Another Year, Another Adventure

Between welcome week, classes starting, rush and adjusting to junior year, I'll admit I've been slow to writing a post.

In order to celebrate being back in Ann Arbor, Julie, Sam and I decided that Seva was appropriate for the occasion. Although I've written about Seva before, I knew that one post would not be enough to give this restaurant the much needed attention it deserves.

A vegan and vegetarian's delight, Seva's food is so good that it can convince any meat-eater to put aside their carnivorous cravings for the evening. Every time the three of us go, we always say that we'll venture outside of our regular orders and explore the other delicious looking options on the menu...and every time we give into old (but good) habits and order the classic dishes we love most.

Here's some of our favorites:

ENSALADA

[romaine, tempeh, corn-cilantro-lime salsa, cheddar jack cheese

guacamole, sour cream, pepitas, corn tortilla strips]

CILANTRO PEANUT STIR-FRY

[broccoli, red & yellow peppers, mushrooms, mung sprouts, green onions, carrots, brown rice, roasted peanuts, cilantro-peanut-ginger-lime sauce]

RENNIE'S PEANUT KALE SALAD

[hearty kale, carrots, butternut squash, red peppers, peanut-cider marinade]

Cost? Most dishes range between $10-15 dollars and are very filling - you won't be missing the meat. If you want a heartier meal, I'd suggest adding a tempeh patty for an additional $4, it's worth the cost.

Atmosphere? My true favorite restaurant in Ann Arbor - a hip, relaxed crowd that never falls short of any expectation.

Best dish? See our favorites above, I'll let you be the judge.

Seva
314 E. Liberty Street, Ann Arbor MI

And to top off our delicious and satisfying meal, we caught a ride home on The Conference Bike - a red circular apparatus that has seating for six and a round handlebar in the middle, with one man steering. The owner hangs out by the restaurant, Mani, right down the street from Seva. For $5 per rider, this bike is worth every penny - just make sure to have a camera on hand.

When It's Acceptable (And Required) To Eat With Your Hands [DC Summer]

I think everyone can remember when they were younger how many times their parents told them not to eat with them hands or fingers (this was something I, unfortunately, heard too many times). So, when I suggested to my mom that we try Ethiopian - a cuisine that is eaten only with your hands, using the injera bread in place of utensils - I was surprised at how receptive she was.
 

When I visited DC with my family a few years ago, I was amazed at the amount of Ethiopian restaurants that were scattered around the city. I love the spices and flavors of Indian food, and eat Meidterranean and Asian foods regularly, but Ethiopian was something I had yet to try. This summer before I left DC I was determined to try Ethiopian food, which led both my mom and I to Das Ethiopian last Friday when she was here to visit. 

For most of my reviews, I focus solely on what was ordered and how the food looked. But with Ethiopian, it's truly about the experience of eating the food. Every dish or platter is served on top of injera bread, a bread made from .........., that has a spongy, light consistency.You're given additional bread that will take the place of your fork and knife for the meal. And, when you're done with the dishes that are served on top of the injera bread, you can finish off the now spice and marinade bread (making for a great end-of-meal treat).

So, to start we ordered...

MUSHROOM INGUDLAY TIBS

[Sautéed mushrooms, onions, special sauce with a touch of chili peppers] 

And for the main meal....

CUBED BEEF SPECIAL TIBS
[Extra lean cubes of beef marinated in our chef’s special sauce]

DAS COMBINATINO VEGETARIAN ENTREE SAMPLER
[Collard Greens Gomen, Red Lentil Miser Wot, Split Pea Kik Alicha, Ethiopian Harvest Vegetable Specialties, Cabbage with Carrots in Sauce Tikile Gome, Eggplant and Carrot Wot]

Cost? Most dishes range from $13-18 and for the amount of food given, this was a good deal. The abundance of injera helped to ward off any feelings of hunger we thought we might have afterwards when we first saw the size of the dishes. 

Atmosphere? Great for the pseudo authentic-Ethiopian food lover (someone looking for authentic Ethiopian cuisine in the comfort of an upscale restaurant). Excellent service.

Best dish? The vegetarian sampler - yes, the whole thing. While the meat dish and mushrooms were full of flavor, it was the depth and variation of spices in each small sampler on the vegetarian platter that made this dish truly enjoyable. If you go, my best suggestion is to order a single meat dish alongside the vegetarian platter so you have enough variation without overwhelming your palate (or your stomach). 

If it's your first time eating Ethiopian, do NOT be shy about asking the waiter or manager what kind of dishes you should be getting - in the end you'll be happy you did.

Here's their menu to check out before heading over.

Das Ethiopian
1201 28th St N.W. (Corner of M and 28th in Georgetown)
Washington DC

Too Many Carts to Choose From...

Now that sophomore year has come to an end, I can reflect on the year and the amazing times I’ve had with friends and of course – the times spent exploring Ann Arbor’s restaurants. Before heading back to New Jersey for the summer, it was only appropriate that I tried one last restaurant.

