April Events at Vinology

Vinology in Ann Arbor Michigan is celebrating local wine this month.

Vinology has committed to sourcing as much of their food locally as possible, of course this means that they are also going to be featuring Michigan wine pairings to really showcase the best of what local producers have to offer. They have two major events this month both are sure to be amazing evenings filled with fine food and wine.

Wine Tasting Wednesday April 15th 7-9 pm

A blind tasting of wines from around the world. The challenge is to pick out the local selections. A relaxed, enlightening atmosphere will be the canvas for discussion with a focus on the textures, aromas, and flavors of what you will be tasting.

Cheeses and charcuterie served along with 6-8 wines.

$35 per person (plus tax and gratuity)

Reservations requested 734-222-9841

Wine Dinner Wednesday April 29th 7 p.m.

A four course meal from Chef Brandon's Michigan inspired hyper-local cuisine will be served along side delicious award winning local sparkling varietals. If this were not enough, Larry Mawby, of Mawby Vineyards and M. Lawrence Sparkling Wines will be joining you for a seminar on local wine making.

$60 per person (plus tax and gratuity)

Reservations required 734-222-9841

I hope you will take the opportunity to enjoy all of the amazing events Vinology has to offer and if you do attend an event please tell me about it.

Befelicitas@gmail.com

Best wishes,

Brittney

Vinology

www.vinologyrestaurant.com

110 S. Main St.

Ann Arbor, MI

48104

Ollie's Dearborn MI

A Dearborn Lunch Review

For the Ford workforce Ollie's is a lunchtime staple. Located on the corner of Mercury and Ford rd. it is super convenient for a huge portion of the Ford landscape including world headquarters. I usually bring my lunch and eat in my office (a hazard of always having delicious healthy leftovers). Today was one of the few days I escaped my desk for an hour to enjoy some food with friends from work. Now for those of you who don't know the desk I am always refereeing to is actually a Ford desk where I work as a financial analyst.

Ollie's is a Lebanese restaurant run by a family and it is delicious! I have spend some significant time in Middle East and the Caucuses and the food is something I miss terribly. It is funny to think some of my favorite comfort foods are chicken shawarma, humus, and donor kebab. Ollie's serves a great lunch specials that are tasty and traditional as well as affordable. I always get the same thing every time I go. I know that is just so unlike me but hey I am not going to monkey with my favorite. I always get their chicken shawarma sandwich with the crushed lentil soup.

The sandwich is roasted chicken with garlic sauce (toum) wrapped in a flat bread (similar to pita) along with onions, lettuce and tomatoes. There are a million different ways these sandwiches are served (some are made with lamb, or beef, or a combination of meats.) The salad components can vary widely as well including humus and yogurt sauce. I like the Ollie's version of the sandwich it is never to dry or sopping with sauce and the balance of spices is not overpowering. It makes a perfect light lunch and keeps me full all afternoon. The crushed lentil soup may be the real secret to Ollie's it is a buttery yellow color served with sesame bread and a lemon wedge. I like mine with a dash of black pepper and good squeeze of lemon. I dip the bread in the soup and it is instant warmth and satisfaction. It is a smooth soup though I do not think they use a cream of any kind. It is light and very balanced. A simple food at its best it showcases the lentils and the little lemon acid gives it the perfect high note.

Ollie's is a great place for people of all preferences; their menu has a lot of diversity and offers many Middle Eastern classics. The staff is friendly and attentive; you can really get that family run feel. They are also very good with special requests, if you want something spicy or mild just ask and they are always happy to supply me with extra toum! I would recommend Ollie's to anyone in the Dearborn area.

Enjoy!
Brittney

A to Zingerman's, an intro....

Zingerman's Deli
http://www.zingermansdeli.com/
Ann Arbor Michigan
Zingerman's is a treasure to be sure. The founders Ari and Paul along with their incredible partners and staff live and share many of my own beliefs about food. They are heavy hitters when it comes to sources or simply producing the highest quality foods possible. They do everything the old fashioned way, the way it was done 100 years ago when everything was natural and slow and full flavored. Ari was explaining the secret of their success and it went something like this, "it's not really a secret we just do things the traditional way, we didn't have to invent it we just had to rediscover it. We do what everyone knows they should but no one else takes the time or energy." They have been recognized time and again for their incredible efforts in the both the food and business world for bringing unsurpassed quality to their customers.

