Traveled here for a college visit with my daughter. It popped up so I walked down and it did not…read moredisappoint. It was busy (Friday night) and the food will take a while, but grab a beer, have a snack (or buy one there) and enjoy the ambience. We all had a brat or sausage and they were good. Onion rings were excellent. Beers were very good. Very highly recommend!

A diamond in the rough…read more Meat, smoked meat, accoutrements to go with said meat. Beer, cider. Fire. Smoked wood scents. Blankets. Cozy. Feels like a took a step off the road and into Narnia.

I stopped by here for the first time this week - I had a work appointment at Zingerman's Bakehouse,…read moreand figured I'd try out the Creamery and the candy store next door too. I am a big Swiss fan so I asked if they had any - I ended up buying a small piece of one, which ended up being tasty, and also an aged cheddar they had, called Prairie Farms - they had a sample of it and it was DELICIOUS, which swayed me to try it. They also sell tiny little charcuterie boxes here and even big things of gelato. Everything looked really good. Staff is also very friendly - the girl behind the counter is a recent UM grad so we talked about that, I'm a 2009 alum. $6-7 for a small block of cheese is pretty standard for gourmet cheeses too, so I didn't think it was super pricey (although they did have some for $15+). I definitely want to stop by here again the next time I'm in A2.

After a disappointing lunch in Ypsi, we turned to Yelp for something sweet…read more How 'bout Gelato? Head to Zingerman's Creamery! Quickly. This is an excellent stop for all things dairy. Mostly, cheese for me. Today I picked up: six ounces of a very creamy Goat cream cheese, a smoked salmon cream cheese and a Goat feta. Since we had a cooler, I also bought a half pound of Detroit Street Brick cheese. It begins as a dense, crumbly cheese with a twist of lemon and ages into more of a savory, spicy flavour. The star of the show is the gelato. I say the best is the Coffee flavour. Closely followed by the Peanut Butter chocolate and the Dark chocolate. Today we split a Cherry Cream Cheese Gelato. It really hit the spot. The prices are a bit steep. You're paying for quality, not quantity. Always an education talking cheese with these folks! 08/24

We went to Whole Paycheck to get Banana Leaves (i'd seen them in the produce section one) and were…read moreunsurprised when we discovered they only carry them on occasion. I was surprised that the produce woman sent me to ZZ's - never heard of it. We drove up and I was sure I was the fool of a cruel bougie-grocery-store joke. Nope. ZZ's is awesome, and proves that YOU CAN NOT JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER. This is the best spot we've found in the area for "ethnic" produce i.e. banana leaves, taro root, shiso, thai basil, fava beans, green almonds... I mean, the works! Not only that, they have a lot of chilies, onions, canned latin and middle eastern foods, and the only mission-style sized tortillas i've seen outside of San Francisco. If you're a serious cook you will absolutely love this place. A COOKS MUST!

Their produce are definitely way better than the grocery-chains. You can also find those rare…read morefruits and veggies that you can't find in regular stores. Their prices are very good as well. I'd rather shop here because they're more delicious and I also would rather support local businesses. Thank you ZZ's!

This is my local Aldi, and I absolutely love it. Weekly trip for dairy, everyday cheese, green…read moreonions, cilantro, etc.. Wide aisles, well stocked and impeccably clean. Quirky specials each week. It honestly feels like someone scooped an Aldi from Austria or Italy and dropped it in our backyard!

I've finally come around on Aldi…read more Perhaps Aldi has improved over the years. Maybe it is me who has changed. Likely it's a combination of the two. There is still a lot about Aldi that represents the globalization and industrialization of food. But in all fairness, that is frankly what most supermarket chains also represent these days. I suppose if one chooses to eat these products, it's a lot more sensible to pay less for them than to shell out one's hard earned money for ostensibly similar products. On my first visit to this market, in another state many years ago, the only product I recognized as food was their bottles of maple syrup. Now I regularly buy and enjoy things like organic apples, non GMO tofu, raw walnuts, MSC certified frozen fish, and chocolate ice cream to name a few. If I were more adventurous with my wine drinking these days, there are a few bottles that pique my interest. However, drinking much much less makes me reluctant to pick up a random bottle just to satisfy my curiosity. What I like most of all is the camaraderie of Aldi shoppers. There's this feeling that we're all in this together, and I love the exchange of shopping carts for quarters that can happen on the edge of the parking lot. I even got a chance to try out their "twice as nice" guarantee lately, and the clerk was super helpful and quickly helped to process a refund without a receipt. I suppose moldy bread can happen even when it contains preservatives. I don't eat the stuff, but my wife and kid still insist upon soft "sandwich bread" for weekday lunches. It has become a weekly destination to supplement runs to other conventional, gourmet, specialty, and international markets. Not only that, but Aldi's low prices help me to afford more of those pricier foods that I cherish. There is no substitute for great cheese, but one does not need great cheese to make the kid a quesadilla.