Jordan, Staci, and I had heard about Mark’s Carts and unfortunately were unable to make it there before they closed for the season last fall. However, a spontaneous decision led us to Mark’s Carts and before we knew it, we were heading down to the Main Street area ready to check it out.  With an eager appetite and six open carts to choose from, we set out to find which cart would reign supreme:

The Contenders:

Cheese Dream. Serving artisan grilled cheese sandwiches and soup using local ingredients.

The Lunch Box. The mission of The Lunch Box is to provide high-quality, delicious, and nutritious vegan food that demonstrates the breadth and versatility of plant-based whole foods.

Hut-k Chaats. “Hut-K” means “non-mainstream,” and “chaats” are savory, flavorful Indian street food. Their health sauces are based around raw foods like spinach, cilantro, mint, dates, mangoes and lime and they’ve replaced sugar with dried fruits, and traditionally fried foods are baked when possible. It’s a culinary experience of flavors, nutrition and healing by food. (not pictured)

A2 Pizza Pi. Fresh, made to order wood-fired pizza.

  

Although Mark’s Cart was home to eight food carts (two of which were not open when we went), we decided these four were the best options and chose meals that we felt best represented these carts.

The Dishes:

Chili Grilled Cheese and the “Frenchi”. Baby swiss and caramelized onions between two slices of Zingermans bread from Cheese Dream.

Roasted Red Pepper and Spinach Wrap. Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Cucumber, Onion, Spinach and Tomato wrapped in a Whole Wheat Tortilla from The Lunch Box.

Masala Puri. A multilayered chaat generally sold in the streets of Bangalore. It is a mixture of potatoes, chickpeas and peas, layered on baked chips, onions and topped with chaat sauces and garnished with savories from Hut-k Chaats.

SPIN(ach) the Feta. Fresh local spinach, feta, mozzarella, oven roasted garlic, red sauce and caramelized onion from A2 Pizza Pi.

Best dish? Before disclosing what our favorite of the four was, I have to say that each of the carts were delicious and definitely worth checking out. However, in the end our favorite was the pizza from A2 Pizza Pi. An elegant twist on the traditional pizza, this wood-fired pie was loaded with flavor and had us yearning for seconds.

Cost? Mark’s Carts as a whole is full of cheap eats – food ranges from $4-$12 depending on the cart.

Atmosphere? Mark’s Carts is seasonal and only open from April-September. Additionally, not all of the carts are open everyday, so I advise checking out the Mark’s Carts website before heading over. The atmosphere is extremely relaxed and has plenty of seating room – perfect for a sunny Ann Arbor afternoon.

If you find out more about each of the carts, or more about Marks Cart’s check out this website:

http://markscartsannarbor.com/

Location: 211 W. Washington Street, Ann Arbor.

Thank you, Ann Arbor, for the food adventures this past year. See you again in August!

Next stop – Washington D.C. Keep following University Meets Food Diversity as I make the move to the capital for the summer!

A Mediterranean Surprise

Looking for somewhere fresh, fast and unbelievably delicious? Located at 307 S. Fifth Ave, Jerusalem Garden satisfies all of the above while keeping your wallet happy. Although Sarah, Julie, Sam and I went out last Saturday night looking to explore a new restaurant on Main Street, we were overwhelmed by the crowds and decided to venture further away, still in search of a good place to eat.  Don’t be thrown off by Jerusalem Garden’s small appearance, the inside atmosphere is lively and the food – when you finally choose from the restaurant’s incredible menu – is bursting with flavor.

Together we covered most of the menu – from hummus to falafel sandwiches and left both satisfied and eager to come back again soon.

Here’s how we did it:

Chicken Sharwma Plate with Baba Ghanoug and Mjaddara with Caramelized Onions.  Broiled marinated chicken breast topped with yogurt garlic sauce, served with fattoush vegetables.

Falafel with Hummus and Tabbouli Sandwich. 

Chicken with Fattoush and Shwarma Sauce. Diced vegetables, lemon, salt, vinegar and olive oil

served with broiled chicken breast and pita chips. 

Fattoush. Parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, red pepper, red onion, carrot, lemon, salt, vinegar, olive oil and sumac served with choice of fried OR toasted pita.

Hummus and Tabbouli Sandwich. 

Baba Ghanoug. Roasted eggplant, tahini, tomatoes, garlic, lemon juice, salt. Served with sliced pita bread. 

Hint about the menu:

If you’re feeling a smaller, lighter meal you can choose between the variety of meat and vegetarian sandwiches Jerusalem Garden has to offer. However, if you want a true taste of all that Jerusalem Garden has to offer I highly advise going for the three piece meal. Choices range from falafel, shwarma and kabob plates as starters and are accompanied by two of their incredible sides and salads (try out the fattoush and the hummus).

Atmosphere? Laid-back, cozy and comfortable.  Service was great and our food came quickly – however, expect a wait to be seated, especially on weekends.

Cost? Small sides (which aren’t really that small) start at $3.50, and the most expensive item on the menu – the shish kabob plate, is $11 but big enough to take home for leftovers.

Best dish? Way too difficult to decide, you have to go to check it out for yourself.

