Charleys

What is normally a destination for seniors and alumni to go drink on Wednesdays...Thursdays....Fridays... Saturdays... Sundays...actually has surprisingly good food! The #14 rated best college bar in the US doesn't ID during the day and is actually a fully function restaurant. I like to go to on Sundays to watch my NY Giants play if the Detroit game is being shown on TV instead. PLUS, with Michigan Football player David Moosman working as a bouncer, you get a rare look at how big those guys actually are..

My recommendations on food? Buffalo Chicken Wrap. It's awesome. Its breaded chicken with buffalo sauce, cheese, lettuce tomato and bacon wrapped up in a flour tortilla normally served with house chips. BUT! The secret is to get the fries instead. Their fries are a little thicker than McDonald's fries but not as thick as KFC's wedges. Its always fresh fried so they come out sizzling and golden warm. Add a side of ranch to dip into and you're good to go!

But if you're not a chicken lover like me, ALL their burgers are awesome. They're half pound-ers so they're a little big. My favorites are the BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger or the Blackened Burger. The Blackened Burger looks like its charred but its actually the rubbed on dry-spices that give it the distinct color. It's awesome. Again, make sure you get fries with that.

And for appetizers, go with the loaded nachos or pepperoni styx. Both are great for sharing with the table because they are HUGE.

So now you know! When some upperclassman asks to buy you lunch, go to CHARLEY'S! It'll be great!
photo credits to annarborrestaurants.org

By: Sam Moon

Ann Arbor Restaurant Week

Hello U of M KSA!

My name is Ethan Han (some of you may know me as Dong Hyun) and I graduated from the greatest university in the world this past May. I was asked to write a guest blog entry for the KSA blog so here goes.

I want to talk to you ladies and gents about an incredible twice-a-year, one-week long experience that as students in Ann Arbor, you are all privy to. The phenomenon I'm talking about is Ann Arbor Restaurant Week which takes place once in January and again in June.

I know you all may be poor college students that live off of Chef Boyardee and steal dining hall cereal whenever you can, but Restaurant Week is basically your one chance to take advantage of Main Street at a relatively affordable price. Basically you pay a flat fee of $12 for lunch or $25 for dinner and get a multi-course, luxurious meal at restaurants that you would never enter, let alone think about dining in. How great is that? Really great.

Basically, you should try to set aside some time for this if you fall into one of the following categories:

1. You're a guy who happens to be in a relationship with someone on campus and wants to impress your significant other by taking them to a fancy restaurant without destroying your bank account. It'll be a good investment; you can thank me later.
2. You're a single guy who WANTS to be in a relationship with someone on campus and seeks to impress your potential significant other by taking them to a fancy restaurant without destroying your bank account. Again, you can thank me later.
3. You're a single girl but want to have a “girls night out” with your fellow girlfriends. What better place than the most upscale area in Ann Arbor? Main Street truly has an ability to transform itself at nighttime, particularly during the winter. It'll be a nice change of pace from your weekly outings at Charley's or Brown Jug.
4. You're a girl in relationship with a guy on campus. Chances are, if your boyfriend is smart and read this, he'll already be making plans to take you to this. Tell him to make reservations.

And that should cover just about everyone. See? No one should miss out on this.

A personal suggestion of mine is The Earle. It's a French/Italian restaurant featuring subdued, low-light ambience, a respectful wait staff, an extensive wine selection, a variety of meat and seafood dishes, and can accommodate a date for two or larger parties. The highlight has to be their amazing live jazz band, a soothing musical presence that's not too overbearing and in a pinch, can give you something to talk about during awkward pauses while you wait for your food to come out.

Check out the website @ http://annarborrestaurantweek.com/ for more information.

Have a great rest of the semester all!

Red Robin

Even though Red Robin is a good 10 minutes from campus, I would definitely say it is worth the drive. There are actually two near campus, one near Briarwood Mall and another near Meijers and Target. With locations all over the country, Red Robin is widely known for its gourmet burgers and bottomless steak fries, and rightly so. Their burgers are simply delicious—the tomatoes and lettuce are fresh and crisp, the cheese is tasty, and the burger is cooked to order. With so many kinds of hamburgers, there will surely be one to fit everyone’s tastes. My personal favorite is the Red Robin Sautéed ‘Shroom Burger—it is loaded with fresh sautéed mushrooms and topped with Swiss cheese—paired with bottomless garlic parmesan steak fries. (Make sure to ask specifically for the garlic parmesan steak fries when you order!!) Red Robin also has wide range of sandwiches and entrees that are equally great, including the onion ring tower and the freckled lemonade, both of which are customer favorites.
 