If you happen to be in Mi, a cherry lover then you must try this place everything but cherry, candy…read more-drinks - jam- food. The soda/ water is pretty good , not to powering. Their dining has good delicious food from salad - burgers- soup . Their pie/ ice cream are a hit . Our waiter was a one man show handling all orders and distributing the meals. Kudos to him, reminded me of Timothee Chalamet .

Honestly, one of the best novelty/themed stores out there. It is the perfect place to get souvenirs…read morefrom Michigan. Loved that they offered many free samples, which helped me decide what to get.

I stopped by here when in A2 this past week, I was visiting the Bakehouse for a work article. We…read morehave recently written about the Candy Manufactory for work too so I was curious to actually see it! I've never actually had any of Zingerman's candy bars so I bought two full size bars, plus a small version of the Cashew Cow. I think both the Zzang and Peanut Butter Crush were equally good. The store also has non-Zingerman's brand candies, such as Venchi, which is also a high-end brand. The shop doubles as a coffee shop, as well, and I think may have also had some small food items, but don't quote me on that. Overall, I would return the next time I'm in town.

Didn't realize I could miss the constant crowds at Zingerman's in downtown Ann Arbor by going to…read morethis location south of the highway. The candy is delicious- though it's pretty fed as a premium product so be prepared! The cafe inside is great and there's a Bakery store down the way so you can enjoy sandwiches, pastries and delicious brownies!

The Rocket has a great selection of gag gifts, real gifts and greeting cards. They also have a…read moreunique variety of nostalgic toys, games, and even bulk candy! One of the best additions to downtown Ypsi!

This is a cute, densely packed novelty shop in downtown Ypsi. It reminds me of a family friendly…read moreSpencer's. Lots of fun stuff if you need a gift for someone, like toys, candies, stickers, greeting cards, clothing, and more. If you are looking for Michigan or Ypsilanti-specific gifts, this is definitely a good spot to check out.

Found the chocolates at Eastern Market, great opportunity to get something unique there. They are…read moresold in pre-sized boxes, you can't buy singles or odd numbers. Boxes were 4, 12, & 24 I think. I got 12 diff flavors, they were delicious. Fave so far was the ghost pepper mango. Was not too spicy, anyone could try it. Choc heart shell with a really soft mango-caramel-y filling, melts in your mouth. They had about 20 flavors offered, and 2-3 were sold out. Beautiful and delicious.

I am ordering this chocolate once a month!! I ordered one of everything and I didn't try anything…read morethat wasn't good. The little crunchy hazelnut things were incredible. I got the cinnamon chocolate ones. It took about 5 days for it to be ready- I ordered online through their site. Well worth the wait.

Quick little update 5 years after my last to say they're still just as amazing as always, expanding…read morequite a bit of their offering since last I reviewed. First I was so excited to see strawberries in stock, given they have had such a rough crop this summer. And not only did they have them but they had quite a bit! They're small but mighty delicious! Also, love all the local brands/makers they carry and they just keep upping their game outside of produce as well. In particular I'm mightly geeked that they carry Bird Dog Baking from Ypsi (love their rye teacake), White Lotus Farms (my husband can't stop raving about the pistachio blackberry croissant I brought him), Why Not Pie?, Harvest Kitchen, and more. And of course, my beloved Crust. Everyone here is so kind. The mission is so important. And their products are so great. Love having them so close by!

I travel regularly to Argus from Jackson to buy local organic produce; being a vegan, I can't…read morestomach the idea of eating grocery store food. This is as local as you can get, without visiting the farm personally. They also have a great selection of locally sourced meat and dairy; and a cozy enclosed patio to enjoy a coffee and a fresh pastry. The vibe is earthy and relaxed, without a red cap in sight. If you care about your food, you need Argus in your life.

This artisanal chocolate shop has the best brownies in the world. And maybe that's because there is…read morelove in every step. Sustainably sourced from Ecuador, the cacao beans are fermented and ground locally in Dexter, then processed into the cocoa that is used to make the delicious brownies. But brownies aren't this store's main deal: the chocolate is center. Mendo's sells a variety of delicious dark and milk chocolates, as well as honey of the chocolate, which is the byproduct of processing the cacao into cocoa. It tastes like a delicious balsamic vinaigrette. The Dexter factory also offers tours and truffle and chocolate bar making classes. I have a friend whose birthday is coming up and I am going to take her to one of those classes.

77% hot chocolate with their homemade marshmallow? Chef's kiss! They have 77% or 100% so if you…read moredon't like bitter chocolate it make not be for you, but I loved the 77% I ordered with the marshmallow. They also have oat and almond milk in addition to whole milk.