Unverified Voracity Once Ate Sea Squirts Comment Count

Brian

And by "ate" I mean "popped a little rubbery thing in my mouth, made a face, spit it out, spent a good two minutes trying to cut it into pieces, gave up, and looked it up on Google where I was horrified to find out it was a barnacle oh and by the way Wikipedia says they taste like 'rubber dipped in ammonia.'"

Softballin'. Michigan's perpetually successful softball team won the Big Ten this year and gets to host a regional. They're the #5 overall seed. Details:

Michigan is joined by regional No. 2 seed Notre Dame, No. 3 seed Cleveland State and No. 4 seed Miami (Ohio) in the double-elimination event. Michigan opens regional play against Miami [Of Ohio (Not That Miami Of Ohio) –ed] on Friday (May 15) at 7 p.m. following the Notre Dame and Cleveland State opener, which begins at 4:30 p.m.

Five to ten bucks gets you in for the day each of the three days; weather is supposed to be gorgeous.

(HT: Michigan Sports Center.)

Grinding it out. The Realests have a new project called "Lost Lettermen" wherein they track down college stars of yesteryear and let you know what they're up to. Marcus Ray is trying to break into coaching:

Being a GA is tough because of the grind and the low pay. Especially being 32 with a family. I really miss my family. They still live in Columbus, because I did not want my wife to relocate without the proper security. She is the backbone of our family. It will be a rewarding experience in the end though. I break down opponent's game film, recruit high school players, create scouting reports, as well as coach the safeties. Last season I didn't do as much hands on coaching, but as a result of some changes on our staff, I have become more like a position coach.

Ray was going to be a Michigan GA until Carr's retirement; he guarantees he'll be one of the hottest DB coaches on the market this year and hopes to latch on at a MAC school.

THIS IS A TERRIBLE LETDOWN. Denard Robinson finished third in Florida's state 100 championships. See for yourself, and marvel a bit at the internet:

To be fair, Robinson got beat by a guy who smoked the Florida state record. And he got off to a terrible start. I think we should revoke his scholarship. Or maybe shoot him.*

*(KIDDING, Mrs. Robinson! Kidding!)

Way to focus. Someday I hope to meet the man who writes Free Press headlines and call him a nasty name. (I'm leaning towards "obtuse twit" at the moment.) Darius Morris and Matt Vogrich participated in an all-star game called the "Academic All-American Classic". To get in you have to have a 3.0 GPA, which while not stellar is less depressing than most high major prospects. Michigan has two kids smart enough and good enough to be in this meaningless game. They had the usual amount of fun that is had at meaningless all star games. The Free Press headline?

U-M recruits hotdog in final game

Here's a tiny nofollowed link you shouldn't click on. 

He strikes again! Speaking of Free Press Headline guy, he translated this noncommital statement from once and future transfer Steven Threet…

Threet said he has no indication what will happen in fall camp but figures the tipping point will be decision-making, which gives Sheridan a chance to play.

"I feel like Tate has a good opportunity coming in early with the extra reps in the spring and that should be beneficial," he said. "But Nick does a good job of executing the offense the way they want it to be run. People may point out the physical things Tate or Denard may have at a physical advantage, but a lot of time at quarterback in this system comes down to decision-making."

…into "Threet gives starting nod to Sheridan." To me that quote is a standard boilerplate "Both teams played hard" answer. Nine of ten obtuse twits evidently disagree.

I can't seriously believe Sheridan executes the offense the way the coaches want it to be run…

Name Att Comp Int Yards TD Pct YPA
Sheridan,Nick 137 63 5 613 2 46% 4.5

…unless Threet means they've given that side of the ball a cigarette and a blindfold. Sheridan's decision-making last year was not a strong suit. Remember the desperate, insane heave that was intercepted late in the first half against Utah and proved to be the margin of victory? Even in Sheridan's opus to date—the reasonable performance against Minnesota—he threw two first-half passes that definitely should have been intercepted. Why am I even spending time on this? The chances Sheridan takes a snap over a healthy Forcier are 0.001%. Seriously, people.

(HT: Doctor Saturday.)

In the spirit. It's OT season on the message board, so it may as well leak in here. Some guy at the Chicago Tribune "gorged himself" in Ann Arbor for three days and reported back with rapturous praise. Unfortunately, the restaurants visited consisted of…

  • Zingerman's
  • Cafe Zola, where he eats Zingerman's challah
  • Sweetwater's, where he has coffee
  • Kosmo
  • Monahan's, a place owned by a guy who used to be a partner at Zingerman's
  • Zingerman's… again
  • Zingerman's Bakehouse
  • Blimpy Burger
  • Dominicks, where he has a $21.40 jug o' drink
  • Zingerman's Roadhouse
  • Zingerman's Roadhouse… again
  • Zingerman's Creamery
  • The Dexter Cider Mill
  • Zingerman's Roadhouse… again again

There is the slightest hint of a pattern here. Seven of the twelve places food is consumed are Zingerman's owned and nine are at least vaguely affiliated. This isn't a newspaper article, it's an advertisement.

