing in the background, a very amenable staff, and a bar area with a couple of tables where you can sit and enjoy your freshly brewed, individualized cup of coffee.
My favorite part, however, is what’s outside in the arcade. Two tables with a couple of chairs about them present the ideal place to sit on a warm (while it still is…) morning and enjoy your coffee and book. The sun streams in the windows of the arcade, the occasional bird flies through chirping away, and the people watching, while perhaps a bit distracting at times, is excellent.
As a small, out-of-the-way place, Comet Coffee is the exotic coffee-lover’s paradise. It is the perfect beginning of the day study spot where you can quietly wake up and get acclimated to the tasks of the day and the work that lies ahead.

Madrid!

Emily Kastl  

The first stop on our Spanish gastronomical tour occurred even before the first steps of the Camino de Santiago were taken: Madrid! Located in the center of Spain, this capital city has been the lucky recipient of regional foods from all over the country as people made their way to settle in the area and brought their recipes with them. As soon as I stepped off the metro and climbed the stairs to the bustling city of Madrid, I fell in love. It was chaotic in the most perfect way-honking taxis, people flying by on Vespas, and shouts from food cart vendors. Since we had been flying for who-knows-how-many hours and were disgustingly jet-lagged, we were eager for some comida. Also, as Spanish food etiquette newbies, we decided to have a nice lunch…at breakfast time. We had just flown 8 hours and the Spaniards were just getting out of bed at 11:30! My first food experience came in the beautiful form of a bocadillo-basically what we would consider to be a sandwich. Despite the simplicity of the bocadillo itself, I was still in heaven-partly from finally being off the plane, but mostly because I was in a new country trying something new.

Enter the bocadillo: A staple of our trip

For dinner we decided to be a little more adventurous and explore beyond the café 50 feet from our hostel. This meal was the precise moment when I realized that I had hit the foodie jackpot by going to Spain: PAELLA. This was also the moment when I realized just how Spanish-food-illiterate I was. Since I had never heard of paella, I watched as my groupmates (better known as “Spamigos”) ordered this magical dish. I think I ordered some sort of pasta, but who cares. Back to the paella: originating on the east coast of Spain, this traditional dish usually consists of rice, red peppers, tomatoes, peas, saffron and your choice of chicken, seafood or both (paella mixta). When you order it, be ready to wait because it can take up to an hour to be prepared, which actually equates to the perfect time to order more sangria!

Paella can be found all over Spain and usually takes on different in each region

Along with their love for paella, the Spaniards are not bashful about their love of pork, especially in Madrid. They kind of give it away when they have chain restaurants called “Museo del Jamón”: museum of ham. Upon entering one of these swine shrines, it becomes quite evident that things are done a little differently here. Jamón ibérico is a type of cured pork that is used in many forms of Spanish cooking. The Spaniard’s love of ham results in some pretty pampered pigs-they must be bred at least 75% Iberian to be considered “good” and are given a strict diet of acorns. In Madrid, we ate jamón ibérico on bocadillos and in tappas (Spanish appetizers). The taste is quite a bit less salty than American ham and has a much finer texture. It’s also served in very thin slices, much thinner than your average hunk-o-ham. As someone who doesn’t like ham a la American, I enjoyed the Spanish version so much I often opted for bocadillos con jamón along the Camino.

Museo del Jamón

After 3 days of exploring and eating all Madrid had to offer, I was eager to set of on the rest our adventure. I knew that many more wonderful experiences and delicious delicacies were in my future-I was so eager in fact, the prospect of walking 20 miles a day didn’t seem too bad! The next stop on our Spanish cusine quest is Basque country; I hope you like seafood!

