Restaurant Profile

Restaurant Profile

In-depth profiles of the restaurants worth knowing about.

Echelon Named James Beard Semifinalist for Best New Restaurant

Chef Joseph VanWagner's wood-fired kitchen on South Main earned a James Beard semifinalist nod. Ann Arbor should pay attention.

Chef Joseph VanWagner's wood-fired kitchen on South Main just earned a James Beard semifinalist nod.

March 8, 2026 · 10 min read

What Spencer's National Recognition Means for Ann Arbor's Food Identity

The downtown wine shop and restaurant just made USA Today's 2026 Restaurants of the Year list.

The downtown wine shop and fine dining room earned national recognition for its seasonal, farm-driven cooking.

March 6, 2026 · 9 min read

Ji Hye Kim Built Two Restaurants and a Mini-Mart. She's Not Done.

From Miss Kim to Little Kim to an Asian grocery counter, the James Beard-nominated chef is quietly building a food empire.

From Miss Kim to Little Kim to an Asian grocery counter, the James Beard-nominated chef is quietly building a food empire.

March 5, 2026 · 8 min read

Bellflower Is the Best Restaurant in Ypsilanti. The Rest of the County Should Know.

In a former Michigan Bell telephone exchange, chef Dan Klenotic is cooking food that rivals anything across the river.

In a former telephone exchange on Pearl Street, a James Beard semifinalist is cooking food that rivals anything in Ann Arbor.

March 2, 2026 · 7 min read

Monahan's Has Been Selling Fish in Kerrytown for 45 Years. Mike Monahan Is Still Behind the Counter.

The co-founder of Ann Arbor's most enduring seafood market hasn't missed many days since 1979.

Forty-five years in Kerrytown. Mike Monahan is still behind the counter.

December 10, 2025 · 5 min read

Venue Puts Five Restaurants and a Coworking Space Under One Roof. Somehow, It Works.

Chef Thad Gillies brings a Zingerman's-to-Union Square Cafe resume to Ann Arbor's most ambitious dining experiment.

Five restaurants, one coworking space, and a chef with a resume that starts at Zingerman's and runs through Union Square Cafe.

November 20, 2025 · 6 min read

Ma Lou's Has the Best Fried Chicken in Michigan. It's on Michigan Avenue in Ypsi.

K.C. Knipple grew up here. He opened a chicken spot. The rest of the state noticed.

Named best fried chicken in Michigan by MSN and LoveFood. Ma Lou's is a Ypsilanti original.

November 5, 2025 · 4 min read

RoosRoast Is Ann Arbor's Coffee. Twenty Years of Roasting Proves It.

Solar-powered, locally roasted, and stubbornly independent since 2005.

Solar-powered, locally roasted, and stubbornly independent. RoosRoast is Ann Arbor's coffee identity.

August 15, 2025 · 5 min read

Black Pearl Has Been on Main Street for 17 Years. It Still Surprises People.

Ann Arbor's seafood-and-sushi stalwart defies easy categorization, and that's the whole point.

Seventeen years on Main Street. Black Pearl still defies easy categorization.

July 20, 2025 · 5 min read

La Serre Is a Hotel Restaurant That Actually Earns the Reservation

Inside The Vanguard on Glen Avenue, chef Michael Polsinelli is building a French brasserie worth visiting on purpose.

Inside The Vanguard on Glen Avenue, a French brasserie that's worth visiting on purpose.

June 15, 2025 · 7 min read

Dos Hermanos Express Is a Family Tradition Made Fresh Every Day

Brothers Alex and Hiram Arreola are carrying on a family legacy with from-scratch Mexican food on Jackson Industrial.

Two brothers, a family tradition, and from-scratch Mexican food on Jackson Industrial Drive.

April 15, 2025 · 3 min read
Every meal has a story worth telling.
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