If you want to check out the menu for yourself before heading over:

http://www.jerusalemgarden.net/jg_menu.pdf

A Vegetarian's Delight

The amount of great restaurants Ann Arbor has that are exclusively vegetarian and vegan never ceases to amaze me. Looking for an inexpensive meal on Main Street before going to the Graham Colton concert last Friday, Julie, Sarah and I checked out the Jazzy Veggie.

Located at 108 S. Main Street in Ann Arbor, the Jazzy Veggie offers a casual, relatively inexpensive menu that will please any vegetarian or vegan. The menu had an abundance of sandwiches, pizzas, salads and entrees to choose from, making our decision on what to eat that much more difficult.

So here’s how we did Jazzy Veggie:

Sweet Potato Quinoa Burger (JV Signature Dish). Roasted sweet potatoes, seasoned red quinoa, fresh herbs, roasted garlic, greens, red onions, red curry dressing on a bun.

Muffaletta. Marinated and grilled veggie patty, tomatoes, roasted peppers, sliced marinated tofu, garlic olive oil paste, red pepper aioli on grilled artisan bread.

Cost? Most dishes average around $8.

Atmosphere? Don’t be thrown off by the restaurants’ appearance – even though it looks like a converted Quizno’s, the food experience is something out of the ordinary and the service is extremely personal.

Best dish? Between the two options we chose, the Sweet Potato Quinoa Burger was definitely the better choice. The combination of seasonings, quinoa and sweet potato rounded out by the red curry dressing made this unique burger a delicious choice.  

If you want to check out their menu before heading over:

http://www.jazzyveggie.com/images/Window_Menu.pdf

Welcome Back Ann Arbor

With countless nights of partying, going out and good times with both new and old friends, it’s time to say goodbye to Welcome Week and hello to yet another fall semester in Ann Arbor.

Julie, Megan, Sam and I decided it would be appropriate to create a new roommate tradition of trying out a new restaurant in Ann Arbor each month. For our inaugural trip, we visited Seva’s, a vegetarian/vegan restaurant located at 314 E. Liberty Street. Although the restaurant does not serve meat, the dishes are bursting with flavor and extremely filling. The expansive menu satisfies all types of eaters, from the pickiest to the most adventurous and with new specials every week, it’s impossible to try all of the incredible dishes this restaurant has to offer.

Here’s how we did our Seva’s trip:

Chargrilled Vegetable and Goat Cheese Salad   

Chargrilled mushrooms, red and yellow peppers, zucchini and red onions and warm sesame-coated goat cheese on organic baby lettuce, topped with roasted pecans.

Spinach Salad

Baby Spinach with fresh avocado, chargrilled tempeh, cucumber, red pepper, red onion, tomato and croutons, with smokey maple dressing.

African Mango Sautee with Tempeh

Tempeh burger and a blend of peas, carrots and carrots sautéed in a sweet and savory mango sauce and served over couscous.

Cost? With most entrees and salads ranging from $9-13, Seva’s is college-budget friendly and a nicer option than delivery or the café’s on State and South U.

Atmosphere? Laid-back, cozy and very earthy. The wait staff is extremely helpful and friendly and willing to accommodate any and all of your diet needs.

Even better: right below Seva’s is the Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase, which hosts big names from the Sklar Brothers to Michael Ian Black.

If you want to check out their menu before heading over:

http://www.sevarestaurant.com/menus/Main%20Menu%204-22-11.pdf

Where Vegan Cuisine Reigns Supreme

With a cozy and relaxed atmosphere lined with Bob Marley posters, Earthen Jar, is an out-of-the ordinary buffet style restaurant that serves vegetarian and vegan cuisine.

Jill, Megan and I used the warm weather as an excuse to take a lunch break and head down to S. Fifth Ave. Although the restaurant is small, the buffet provides customers with plenty of options. There is an entrée bar, with traditional Indian dishes that are all either vegan or vegetarian and vary in spices and a salad bar with different types of bean, potato and chickpea salads.

You can either dine-in or take out, and at $5.99/lb, it is easy to put together an inexpensive and delicious meal.

Here’s what we chose:

With over 20 options to choose from, we decided to the best approach was to taste test them all. Each dish was distinct and filled with tons of flavor. It was hard to resist going back for seconds!

A great compliment to a meal, or a refreshing dessert, the Soy Mango Lassi is a winner. Lassi is a traditional Indian beverage consisting of yogurt, spices and fruit, essentially a milkshake. If you're not into soy, they offer all their Lassi flavors with a dairy base.

Best dishes? It's a tough call with the entrees and depends upon if you prefer mild, spicy or extra hot. You can't go wrong with any of them. However, the banana and rice puddings stole the meal. They are neither traditional to India nor prepared the typical American way, but they are getting.

Atmosphere? Small, laid back, cozy and a fun place to grab a quick bite with friends. Only one guy runs the place and he was more than eager to let us try out the dishes we were nervous about getting before buying them.

Cost? Only $5.99/lb for entrees and salads. You can fill a container to go or a plate if you're eating in. Homemade baked goods ranged from $2.00-$3.00 and you can also have pita or naan on the side for under $1.

Here's their menu if you want to check it out before heading over:

http://www.earthenjar.com/menu.html