New Coffeeshop on the Block

Maddie LaKind  

I have a problem. It’s something I’ve dealt with for a long time. It’s something that has cost me a lot of money. And its something I couldn’t live without. Yes folks, I am a coffee shop junkie.

This addiction may seem odd to those who know me, given my pretty minimal daily coffee consumption, but there is something about these spots I can’t quite put my finger on. Maybe it’s the always diverse mix of people (locals/students/hipsters), or the consistently great music playlists showing off artists as far ranging as Animal Collective to Tracy Chapman, or the distinct sound of milk being steamed and espresso being pulled. Whatever this it factor actually is, I’m hooked and keep on frequenting these places—to the detriment of my wallet— week in and week out.

While I am completely satisfied with my usual string of Ann Arbor spots—Comet, Lab, and Zingerman’s—its always a momentous occasion when a new coffee shop comes on the scene, especially if they possess the criterion trifecta for coffeeshop excellence: stellar coffee, food, and ambience.

My most recent discovery, The Songbird Café on Plymouth Road, passed this test with flying colors. Despite only being open for eight months, Songbird has garnered a strong fan following, adding a much-needed splash of authenticity and quality to the land of chains and strip malls that is North Campus. The enormous layout of the place itself is enough to draw you in, with rows upon rows of tables, lots of natural light, and power strips under each table—a crucial element for any student in need of a productive study space.

Fortunately, this place is more than a pretty face, with superb food and drink to boot covering breakfast, lunch, and needed morning/afternoon caffeine fixes. My visit fell around lunchtime, which meant only one thing: sandwich and soup combos. Given that I’ve never really seen this concept executed well anywhere but Panera (which I have since moved on from given an inordinate number of visits freshman year), you can imagine my excitement at the prospect. After a consultation from Emma, my bestie and foodie partner in crime, we settled on our duos: half turkey sandwich and cup of butternut squash soup for me and truffled egg salad sandwich and chicken tortilla soup for Em.

Upon my first bites of sandwich and spoonfuls of soup, I knew this place was more than your run of the mill coffee joint. The butternut squash soup was just hot enough, super silky, and slightly sweet from a hint of nutmeg. Complimented with my turkey sandwich with pistachio crusted goat cheese, fig jam, and apple slices, it felt like Thanksgiving on a plate in all its savory, comforting, and delicious glory.

While Emma’s tortilla soup ached for salt, the truffled egg salad sandwich revived the plate and showed how fantastic something as mundane as egg salad can taste. Super chunky with just enough mayo to coat, this salad gets a light drizzle of truffle oil for depth of flavor and chopped celery for crunch before getting piled between two slices of crusty bread: balanced, creamy, and rich yet oh so light.

More than impressed by our lunchtime selections, we decided to further indulge ourselves (as Emma and I tend to do when eating out) with coffee and dessert. Intrigued by the name, we chose the nutella latte as our beverage, which, despite not tasting much of nutella, held a more-than-pleasant, deep chocolaty flavor. Accompanied by a sea salt chocolate chip cookie, microwaved for extra chocolaty gooeyness (great idea, Emma), we were officially in lunchtime heaven, lounging around and chatting for nearly two hours.

And that’s all I really need in a day. A nice place to sit, take a load off, grab a cup of coffee, eat some good food, and enjoy the company of friends. Songbird offers all of these things in a fresh and comforting way that will leave you actually wanting to make the trip to pseudo-North Campus time and time again.

The Songbird Café 2707 Plymouth Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48105