I must admit every time I walk through those doors I instantly feel a little better about everything and when it is time to leave I always think about giving my two weeks notice to my desk job and applying for anything at Zingerman's (even dishwasher if they would have me). Chris and I frequent a Zing property (there are several) at least once a month for a full blown fix and I stop in whenever I need some truly amazing ingredients. Recently I purchased a fantastic black truffle oil, some Humboldt Fog cheese, and some amazing cocoa powder just to name a few. You will be seeing a lot of these guys on my blog.

I am excited to become more involved with the traditions surrounding this incredible group of people. They offer regular tastings and classes covering a wide variety of foods and topics. They can be a little pricy but well worth every dollar. Right now I am in a total crisis trying to plan out which events to attend. There is just no way to communicate through words the magic of the Zingerman's experience.

If you live in the area, or within 100 miles, take a trip and go indulge!

With love,
Brittney

More From Ann Arbor

Grizzly Peak
Ann Arbor Michigan
Grizzly Peak is a small Local MicroBrewing Company in Ann Arbor. It features a classically casual atmosphere along side its' traditional gastro pub food and delicious beers. Their signature pale ale is my personal favorite. The food is hearty with bold flavors and the wait staff is attentive. It's a great place to meet up with friends and have a cold one no matter the day or time.

www.grizzlypeak.net/default.html

This is where Chris and I had our first date!
Find time to enjoy!
Brittney

Vinology

Vinology
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Vinology is a great restaurant in the heart of downtown Ann Arbor and it is the place to find a glass of wine perfectly paired with the beautiful food from a well balanced menu. The menu is printed on a regular basis to ensure the use of the freshest seasonal ingredients and thus the experience is ever changing. They serve over 50 wines by the glass and their menu is complete with a suggested pairing for every item. The wait staff is friendly and knowledgeable about the wine selection and is happy to make suggestions for alternative pairings. The food was delicate in nature with layers of subtle flavor.

Chris and I went here on Friday for a beautiful meal and to celebrate life a little bit. We each indulged in a different appetizer and main along with some fantastic wines. We then shared a little desert, which was the perfect ending. I will give you all the food details later, suffice to say I will be recreating their cous cous and bread pudding at home in the near future.

http://www.vinologyrestaurant.com/

Best wishes,
Brittney

SLC Places to be

Salt Lake City, Utah

Eggs in the City
The most amazing secret tucked into the neighborhoods above 13th East. It is actually an old auto garage that has been renovated to serve as a small breakfast and lunch café. The food is fresh and the kitchen is open for visitors at the bar to watch the cooks. The staff is amazing and the owner is often there working on the weekends. They welcome special orders and want you to have everything your way.

http://eggsinthecityslc.com/

Desert Edge Brewery " At The Pub"
Desert Edge is home to Happy Valley Hefiweisen the beer that defined my college days. It is also home to some amazing French onion soup, the best black bean veggie burger, and other fresh takes on traditional pub food. Everything is made from scratch including the beer (brewed downstairs under the pub). The service is great and they have a student discount on beer just show your university ID to your sever when you sit down. This is where I had my going away dinner if that says anything. It is hands down the best place to get a seat on the deck and just enjoy food and sun with friends. I can honestly say I have been disappointed there and it is one of the simple places I miss most in SLC. There are many memories with friends that fill that place and there are days my heart aches to pick up the phone and say meet me "At The Pub."

I will always grab a bite when I am in town and if you are in the SLC area Desert Edge is one of the best kept secrets right in Trolley Square. It far surpasses many of the more expensive eateries in the downtown area.
Be sure to have a pint for me!

The Porcupine Bar & Grille
Amazing little chalet at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon. They have 24 beers on tap most of which are locally brewed and amazing gastro pub food. My favorite is their grilled flat bread with roasted red pepper sauce and goat cheese along side the Wasatch brewery's raspberry wheat beer.

http://www.porcupinepub.com/

The Bayou akaBeervana
As the name suggests this is a Creole restaurant and bar that has amazing food and a beer list that is unsurpassed in my experience. Beers imported from all over the country and the world, lots of microbrews and familiar offshore names. The Bayou Burger is must along with their sweetpotato french fries served with an amazing aioli. It only gets better when a local jazz band or great solo artist start to play on a weekend night.

http://www.utahbayou.com/

I will keep adding to the list as time goes on, until then, take a night off of cooking and the dirty dishes it creates and go eat some amazing food from the great chefs of Salt Lake City .

Hope you Enjoy!
Brittney