Epic Portions » ann arbor

Hello Faz – Pizza Deal of the Century

John — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 17:18:59 +0000

Hello Faz Pizza has a dear place in my heart because I grew up around Faz and his family. Faz was an incredible guy but I will come back to that at a later date. When it comes time to order pizza in Ann Arbor, 99% of the time I’m probably going to recommend that we call them up. Yesterday was one of these times.

The reason I write this is not to tell you how much I love Hello Faz Pizza. It’s to give you a heads up on probably the best pizza deal in the entire world. Forget about five dollar Hot and Sweatys, Dominos’ three for five dollar special or any other pizza coupon you’ve seen. Hello Faz Pizza took all of those deals and gave them the middle finger.

Hello Faz will give you a large pizza with unlimited toppings for just nine bucks. That means you can order a large pizza and click every single topping they offer, and you still only have to pay nine bucks for it. That is incredible.

Shaya and I tried this out last night to mixed results. My half contained feta, spinach, chicken, steak, bacon, and garlic. Her half contained sausage, bacon, tomatoes, and broccoli. As you can see, I got the better end of the deal and she wasn’t too happy about the amount of toppings on her half. Special price to anyone who can find an actual piece of broccoli.

Regardless of the Shaya broccoli debacle, you really can’t argue with a large pizza and ten toppings(or 7 1/2) for only nine bucks. That’s a solid deal. When you throw in that the pizza is absolutely delicious as well, that’s.. Well, it’s just a solid deal again.

Hello Faz Pizza
2259 W Liberty St
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
(734)741-7777
http://www.hellofaz.com

Man v. Food is Dead to Me

John — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 13:58:49 +0000

Man v. Food has been one of my favorite shows since it began a few years ago. It’s like a good version of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives with a likable host and an eating challenge at the end. What is there not to love? When I first saw it, I felt like it was a natural fit that Epic Portions began covering it. Travel Channel even sent me season one on DVD for free.

I always hoped that Adam Richman would bring his show to Ann Arbor so I could hang out during production. This week, the time finally came. News started circling that the show was being filmed at Blimpy Burger on Wednesday, which was an obvious choice. If someone was in town visiting and I needed one place to take them, Blimpy would more than likely be the winner.

His next stop was the Maze and Blue Deli, which I found to be a little odd. I could probably think of ten places I would have recommended over it. I’m not saying the place isn’t good, but come on. Just because it has “Maze and Blue” in the name doesn’t mean you have to stop there while in Ann Arbor. I could open up a bike repair shop and call it “Maze and Blue Bike Shop”, but it wouldn’t mean you should take your bike to me to get fixed. I don’t know shit about bikes. I would probably break your bike even more than it already was.

I did everything I could to find out where the eating challenge would take place. I scoured the internet, I talked to my insiders(HA!), and I kept my ear to the streets. I was going to find Mr. Richman and I was going to be present for the challenge. I had work off, a full tank of gas, and a dream. I finally found where out where it was all taking place, and what I read horrified me.

They selected Tios’ Mexican Cafe as their final destination.

Out of all places, they chose Tios. Tios Mexican Cafe. The WORST food in the area, perhaps the state. The place that has done everything in their power to DESTROY Mexican food. The challenge turned out to be something I have written before… A hideous five pound pile of slop known as Mount Nacheesmo.

More like Mount Pile of Garbage! Haha!

Seriously, that is television worthy? I could make that in my house and it would look/taste about 100 times better. I was completely confused on this decision. Ann Arbor has great local joints that really say something about the city, other than “Hey, we fucking hate Mexican food so we’re going to destroy it. Here, have an enormous burrito filled with cat food and beans, and topped with yellow cheese and bland enchilada sauce.” Why did Tios get the selection? 9/10 people that know food will tell you that Tios’ food sucks. It’s common knowledge. Couldn’t someone on the research team ask a local what they thought of the place and possibly recommend a good place to go?

Some time ago, I read WouldIBuyitAgain.com’s, rant on the resturuant selection in the Indianapolis. I now see what he means. The selection process on Man v. Food has gotten awful. I will no longer watch Man v. Food. Let the boycott begin.

@burger – Ann Arbor, MI

John — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 21:01:48 +0000

If I am ever in search of a quality burger in the Ann Arbor area, Blimpy Burger is the obvious choice. There is nothing better than a burger cooked on a grill that has been seasoned by decades of use. I don’t care what condiments you add to it. Quality beef is a worthy substitute to the properly seasoned grill, but I prefer the taste created by age. Recently, the “gourmet” burger trend has been making its way from the West Coast and Ann Arbor has become a hot spot for these burger joints. Bagger Dave’s popped up a few years ago, there are plans to add a Five Guys(which originated in D.C., but follows the west coast burger idea) on State St., and most recently a joint called @burger popped up on Liberty.