I don't have the antipathy for Zingerman's that my girlfriend—who once flew into what can only be described as a conniption fit after seeing a Zingerman's catalogue that huffily advertised "Indonesian" cinnamon when 1) that's not actually cinnamon, but cassia, and 2) it's cheaper and widely regarded as inferior—does*, but I do think it's overrated based on reputation. Just like, I'm sorry to say, Blimpy Burger, which is certainly not "cheaper than food." The motto should be "where the yelling makes up for fries softer than Sam McGuffie's head, except not really."

There are plenty of awesome restaurants in town (Logan, Eve, Red Hawk, various sushi huts, Seoul Garden if you like dangerously authentic Korean, Angelo's if you like hollandaise sauce and you're a commie if you don't, and, hell, NYPD sells a killer slice) as long as you avoid Main Street; this guy went to exactly zero of them. And it's not like he was going the cheap route. Look at all the Zs above. I give this a FAIL.

*(Her take: "Assholes like this are why Zingerman's exists." Did I tell you?)

Etc.: Black Shoe Diaries examines possible Big Ten bowl realignment.

Comments

2plankr

May 12th, 2009 at 2:46 PM ^

I ate at Z's and Blimpy about twice a week when I lived there, but I almost never paid full price, and I only ate at Blimpy's when a good cook was working. Amer's was way more overrated than either of those.

Glen Masons Hot Wife

May 12th, 2009 at 2:54 PM ^

Would not classify Red Hawk as anything special. Tight places for food left out include, Zanzibar, The Blue Nile. Also Gandy Dancer. Granted you need to lay down a guap for most, if not all of those places. But if we're talking purely atmosphere and taste, yeah.

arod

May 12th, 2009 at 2:55 PM ^

I don't know how anyone can say that it is a good restaurant. The food is crap, the beer is over-priced and the place is generally full of middle-aged people trying to look cool.

Tim Waymen

May 12th, 2009 at 3:08 PM ^

No kidding that's a bad headline. For a second there, I took it to mean that Michigan recruited a hot dog, relish and all. What a waste of a scholarship! But it sure sounds delicious.

BlueTimesTwo

May 12th, 2009 at 3:29 PM ^

I agree. Upon reading that headline I thought:

1) Hot Dog is not an area of need; and

2) The Hot Dog was only rated as a three star recruit. Shouldn't we be pursuing a 5* kielbasa or at least a 4* bratwurst? If all else fails, Hot Dog will still jump at the offer later in the process.

Hot Dogs belong in the Big East.

Dave

May 12th, 2009 at 3:23 PM ^

...I'd go with Casey's down on Depot. Better food, less pretension. And no discussion of good, cheap eats can skip on Jerusalem Garden.

Also, this is the space where I lament the loss of the Del Rio. I miss those dirty, filthy communist hippies, their Silver Surfer mural and their excellent whole-grain pizza.

(Something tells me this is going to be a long comment thread.)

Brian

May 12th, 2009 at 3:59 PM ^

Wow, weird Red Hawk backlash. Red Hawk isn't special, but it's very good for the price. And their beer is exactly as expensive as beer at every other restaurant in town.

I've only been to Casey's a couple times; the only memory I have is getting a rubbery corned beef. Maize n' Brew Deli is good, though, and I concur on Jerusalem Garden, and the sadly departed Del Rio.

Bell's Pizza is a fist of grease.

FgoWolve

May 12th, 2009 at 4:01 PM ^

Just because Zingerman's and all the Main Street restaurants may very well be overrated does not mean they should be avoided at all costs. (Same goes for Blimpy Burger, which is still not overrated.) Practically every restaurant in A2 rocks my socks off, including the overrated corporately hyped ones and the hidden Ann Arbor gems. Heck, in my hometown, Chop House and Palio's instantly become the two best restaurants in town. Places like Eve and Pacific Rim just take it to another level.

El Jeffe

May 12th, 2009 at 4:13 PM ^

If you don't live in Ann Arbor, NYC, or maybe Philly you can't possibly understand the utter corned beef wasteland that is most of the US. Hence, Zingerman's is not overrated. It's like Starbucks. It's easy to crap on it, but just try driving 400 miles with nothing but truck stop coffee. You'll change your tune right quick.

tbliggins

May 12th, 2009 at 4:35 PM ^

Casey's > Red Hawk (even though they are owned by the same people)

Benny's > Northside Grill > Angelo's

Before you blast Main Street don't forget about how good Shalimar is. Best Indian restaurant I have found.

pitterpat

May 13th, 2009 at 5:50 PM ^

exactly. and the brochure was basically claiming that it was better by virtue of coming from Indonesia. which is like advertising that your mustard made from 100% real mustard seeds, as if even the cheapest yellow stuff you can buy isn't. being from Indonesia is not a selling point for cinnamon.

Blue2000

May 12th, 2009 at 5:05 PM ^

was my go-to restaurant for good cheap Korean food. I've had better Korean since, but I was a Korean food-virgin when I first went to U. Cafe, so it will always have a special place in my heart. On a related note, isn't it strange that there are so many good Korean restaurants in Ann Arbor? Between U. Cafe, Seoul Garden and that one on South U next to Maize and Blue (I forget the name), it's Korean food heaven. Not that I'm complaining.