A Foodie’s Trip Across the Pond

Laura Kobak  

It’s no secret that people tend to have a love-hate relationship with food. It tastes delicious, but our bodies sometimes display the consequences. I spent the entirety of my junior year away from the small quaintness of Ann Arbor and in the “brilliant” city across the pond: London. Traveling throughout Europe I was faced with this age-old conflict between love and hate. So, to ease the struggle, I came up with my own personal food motto that applies to any situation: “Calories don’t count on vacations, celebrations, and in other nations.” Lucky for me, I would be exempt from calorie counting and nothing would stand in my way of all the fish n’ chips, desserts, and fried food I could consume.

Now London isn’t exactly the food capital of the world, but if all you’re after is some pub food or anything out of a deep fryer, then it’s certainly the place to be. To best immerse myself in British culture I figured my first dinner outing would be at a pub. Ending up at “The Porcupine” on Charing Cross Road in Leicester Square, my friend and I had no trouble sorting through the menu, definitively set on trying some meat pies. We ordered one chicken and one beef, paired with some mash and steamed vegetables. Note about pub vegetables: whether peas, carrots, broccoli, etc, they are bland and distasteful. Maybe they’re meant to balance the heaviness of the pies; I don’t know.

However, while the city doesn’t boast much British fine dining, the city does possess the outstanding food market known as Borough Market. I’ve yet to find anything comparable to this mecca for foodies. (Plus, if you’re a fellow film fan like myself, the general location has been used in both Bridget Jones’ Diary and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban). Only open Thursday through Saturday, traders offer their food-related products from all over the world. From homemade preserves to freshly baked goodies to meat and alcohol, it’s impossible to leave empty-handed. Plus, with all of the free samples you won’t leave on an empty stomach either.
On my many visits to the market I accumulated several favorites. “Burnt Sugar” sells some of the best fudge I’ve ever had. With flavors like crumbly fudge, stem ginger fudge, and fudge with sea salt (my personal favorite), you can’t go wrong. Diverging from the sweet tooth, there are stalls that boast huge wheels of cheese, from Comte to Stichelton to Parmesan. A cinnamon elephant cookie, berry-flavored vinegar, hard cider, dulce de leche spread, brownies, granary bread…I had it all! Borough market is just one of the many food experiences I have from my time abroad, and if I ever return to London it will be a can’t-miss stop.

My food travels through London are far from over, and that’s only beginning. No time spent in London is complete without fish n’ chips and afternoon tea. So I hope you stay on board my journey through Great Britain, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, and Spain as I provide you with a virtual taste of some of the world’s best foods.

Café Ambrosia

Belle Cheves

Summer has come and gone and we foodies at the University of Michigan are back in Ann Arbor, looking forward to the hot cider and leaves falling. Unfortunately, with this comes fall semester and getting back in the groove of studying away. With my great love of food (and I actually kinda like studying too… embarrassing, but that’s ok) I personally enjoy combining food and studying. So, my column this year shall focus on spots where I can study with food. Every two weeks, I’ll highlight another prime spot where one can study away without worrying where to find a bite to eat.
Let’s start with my favorite. Café Ambrosia. Many students don’t realize this gem exists. Nestled between the parking garage and the bike shop on Maynard, Ambrosia has some of the best coffee in town if you ask me (they also have the best carrot cake, as seen in my dessert column last year), and I’m rarely seen without my mug of steaming coffee. Their extra small also happens to be the cheapest near campus (unless you use the vending coffee machine in Angell hall, which is just nasty and doesn’t even work half the time), and larger than any small that one might buy from Espresso or Starbucks.
But I don’t go just for the coffee and space to put my books down. I go for the atmosphere. You walk in the door and are greeted with the delightful smells of freshly brewed coffee, the hum of fingers typing away, an eclectic, ever-changing selection of music playing throughout (at the moment a very interesting flute concerto is performed on NPR, but I’ve heard everything from the classic oldies to new electronic). Ambrosia also highlights artists’ work on their walls with rotating exhibits to keep it interesting when you get lost in thought trying to figure out what on earth your professor wants you to say in the paper you’re working on. A basement table area provides a quieter, almost library like atmosphere where you can get down to business on that history paper or math homework.
And of course, I also go for the food. My favorite carrot cake will appear on occasion, as well as the best vegan cookies ever. They also have non-vegan chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies, for those grossed out by the idea of butter and chocolate that doesn’t come from an animal. A favorite morning snack of mine is their apple turnovers — not too much, but just enough to get me through those first couple classes of the day.
Ambrosia, unlike some coffee shops (*cough Starbucks*), allow for individuality to shine out — be it amongst the friendly staff who choose the music, the fascinating drinks (buy 10 and get one free), or the art decorating the walls. The chill, welcoming atmosphere, coupled with the great coffee and excellent treats, make Ambrosia one of the best spots in town to meet up with friends or settle in for an afternoon of studying.