I followed @burger’s development pretty closely because it was interesting to see a new burger joint pop up in the downtown Ann Arbor area. When I was a kid, Ann Arbor was all about authenticity. My Mom would drop us off and we would grab a Flafel sandwich from Jerusalem Garden, sometimes double up with a hot dog from Le Dog, stop in at Discount Records, and enjoy the uniqueness that was Ann Arbor. There were places we could go that you couldn’t find outside of the city. As the years go by, more and more of these businesses have closed, allowing Starbucks, Potbelly, and Chipolte to move in. Each time one of these chains moves in, it seems to lessen Ann Arbor’s authenticity. I’m not saying Ann Arbor has lost the character that makes the city what it is, it’s just that every time a business like Cosi moves in, the more the experience is cheapened.

The first thing that worried me about @burger was that it’s owned by Big Boy. This is the first location and there are plans to turn it into a national chain. I’ve had a burger at Big Boy. Burger is not plural because I never any desire to ever try another one. What positives could Big Boy possibly bring to the world of burgers?

The more I read, however, the more I thought this might be a quality joint. The meat is all ordered from Wolverine Packing Co., a Detroit based meat packer, and all of the buns are baked in house. The “build your own burger” option would be there, with micro brews being available in the near future. Maybe Big Boy was doing something right? I was still a little hesitant to accept their modern burger joint concept into Ann Arbor, but I went to check it out anyways. The things I do for my readers…

The first thing I noticed was the interior. It’s incredibly cheesy and the designer seemed to be having an identity crisis at the time of hire. There are multiple plasma TVs on the wall, giving the feel of a sports bar surrounded by modern furniture and minimalist design giving it the feel of a hipster hang out. As you walk in, the menu is displayed on an LCD screen, then on paper in front of the registers. The design just gives off an incredibly unauthentic feel. It just seems a little phony to me.

The menu consists of burgers, one chicken sandwich, salads, and sides which include chips with toppings and fries. They also have Custard shakes. An employee takes your order at the cash register and you are given a device which tells you that your food is ready. We ordered the BBQ Velveeta burger, the Caprese Chicken Sandwich, Buffalo Chips, and two drinks. Our total came to $22.00. Not breaking the bank expensive, but also not what I want to pay for two burgers and some chips. There are many different condiments to choose from, along with multiple flavors of popcorn seasoning. This confused me, because I didn’t see popcorn anywhere on the menu.

Your buzzer goes off when your food is ready(it actually says “your food is ready”), but an employee brings your food to you. Once again, I was confused. If someone is bringing you your food, why spend money on electronic devices to notify you that your food is ready when someone is going to bring it to you ten seconds later?

When my burger arrived, I was less than impressed. The BBQ Velveeta Burger comes with bacon, BBQ sauce, Velveeta cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, and pickles. The burger as a whole just didn’t look very appetizing to me. The burger patty was lacking in size and looked a little over cooked. The cheese was minimal, and I had a hard time finding any BBQ sauce at all. There was also shredded lettuce. Seriously, shredded lettuce? On a positive note, the bun looked impressive, and the bacon was plentiful and crispy.

BBQ Velveeta Burger

Upon my first bite, the first thing I noticed was the dryness of the bun. It had the feel of a bun that had been sitting around for hours. Typically that’s not how you want your buns to taste when you advertise that they are baked fresh in house. Second, the burger was dry and overcooked. The flavor was good, but there was no juiciness at all which was very disappointing. Third, the bacon was very crispy and delicious. I would definitely recommend bacon on any burger you get here. Past that, the cheese and BBQ sauce were not very plentiful which did not help the dryness of the burger and bun. I think they have a good concept with the beef and condiments on this burger, but just wasn’t prepared very well that day.

The Buffalo Chips were chips served with Buffalo sauce and Bleu Cheese dressing on top. The chips were crispy and tasted fresh, and the Buffalo sauce was delicious. I could have used a little bit more sauce on top of the chips, but all in all this is a great accompaniment to a burger. They have several other types of chips you can order on the side and I would definitely recommend you give them a try.

