Opinion
12 articles
Three Closings and a Question: What Fills Ypsilanti's Gaps?
Wurst Bar, Beezy's, and Bobcat Bonnie's are gone. Here's what's coming next.
Ypsilanti lost three restaurants in a year. The spaces aren't all empty — new concepts are moving in, and what they look like says something about what the city needs.
Four Closings in Eleven Months
Red Hawk, Tower Inn, Blue Leprechaun, Zamaan Grill. Ann Arbor lost four restaurants between May 2025 and March 2026. What's the pattern?
Ann Arbor lost Red Hawk, Tower Inn, Blue Leprechaun, and Zamaan Grill in under a year. The closings share a pattern that says something about the city's restaurant economics.
The Zingerman's Effect: How One Deli Shaped an Entire City's Food Culture
In the mid-1990s, Ari Weinzweig and Paul Saginaw made a decision that changed Ann Arbor. They chose to stay.
In the mid-1990s, Zingerman's chose to stay local instead of franchising. That decision shaped everything.
Detroit Is 45 Minutes Away. That's Not an Excuse. It's an Invitation.
An Ann Arbor food writer on why Washtenaw County diners who ignore Detroit are cheating themselves out of the best meals in the region.
Washtenaw County has great restaurants. Detroit has a different kind of great. An argument for making the drive east.
Ann Arbor's Restaurant Closure Problem Is Real — and Getting Worse
The closures keep coming. The replacements keep getting more expensive. Something has to give.
The closures keep coming. The replacements keep getting more expensive. Something has to give.
Chelsea Has a Food Scene. You Just Haven't Been Paying Attention.
A town of 5,000 with a 30-year restaurant anchor, a farmers market, and now Jeff Daniels opening a bistro. What does Chelsea's food identity actually look like?
Chelsea has a food scene most Ann Arbor residents have never explored. With JD's Stage Bistro on the way, it's time to start paying attention.
Ann Arbor Has a Food Truck Scene. Why Does Nobody Write About It?
The trucks are out there every day, feeding the lunch rush, taking the risks. The coverage hasn't caught up.
Ann Arbor's food trucks feed thousands of people a week and get almost zero coverage. The economics are different, the risks are real, and the food deserves attention.
Ann Arbor Has a Natural Wine Problem (the Good Kind)
How a college town became one of the best small cities in the Midwest for natural wine.
How a college town quietly became one of the Midwest's best natural wine destinations.
Ypsilanti Is Having a Moment. This Time It Might Stick.
Lower rents, creative chefs, and a dining scene that's finally finding its footing.
Lower rents, creative chefs, and a scene that's finally hitting its stride.
The People Who Cook Your Food
Every story we tell is about chefs and owners. The kitchen runs on people we never name.
Every story we tell is about chefs and owners. The kitchen runs on people we never name.
Saturday Morning at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market
The building is gone. The market isn't. Why that matters more than you'd think.
The Ann Arbor Farmers Market lost its office building in 2025 but continues to operate in its 107th year. A Saturday morning visit and a case for why this market matters.
This City's Restaurant Scene Is Booming. Its Food Media Isn't.
James Beard semifinalists and a USA Today pick. So why is nobody writing about it properly?
James Beard semifinalists and a USA Today pick. So why is nobody writing about it properly?