Other Andrew

May 13th, 2009 at 10:37 AM ^

...which is the dumbest name for a Korean Restaurant I can think of. Not sure if the name has changed.

I was the same as you, man. University Cafe was my first regular Korean, and I indulged there often. I always wondered about the preponderance of Korean in Ann Arbor, too.

Why is nobody mentioning Backroom? Did they start to suck or go away or something? we had theories that they put something addictive in the cheese because if you ate it one day, you craved it all the more the next.

Nothing makes me feel older than every time I return to campus to see that more of my favorite places have closed or changed. Students, cherish your spots now, because half of them will be gone in ten years. In sum, I'm ooooooold....

Dave

May 12th, 2009 at 5:20 PM ^

I think my preference for Casey's over Red Hawk is created in part by the fact that it isn't always filled with 20 couples on first dates. Screw young love.

Main Street gets props for Prickly Pear and Middle Kingdom. Used to be a great little Thai joint in Braun Court, too. What was the name of the kinda overrated but pretty good place below street level in Kerrytown? Is it still there? And what about DeLong's Pit BBQ?

I also harbor a special place in my heart for Cottage Inn. Forget the food -- the staff used to throw a post-Art Fair bacchanal that was un-fricking-real. Seriously, I thought I had stumbled into the filming of "Caligula."

Funny story: I used to work as a waiter at one of the nicer restaurants on Main Street about ten years ago, and had a co-worker who previously worked at another Main Street chic joint. He told me that once he had an old guy and his grandson/student as customers. The old guy orders some drink with premium vodka, gets it, sips it, and declares "this isn't [name of premium vodka]." Buddy responds, "dude, I saw the barkeep pour it out of the bottle." Old guy is adamant. Grandson interjects at this point, kinda embarrassed, tries to move on. Couple nights later the pal is closing, walks into the manager's office to find the guy refilling premium vodka bottles with a drum of Popov. Of course.

WolvinLA

May 12th, 2009 at 6:00 PM ^

I love me some Blimpy Burger. One of those places you don't appreciate enough until you move away. I have cravings. I had the fried zucchini, badass.

Also, the place I are more than anywhere else while in college: Markley cafeteria. Me and my friends ate there ALL THE TIME freshman year.

ameed

May 12th, 2009 at 6:33 PM ^

Literally laugh out loud funny on some of the hot dog comments earlier, well done team.

FWIW, I find the scarcity of Fleetwood Diner on this thread disturbing. How can you talk about Ann Arbor food without mentioning the place that bends the very definition of what we can consider food.

Also, as a person of brown (...er, color?, descent?) I have to vouch for Shalimar, it is very very legit. One of the only places that will make the food as spicy as I ask. (I always ask for "Desi" Spice to the waiter...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desi)

Finally, agree with many others that Ann Arbor has a very strong spread, one that can appeal to a wide variety of tastes & palates.

Tozmo

May 12th, 2009 at 6:35 PM ^

I wish I had taken advantage of Blimpy when I had the chance (and metabolism)

I miss the Vietnamese place on S. Forest, and the Korean place across the street from that over-rated pizza place whose name I forget at this moment (Pizza Inn?) on Church I believe.

Let's see, what else... the Korean place on S. U closer to U towers, if it's still open, is subpar to the other one.

jaster

May 19th, 2009 at 5:32 AM ^

Are you thinking of In & Out Pizza? They were on University. Backroom Pizza was on Church. Backroom was better.

Listen to me use past tense. Ridiculous. I'm getting old. It's ridiculous.

Wolverine318

May 12th, 2009 at 6:44 PM ^

BTB is greater than anything in Ann Arbor. Greater than Chop House, Gratzi's, Zingerman's, and even Blimpy. It is the nectar of the gods. It is food even Zeus would be ashamed of eating as it is greater than even him.

Noah

May 12th, 2009 at 8:11 PM ^

The fact that you reference NYPD as a good pizza place gives me real pause, but man I miss Ann Arbor's Korean food. My favorite was the red building on South U east of Forest (the Coffee Break? there's no sign on the building). Kosmo also makes pretty good bibimbap.

Seth

May 12th, 2009 at 8:58 PM ^

I'm actually happy to see none of you mentioned Pizza Bob's yet. For some reason, people seem to wax poetic about their chipotes. Want a chipote? Take the cheapest dough you can find, stick it in the oven until it rises, then put a salad in there.

Pizza Bob's also came in dead last in the Daily's Pizza Tasting Contest. Every other pizza we ordered fell victim to the performance-enhanced masses; 80 percent of the Bob's pie ended up atop a garbage can.

Dave

May 12th, 2009 at 10:52 PM ^

I had a friend that worked there and she repeatedly warned us off the pizza. The thing they did well -- very well -- was the shakes. Excellent, better than the overrated Pizza House shakes.

ddrub

May 12th, 2009 at 9:14 PM ^

My favorite is West End Grill

Pricey but well worth it

Never had a bad meal and never not been impressed.

Not as good as Tribute in W Bloomfield or other similar restaurants but I love this place