A Locally-Grown and Locally-Sourced Breakfast

A little more than three years ago, a unique and sustainable way of serving food to local community members was conceived. Selma Café was “envisioned as a center, a hub, a heart of the many ongoing efforts to improve our lives through community building, free access to affordable, healthy foods, and to foster right-livelihood in vocations with meaning and purpose” (www.repastspresentandfuture.org). Each week, Selma Café features an array of locally grown breakfast dishes prepared by local chefs and volunteers. Although you won’t be met with a bill at the end of your meal, suggested donations are $10-15 for breakfast. Selma is an all-volunteer operation and all proceeds go directly to the local farmers and producers that supply the ingredients and to non-profit groups working to expand access to healthy, sustainable food resources.

In light of Selma Café’s recent showcase at the University of Michigan TEDx this April, Sam, Julie, Ben, Zack and I decided to visit Selma to find out for ourselves what all the talk was about.

What to know about Selma Café before heading over:

You won’t find Selma located on State Street, Main Street or near any of the other restaurants in the Ann Arbor area. This is because Selma Café is hosted at the home of Lisa Gottlieb and Jeff McCabe on 722 Soule Boulevard in Ann Arbor.  Also, be ready for an early breakfast. Selma Café is open from 6:30-10:00am every Friday, but I suggest getting there early because food runs out quick and every entrée is worth trying!

We managed to brave the dreaded early Friday morning wake up and got to Selma around 8:00am, just in time to beat the second wave of breakfast rush. Although we had to wait anxiously for 30 minutes for enough seats to clear, during our wait we were lucky enough to have the opportunity to meet Jeff and Lisa, and speak with them further about their experience at TEDx.

Once we were finally seated, we decided the only way to get the full Selma Café experience was by trying out all of the dishes on the menu that week:

Here’s how our Selma experience went:

If you're looking to support the local, sustainable food movement and you're craving something different than the usual breakfast places by U of M campus - I'd definitely advise checking out Selma Cafe, it's worth the early Friday wakeup.

Here's their website if you want to find out more about the mission of Selma and what's on the menu for this week: http://www.repastspresentandfuture.org/site/fmselma/

Not Your South U Sushi Place

I’ve always been a Sadako fan, minus the occasional trip to Ayaka, Totoro or Sushi.com when I’m craving something different. However, with sophomore year coming to a close, Sam, Julie and I thought it was time to step out of our sushi comfort-zone and venture down by Main Street with a mission of finding a great new sushi place.

Mission accomplished. Located at 106 S. 1st Street in Ann Arbor, Miki's enormous sushi menu has enough variety to satisfy all kinds of sushi-lovers and it's safe to say it has now become my favorite sushi place.  

Looking for something sweet? There's a roll for that.

Ever wish you could see a sushi roll lit on fire? There's a roll for that. 

Want something deep fried? There's a roll for that. 

Ordering enough sushi to fill a sushi boat - but want the boat to light up? ...Miki does that too. 

So here's how our Miki experience went:

(Pictured rolls: Mango Fiesta roll, Crazy Boy Roll, Caterpillar Roll, Pacific Roll and Kiss of Fire Roll)

And to top it off ... the Diablo roll... Shrimp tempura, crab, avocado and cucumber inside. Topped with spicy scallop. Baked in oven and drizzled with eel sauce. 

Cost? The quality of the sushi is reflected by the cost. While most specialty rolls more expensive - between $12-14 - classic rolls are between $4-6. If you're not into sushi, most kitchen entree's average $15.


Atmosphere? Relaxed, yet upscale. Not quite as fancy as the Main Street restaurants but definitely a few steps up from places on South U or State Street. Great service.


Best dish? Hands down the Diablo Roll. I have never been a fan of baked rolls - I believe sushi is best when served simple and raw; however, the Diablo Roll has made me reconsider these feelings. This roll is packed with tons of flavor and is perfect for any kind of sushi-lover.


If you want to check out the menu before heading over, click here. 

Miki: 106 S. 1st Street, Ann Arbor, MI

Dining With Friends on a College Budget

Despite the overwhelming feeling of stress that always comes about during finals time, I’ve always found that there is no better way to take your mind off of studying than a home-cooked meal enjoyed in the company of good friends.

Last week, Julie, Sam, Arielle and I decided it was time to take a break from studying and get together over a college-budget friendly meal. With fresh and frozen ingredients from Trader Joe’s, we put together a fast and delicious meal that satisfied our stress-induced appetites.

We took the basics - pre-cooked Lemon Pepper Chicken, pre-cooked Balsamic Rosemary Chicken, frozen marinated eggplant and zucchini, and frozen mixed peppers – and supplemented the basics with some easy and delicious additions to create a great meal.