Bellisima! Ann Arbor’s Italian getaway: Gratzi

Matthew Shutler

This was the best summer of my life. I spent 6 weeks in Europe traveling, eating, and absorbing as much culture as possible. In particular, I fell in love with Italy and its gorgeous scenery, ancient architecture, and, of course, the delicious food. From pasta to pizza to seafood to tiramisu, I ate some of the best tasting foods I’ve ever been fortunate enough to try. I remember one particular lunch in Rome when I ended up eating five extra entrees that my friends couldn’t finish — I mean, come on, who doesn’t finish a meal when in Rome? Well their tiny stomachs were my jackpot. And having firmly established my love for Italian cuisine, I jumped at the chance (almost literally) to eat at and review Ann Arbor’s little Italian mecca of Gratzi.
Gratzi is one of the “Mainstreet Eateries” — translation: fancy, expensive, and delicious — and I’ve been excited to start trying each one since freshman year. As a senior, I’ve gotten off to a late start, but let me tell you, it was much worth the wait. Located, unsurprisingly, on Mainstreet, between East Williams and East Liberty, Gratzi is an adorable Italian restaurant, complete with chandeliers, painted murals, and a menu filled with Italian classics. In addition, Gratzi is known for highlighting different regions of Italy, offering dishes from each section. So, if you want a culinary tour of the country, coming here to try these dishes is an excellent idea.

Having made reservations previously, my party and I were seated immediately and were taken to the second floor and given a table overlooking the rest of the restaurant. We were eye-level with their full-length mural of muscular, nude people who looked like they were flexing, which, let me assure you, is very Italian. (If you’ve ever seen the inside of the Vatican Museum, you know what I mean.) Our grinning server was prompt, bringing us water with focaccia bread and olive oil. The bread was saltily delicious, reminiscent of central Italy, and the olive oil was very olive-y, which some really enjoyed and others were more put off by.

As for my main course, I decided to try their Gnocchi con Pancetta Affumicato e Gamberi — aka gnocchi (little potato dumplings) with shrimp and bacon. It was delicious. The dish came beautifully presented, which I regret to say had me overly-excited to the point where I forgot to take a picture before I jumped right in. But I guess that’s a testament to how well it was served. The gnocchi, covered in a peppery tomato sauce, was well prepared; each bite was a little pillow of potato, creamy and soft. While I did enjoy the sauce, it was a little peppery for what I normally eat, though I have to say, the (rather large) bits of smoked bacon more than made up for it. However, the shrimp was the true star of the show, as several large shrimp dominated the plate. They were impeccably prepared, seasoned amazingly, and had a good meaty texture. Often, shrimp can fade to the background of dishes due to their naturally subtle flavor and softer consistency, but this was Italian cooking at it’s finest: simple and delicious.