Besides the food, Red Robin’s atmosphere is colorful and fun and the inside is decorated with horse carousels, lots of colored lights, and movie posters all over the walls. The kitchen is open so you can even see the burgers being made. The staff is also extremely friendly and attentive, refilling drinks and fries so you’re never out. 

I highly recommend Red Robin if you’re looking for burgers! 

By: Jisun Kim

Good Time Charley's

Located South U. and Church, which is probably the most convenient location on campus is the bar, Good Time Charley's...more commonly known as Charley's. Popular for their shooters and drink menu, Charley's is always packed on Friday and Saturday nights. Wednesday nights are also really popular because it's Charley's trivia night. It was named #14 on the 50 best college bars in America, according to Complex magazine.
http://best.complex.com/lists/The-50-Best-College-Bars-in-America/good-time-charleys

However, what you may not know is that Charley's has the best pub food on campus. I started frequenting the bar at the end of my sophomore year. The first thing I had were the Pepperoni Styx. An order of Pepperoni Styx consists of 4 thick, fat, voluptuous bread sticks stuffed with melted mozzarella cheese and pepperoni. Still not sold? Charley's has a long list of juicy burgers. Other favorites are the chili cheese fries and the new
appetizer sampler.

The absolute best thing about Charley's, however, is not the food, but the great outdoor seating during the warmer days. You can sit out there for hours, enjoying the sun, the food, the drinks (if you're over 21), and of course, the wonderful, irreplaceable companionship of your friends. 

By: Sorah Park

Rich JC

Rich JC? I would have never though that I would see a Korean restaurant named after Jesus, but here it is in Ann Arbor, and you know what? It is excellent.  Rich JC is located on South U. along with many other distinct Ann Arbor eateries representing the Korean food proudly.  The atmosphere is awkward at first with the diner-esque seating and the restaurant itself being so narrow.  However, you are instantly welcomed by the owners and the tune of Hillsong, which makes you feel like you are at home.  


JC is one of the most notable and sometimes controversial Korean restaurants on the Campus. Many people complain about the excessive use of MSGs, but let’s face it, it can’t be worse than all the McDonalds we devour and all the Friday night drinking that we do.  On the upside, the food tastes great.  JC offers a wide selection of soups and I feel like if
you want some hot soup for the winter days, JC is the place to go.  One of my favorite dish is the YookGeJang, which is the perfect remedy for those harsh cold Ann Arbor winter.  Don’t be afraid to order the Kimchi fried rice, because JC, unlike 99.9% of Korean restaurants, do not serve Kimchi, so there is no possibility that leftover kimchi could have ended up in your kimchi fried rice.  Also other dishes such as JangBanGookSoo or SoonTofuJjigae add variety to the menu and allow anyone to come and enjoy a simple Korean dish.  Prices are about $8 to $8.75 a meal, which isn’t the cheapest, but it’s affordable.  If you are craving for some spicy Korean soup on a cold winter day, check out Rich JC.  Word of caution: try not to sit next to the door, it gets very cold when people open the door every 5 seconds to get in and out.


By: Austin Yi

Mia Za's Café

If you are looking for a quick and cheap, yet classy and sit-down dining experience, Za’s just might be your answer. Located on East University adjacent to East Quad, the restaurant shares a building with another business, making it easy to miss. If you can find it, however, you will be rewarded. The menu offers four main entrees: pasta, pizza, panini, and salad. The options are nearly endless from here. Although ‘traditional favorites’ are offered, there are numerous toppings that can be selected in a ‘create your own’ option. My personal favorite dish is the white wine pasta with chicken and shrimp, but I do not think I have ever heard anyone point out a ‘bad’ dish to me. The entrée alone comes out to around $7, with drinks and desserts costing extra. I really like the general atmosphere of the restaurant, and I often recommend it when grabbing a bite to catch up with a friend. If you are ever in the mood for Italian food on campus, I would highly recommend giving Mia Za’s café a go.

