Iorio's Gelateria

Rama Sarraj  

Tucked away on East William off of State Street is a cozy family-owned gelateria called Iorio’s. The gelateria is modernly decorated and boasts over 20 delicious and unique flavors ranging from rum raisin to peach cobbler. If you have trouble picking a flavor – fear not! The friendly staff allows you to taste as many flavors as you would like, and, the best part is that you can have as many flavors you want in any size cup. My friend and I tried quite a few flavors – raspberry tiramisu, chocolate, chocolate chip, rum raisin, and fig (not to mention the spiced fig biscotti – a delicious combination with the fig ice cream). The raspberry tiramisu was a lovely mix of creamy goodness and frozen, citrusy raspberry. The chocolate gelato had immaculate texture – creamy like a mousse, yet not too thick. It was very flavorful and I enjoyed the tiny chocolate bits. A word to the wise – if you are getting several flavors, eat the milder flavors and save the chocolate for last as it is rather strongly flavored. The chocolate chip, on the other hand, is a lighter substitute for chocolate lovers. A lovely Italian twist to the classic American chocolate chip ice cream, this sweet and creamy gelato pairs perfectly with the semi-sweet chunky chocolate pieces. The fig flavor is also fabulous – mild and light with large chunks of fig. My personal favorite, however, is the rum raisin. Made with a zuppa inglese base gelato, this flavor has a rich custard taste, a hint of rum, and contains juicy raisins. The fig biscotti was also very tasty, and would work perfectly with a nice cup of coffee. All in all, Iorio’s was a short escape from Ann Arbor to Italy – recommended for all to try!

Mani Osteria: An Evening in Italy

Candice Yono  

Whole Roasted Branzino

It was a Saturday evening, and my parents and brother had just helped me move into my house. Tired and hungry, we roamed a few streets in Ann Arbor in search of a dinner location. At the suggestion of a cousin, we decided to stop at Mani Osteria.

Upon entering the restaurant, the fragrant aroma of roasted garlic and mouth-watering flatbread pizzas assaulted our noses. It was a bustling atmosphere, with people sitting at the bar, and at the high and low tables available as alternate options. Given that it was almost 8pm on a Saturday night, and that the place was packed, I was mildly surprised that the wait was only 20 minutes.

We ordered a bottle of wine to enjoy as we perused the menu and waited for our food to arrive. It was a 2009 Malbec from Cahors, France. For starters, we ordered "the mix," a mixed platter of cheeses, cured meats, and olives. The cheeses were absolutely fantastic; creamy and buttery, they paired fantastically well with the Jamon Serrano from Spain and Prosciutto from Italy. My only issue with this platter was the limited and extremely thin slices of bread that accompanied the platter. Sure, the thinner slices drizzled with olive oil were classy, but I love bread, especially nice chunks of a crisp grain or French bread.

For dinner, we ordered four different entrées that we shared:

Arugula and Prosciutto Flatbread Pizza
scamorza, ligurian olive oil, sea salt

Whole Roasted Branzino
fennel, olive, salsa verde

Malfatti en Brodo
braised pork, arugula, chicharron

D&L's Roasted Chicken
cipolini onions, artichokes, oyster mushrooms

The Whole Roasted Branzino made its way to the table first. Funny side note on Branzino...when I saw the item on the menu, I immediately knew it was fish, thanks to Spider-Man. If you saw the new Spidey movie that came out in August, you know that Gwen (Emma Stone) invites Peter (Andrew Garfield) to dinner for Branzino. When the dish arrives at the table, bones, head, and all, he pokes at it sheepishly, trying to figure out the best way to eat the fish. Our Branzino did indeed arrive at the table with head, tail and all, but it was pretty easy to eat. It was deliciously flavorful, with hints of lemon and herbs in every bite. Roasted red onions and fennel accompanied the dish, adding a nice pop of color.

The Arugula and Prosciutto Flatbread Pizza arrived as we were finishing the Branzino. Warm and crisp, the flatbread was generously covered in prosciutto, and topped with a heaping portion of arugula. The pizza was on the salty side, but what do you expect from a flatbread covered in cured ham?

Malfatti en Brodo featured a thin wide pasta noodle (think of small squares of thin lasagna noodles) with shredded pork, and arugula. The sauce, which tasted like stock with hints of citrus, was surprisingly light for a pasta dish.

D&L's Roasted Chicken was tender and falling off the bone. It was wonderfully juicy and tender, with succulent mushrooms and onions that had absorbed all the chicken flavor. The artichokes tasted slightly undercooked; they were a little tougher than I expect artichokes to be.

Overall, the four dishes were delicious! My favorite was the Branzino, but all the dishes had something to rave about. If you're around East Liberty Street in Ann Arbor, I highly suggest that you stop by this great restaurant!

The Lunch Room

Jess Chen  

It has only been a month since I arrived, but as a freshman and a vegan, I already dread going to the dining halls. Being aware of the thriving vegan and vegetarian culture in Ann Arbor, I ventured out to numerous vegan-friendly restaurants this past month. These restaurants include the more well known Seva, New Jerusalem Garden, Silvio’s, and Jazzy Veggie. However, I still had one more vegan restaurant, (okay, food cart) to tackle. Located at Mark’s Carts on W. Washington between Ashley and First streets, The Lunch Room is the newest, hippest, vegan eatery around.

The menu consists of a variety of fresh and healthy options for brunch, lunch, and dinner. From Barbeque Tofu sliders to Pad Thai, The Lunch Room doesn’t fail to deliver. For eight dollars, “Nick’s Combo Plate” allows customers to choose three out of the four most popular dishes. My combo plate had the Banh Mi Chay, Tangy Thai slaw, and the Harvest stew. The Banh Mi Chay is a sandwich that consists of spicy tofu layered with cucumber, carrot-radish pickle, herbs, and a garlic mayo served in a baguette. The Tangy Thai slaw is a salad with a mix of green and red cabbage, carrots, parsley, scallions, red onions, cashews, and sesame seeds. Lastly, the Harvest stew is a blend of potatoes, chickpeas, carrots, and other yummy vegetables. Of course, I couldn’t complete the order without desert! In front of the cart lays a cabinet of cookies waiting to be eaten. I choose the Blackstrap Molasses Gingersnap cookie and the Chocolate Chip Cookie, which are both made with Michigan beet sugars.

As I sipped on the Harvest stew, crunched on the tangy slaw, and bit into the Chay, I couldn’t help but feel so satisfied. Why can’t the University dining halls serve quality, vegan food? Although the meal was a bit pricier than I would have liked ($11), I would not mind eating lunch here once a week. Unfortunately, with the cold weather on the way, the owner informed me they would only be opened for a couple more weeks. She noted that they are hoping to turn The Lunch Room into a restaurant. But for now, I’ll be content sitting at Mark’s Carts picnic tables and enjoying the rare taste of vegan paradise.