Here’s what we made:

Here’s how to do it:

Chicken Dishes:

1. Heat medium or large skillet over medium heat on stovetop.

2. Pour 4-5 tbsp. of balsamic vinegar into skillet, add seasonings (salt, garlic salt, onion powder, dried basil). Cook until vinegar begins to thicken.

3. Place chicken breasts into skillet with vinegar, covering each side with the vinegar mixture. Cook on each side for 20-30 seconds.

4. Remove chicken skillet. Finish re-heating chicken in the microwave (1 min – 1:30min on medium    power).

Vegetable Dishes:

(Note: If you buy the frozen, marinated eggplant and zucchini, the vegetable slices will be much larger than the frozen pepper slices. For best cooking results, slice eggplant and zucchini into smaller pieces)

1. Heat large skillet over medium heat on stovetop.

2. Add in all frozen vegetables. Stir in skillet until vegetables are fully heated.

3. Season with salt, garlic powder and any other seasonings you think would taste best! (I’d suggest dried basil, oregano, onion powder)

In total - the meal cost $28 dollars or $7 per person.

  

Taking the Junk Food out of Vending Machines

In recent weeks, the Obama administration has made monumental strides towards changing the nutritional value of food served to children during the school day. Although most of the efforts have been contained to what is being served inside the cafeteria, there is now a new push to change what children are buying outside of it.

Past efforts to “restrict the food that schoolchildren eat outside the lunchroom have long been controversial” – this is because vending machines bring in profit for school districts and this profit is subsequently used to pay for sports, music and arts programs (NY Times).

So would an effort to remove junk food from vending machines result in less music programs in schools? Not exactly.  It’s inevitable that if a child is given a choice between a healthy snack or a bag of potato chips in a vending machine they will likely choose the second; however, if all of the unhealthy options are eliminated from the machines “children could still be persuaded to eat healthy foods and schools could still make a profit”.

The NY Times article I’ve posted below illustrates more in depth about the proposed plan by the Obama administration – if you’re interested in school nutrition and/or  recent efforts on combating the childhood obesity epidemic it’s definitely worth checking out.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/21/us/politics/new-rules-planned-on-school-vending-machines.html?_r=1&ref=health

(On a side note: The University of Michigan has already implemented measures towards making its’ students more aware of the healthier options in their vending machines. All healthy options are designated with an “M” sticker – hopefully this measure has already made it easier for students to make healthier decisions).

Not Your Average College Late Night

About a year ago I first visited Frita Batido’s and was instantly wowed by their amazing flavors and college-friendly prices. Although this Cuban-inspired restaurant is not located nearby other late-night hangouts on South U or State Street, this should not stop you from heading over to satisfy your need for some late-night munchies.

On top of the savory Fritas (Cuban for “burger”) and sweet churros, Frita Batidos has a new addition that makes this even more appealing to college students – an exciting and varied drink menu.  The drink menu is sure to quench any late-night thirsts. Customers can choose between locally brewed beers, wine, Mojitos and make-your-own style Mix and Match Tumblers. If you’re in the mood for a sweeter drink – ask for a Batido (Cuban for “milkshake) with a splash of rum

On Monday-Friday if you head in between 4-6pm, or the last hour of service nightly, each item on the drink menu is only $3.50 (a steal for the already very reasonably priced drinks).Of course, there’s no better way to complement your drinks than with the other latest addition to the menu – the Chicken Frita. Although my personal favorite is the Fish Frita, the Chicken Frita is a close competitor. Simple yet packed with tons of flavor, this burger will definitely be a great addition to the other inexpensive burgers and sandwiches that fill the menu.

Here’s a glance at the treats Frita Batido’s has to offer:

Ready to late night with a big group of friends? Chef and owner Eve Aronoff recently debuted the “LOVE FEST”. If you bring 20+ people to Frita Batidos any night after 10pm and your group will be greeted with lots of complimentary food and treats to supplement your meal!! You can reserve your LOVEFEST by emailing frita@fritabatidos.com

Prices? All drinks, burgers and side are well under $10.

Atmosphere? Hip, young, inviting and great for large groups.

Best dish? Close call – my favorite will always be the Fish frita with Cilantro Lime Salsa, however if you’re a meat lover, I’d highly advise the Pulled Pork Sandwich.

Location: 117 W. Washington St. Ann Arbor, MI 48104

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

Drink Menu: http://fritabatidos.com/drinks.pdf

Food Menu: http://fritabatidos.com/menu.pdf

THANK YOU FRITAS FOR THE LOVEFEST!!