By: James Oh

nypd

Coming from the East Coast, I’ve had my fair share of good pizzas. It’s such a simple food, but it can easily be distorted into a complete mess. Now I didn’t expect much out of Ann Arbor’s pizza culture, but as I ventured out into this new terrain, I’ve been pleasantly surprised.

One place that sticks out in particular is NYPD, or New York Pizza Depot (not the New York Police Department). It’s a good place to sufficiently feed your pizza cravings. Located on State, it’s a perfect place for students to go and eat. There is plenty of space and tables, so there’s no need to worry about not getting a seat. The decor might be a little hectic, but it’s interesting to see Ann Arbor’s interpretation of a New York pizzeria. The hours are also heavenly as they are open from Monday to Saturday from 10 am - 4 am and on Sunday from 11 am - 4 am, so you can always feed your late night pizza cravings. 

Now enough about the great things about NYPD and onto the main attraction, the pizza! There is definitely a lot wide selection of different NY style pizzas, as well as some Chicago style pizzas. There is also a number of other “Italian” dishes such as calzones and subs and salads. My favorites are probably the white pizza and the garlic knots, which are absolutely to die for. If I were ever not able to go back to New York and eat another pizza, this would be my go to spot for pizza. Not only that, but NYPD has one of the best specials ever! Their late night special comes with a 10-inch personal pizza with one topping and a drink for only 5 bucks! The portions are pretty big, so even though the prices might be steep for pizza...we’re in Ann Arbor...and it’s worth it. 

Finally, the service is great and pretty fast. It’s amazing how good the service is when you actually think about how late at night it is. Having to take orders and serve pizzas and an assortment of other foods would definitely make me crabby, but not the staff of NYPD, and for that I give kudos to them. Now to find a place where I can get some chicken and rice!
picture credits: annarbor.com

By: Steph Hur

No Thai!

No Thai. What more could you ask for in a meal? Rice (or noodles), meat, vegetables, combined with an explosion of flavor and spice. It's the perfect meal at a good price. This local Thai restaurant conveniently located on campus (on South University) is a favorite of Asians and non-Asians alike. Their menu has something for everyone, whether you're a rice-man, a noodle-woman, whether you're a fan of meat (chicken, beef, even shrimp) or not, everything is made to order. You can even control the level of spice: either weaksauce, (for weaksauce tastebuds), medium, yoga-flame, or dimmak (for the insane). Their service is fast, well, as fast as they can be when the line goes out the door and around the corner, and the staff is always friendly.

For those of you not familiar with No Thai, you might be wondering about the name "No Thai". Does it mean there's no Thai food there? Is it a secret inside joke? Nope. The name comes from their head chef, Noerung "No" Hang. He and three of his friends came together one fateful day and decided that the University of Michigan was in dire need of a good Thai eatery. They more than met that need as now No Thai is one of the most popular places to eat on campus. They even have a delivery service at www.nothai.com so now you can enjoy No Thai from the comfort of your own home! I must, however, include one warning. If you have yet to eat from this holy grail of Asian food, be careful of your first visit. You might get hooked, like I did, and start flying through their loyalty stamp cards (10 meals to get one free) like Rebecca and her credit card. 


By: Dan Jun

food frenzy

Everyone loves food. American food, Chinese food, Korean food (!), Mexican food, Italian food, Indian food, Japanese food, Middle Eastern food, Thai food, Vietnamese food, Seafood (?)...did I leave anything out? Anyways, despite where it originates from we all love that one dish (or two) that we think embodies an entire culture's "food."  I don't have a rich understanding of what Thai food is all about but only know the Americanized Thai noodle dishes at No Thai.  With that in mind, I hope you all read these upcoming blogs with a grain of salt and don't take offense to our unintentional cultural ignorance. Thanks for understanding!


I leave you with one of the many many things you have to eat in AA; Pancheros chicken burrito.  The chewy, stretchy, doughy tortilla is to die for and better than any corporate fast food tortilla you'll find at Chipotle, Qdoba, or Taco Bell. I don't even need to elaborate on the delicious insides.  This picture says more than enough.





picture credits to Jee Park


By: Grace Hong