As for dessert, I decided to split what I consider to be my favorite dessert: tiramisu. Tiramisu is a layered convection with espresso soaked ladyfingers, mascarpone cream, cocoa powder and chocolate shavings — and it’s every bit as heavenly as it sounds. While I thought my gnocchi was beautifully served, it had nothing on the dessert. Sitting squarely on the plate surrounded by fresh berries and a sweet sauce, the tiramisu was perfect. It was creamy, light, and oh so mouth-watering. The cream had a nice tang to it, due to the mascarpone, which I found very tasty. This is by far the best I’ve had outside of Rome. Plus, sharing one of these with someone special is pretty much the best way to end any meal.
Overall, I highly recommend Gratzi for a fun and fancy dinner out. Whether it’s a date, business meeting, or just a small party with friends, Gratzi definitely fits the bill — the desserts alone are worth the trip. So, I hope you all enjoyed this little tour of Italy via Ann Arbor. Next time you’re off to have a delicious night out, be sure to check out this treasure, and don’t forget to tell them who sent you!

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Date Night and Fun with Friends

Intro to Molecular Gastronomy

Ian Rosoff

Last month the temple to molecular gastronomy, the world’s number one restaurant, closed its doors to the public. Nestled in a cove along the Gulf of Roses a few hours north of Barcelona sits more than just a restaurant, El Bulli is a laboratory, a place of unrivaled innovation and unbridled creativity. Ferran Adria is the chef who has turned molecular gastronomy from an amusing science trick to the most sophisticated and yet casual culinary art form. Adria is a real life Willy Wonka, complete with his own culinary factory, dedicated only to creating new techniques and dishes — think consommé pasta*, a dish that looks like traditional linguini, but is actually consommé contained within a thin shell of clear algin to reveal the viscous consommé center. For Adria, gastronomy is about pushing the limits of food and updating classics with modern ideas and a heavy dose of whimsy and humor. Each technique is tested endlessly as to reach the high level of execution needed to pull off these devilishly difficult dishes.
It’s important to realize that gastronomy is not a gimmick. It starts with fresh ingredients and faithfulness to flavor, and only then incorporates gadgetry and exotic powders. It does not attempt to hide flavor, in fact it seeks to produce bolder, stronger and truer flavors. It is sometimes unfairly called “fake food” and is often accused of being a means to show off, not showcase the food. While this is sometimes true it’s completely false for El Bulli. True molecular gastronomy is full of comforting and familiar flavors in unique textures and new presentations.
Even as Ferran Adria ends perhaps the greatest gastronomy experiment ever, the techniques he has pioneered, many of which were thought to be part of a brief fad, seem to be here to stay. Gastronomy has come to the United States in a big way. Chefs like Jose Andreas and Wily Dufrane have become mainstays on the Food Network and shows like “Top Chef.” New cooking innovations created by Adria have been adopted by many of the world’s best restaurants seeking to emulate the master who led El Bulli to be rated the world’s best eatery five times this decade. Anthony Bourdain has twice brought El Bulli to the U.S. on his show “No Reservations”, and, last year, Harvard University held a class taught by Adria, Andreas, and other gastronomy giants on the physics of food. Gastronomy has become unbelievably popular for an idea that even recently was thought to be neither cooking nor science.
The history of gastronomy is brief but tumultuous. The term was first coined by Oxford physicist Nicholar Kurti, who stunned chefs all over the world when he began a series of demonstrations that involved making meringue using a vacuum chamber and cooking sausages by running a current through them with the aid of a car battery. Gastronomy has come a long way. With the help of Adria, the father of modern gastronomy, now even home chef’s can use some of his complicated techniques and ingredients. I recently purchased a starter kit from Adria’s own line of home gastronomy products aptly named “Texturas.” The kit came with algin, xantham gum, and a litany of other exotic powders and products used for three basic gastronomy techniques: sferificacion, gelificacion, emulsificacion. With the right tools and a fair amount of determination anyone can now create foams, gelees, flavored caviar spheres and other staples of molecular gastronomy.
You’ll be hard pressed to find gastronomy in Ann Arbor, but look out for foams and emulsions at some of Ann Arbors top restaurants. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them incorporate more gastronomy techniques soon.
*Consommé is a soup made from stock or bouillon.