Buffalo Chips

All in all, this place could be a lot worse. The decor inside may be a little cheesy and it may be owned by Big Boy, but I think they’re on the right track. My burger wasn’t very well prepared, but I think if I went back and tried the exact same burger I might get different results. I still say if you’re looking for a burger you should head to Blimpy’s, but if you’re not a fan of the hole in the wall burger joints and are scared of getting cursed out for ordering wrong, @burger might be a option for you.

Poutine Burger at Grange Kitchen & Bar

John — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 13:45:39 +0000

Weeks ago, I wrote about Poutine and how much I loved it. It was a simple, yet glorious post and it called out one of the most delicious piles of slop I have ever eaten in my entire life. Recently, I was catching up on my reading over at my other home on the web, AnnArbor.com, and I came across Jessica Webster’s article on the best burgers in Ann Arbor.

What I saw almost made me shoot projectile tears at the monitor. That almost sounds like some sort of EMO kid thing. I feel a little weird now.

A time ago, Grange Kitchen & Bar decided they would begin serving a Poutine Burger.

Yes, a Poutine Burger. A Burger topped with Poutine. Poutine resting on a burger patty. Poutine. Burger. Just for the record that’s a grilled grass-fed burger, aged cheddar, French Fries and creamy cheese curds in a duck confit gravy.

Feast your eyes on this beauty:

Apparently they’re not currently serving this beautiful creation, which brought the projectile tears back out but for a whole new emotion, so I will not be able to try it anytime soon. Please, Grange Kitchen & Bar. Bring it back.

update:

Grange left me a comment informing me that as long as Poutine is on the menu, this burger is available. Time to wipe off my computer screen.

Check out their website. Really interesting concept and menu. I’ll be visiting this place very soon.

Grange Kitchen & Bar
118 W. Liberty
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
http://www.grangekitchenandbar.com

Zingerman’s Deli – Ann Arbor, MI

John — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:27:04 +0000

Usually when I’m talking to someone about food in Ann Arbor, whether they live in the area or not, Zingerman’s will come up in the conversation. It’s somewhat of the food landmark of Ann Arbor. Regardless of the fact that most people have to take out a second mortgage on their home to eat there, the deli is serving pretty ridiculously good food. It’s worth it to make a visit and pay 14 dollars for a sandwich every now and then because everything is made in house and made incredibly well. They don’t take any shortcuts at this place. The bread is baked at Zingerman’s bakery, most of the cheese is made at their creamery, all of the sauces/toppings/condiments are made in house, and most of the ingredients are locally produced. Ari (one of the owners) travels the world, searching for only the best varieties of each things they sell and it really shows in the food. They really produce some special things here and it’s a treat every time I visit.

On a side note, bacon is treated like an art at Zingerman’s Deli. They normally have 5-8 varieties at any given time.

Enough of the talk, what I really want to show you is what 70 dollars will get you at Zingerman’s Deli. Remember, this may be expensive but an occasional visit is worth every penny. Seriously, I would like to write up a full review but you’re just going to have to trust me that everything tastes just as good as it looks.

Zingerman's Reuben - Zingerman’s corned beef, Switzerland Swiss cheese, sauerkraut & Russian dressing on grilled, hand-sliced Jewish rye bread.

Dinty Moore - Zingerman’s corned beef, lettuce, tomato & housemade Russian dressing on rye bread.

Wayne’s Inheritance - Grilled Amish chicken breast, Vermont cheddar cheese, cucumber & Zingerman’s ranch dressing on grilled rye bread.

Potato Latkes - Big, thick potato pancakes with homemade applesauce and Calder Dairy sour cream

Zingerman's Potato Salad - Redskin potatoes dressed in a delicious roasted red pepper dressing.

Potato Knish - Baked puff pastry stuffed with herbed mashed potatoes & onions.

Do yourself a favor and check out the ridiculous menu posted on their website. Seriously, if you can’t find something you like at this place then there’s something wrong with you.

Blue Tractor’s Carnivore Burger

John — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 04:00:12 +0000

New on Blue Tractor’s menu… 1/2 lb patty topped with pulled pork, bacon, smoked cheddar, and fried jalapeño chips.

I need this. That’s in bold because I really need it. Add this to the list of things you will see me eat very soon.

Lentil Soup at Jerusalem Garden

John — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:25:02 +0000

I love Jerusalem Garden’s lentil soup. It’s like having a bowl of heaven and each bite is full of angels. That actually incredibly sacrilegious and even disgusting, but I swear there’s no other way to describe the taste. It’s incredible. I’m currently in talks with several companies about obtaining bowl big enough to fill with lentil soup and bathe in it. Photographic documentation will follow.