A longtime breakfast and lunch destination is in new hands this year, and “we’ve been super busy since the day we opened,” says Nela Shahinllari. She manages the front of house, while her husband Enzo is the main chef at Dexter Brunch House. Nela, twenty-five, emigrated at age eighteen and soon met fellow Albanian native Enzo, whose family moved here when he was five.
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The collaborative enterprise of the local Tsogyelgar Buddhist community is expanding into a new multifaceted storefront on Zeeb Rd., White Lotus Farms Café.
Read MoreRaising Cane’s Chicken Fingers couldn’t have plucked a more prominent campus perch for its third Michigan store, number 935 overall for the privately held Baton Rouge–based chain.
Read MoreThe surge of Yemeni coffee and tea shops has reached the campus area with Būn Chai, recently launched on the busy block of S. State between Liberty and North U.
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Thressa Nichols, a people operations professional who works remotely, decided to open the business she wanted to patronize. She and her husband, Zac Hodgkin, are launching Recess Cafe, where young children can play while their adults work or socialize while enjoying coffee, elevated snacks, and even wine and beer.
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The latest scoop from Scio Township: the ambitious Arreola brothers have added a Mexican paletería within Dos Hermanos Express.
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Staffed entirely by relatives, Rotisserie King features traditional Middle Eastern preparations that may seem like everyday fare here, but even the basmati rice—cooked with tomatoes, onions, and garlic seasonings—is special-occasion food back home, Ebrahim says.
Read MoreA century-old building near Kerrytown has its first tenant since undergoing major renovations. Bayt Almocha is now the area’s fifth Yemeni coffee shop to open within the past few years. The name translates as “Mocha House,” and it’s not just an allusion to the beverage: founder Abdulla Alysofi and operating partner Rafed Al-Serri grew up near Mocha, the Red Sea port whose coffee exports gave mocha its name.
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Ji Hye Kim’s upscale Korean restaurant, Miss Kim, has become hard to patronize without making a reservation. The chef-owner wants Little Kim to be “more approachable in both flavor and price point. I just wanted to serve more people.”
Read MoreTwo more quick-service eateries have opened in the latest Meijer out-lot building in Scio Twp. Penn Station East Coast Subs and Wing Snob have joined Five Guys (Marketplace Changes, June) and an upcoming UPS Store.
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If you were at Taste of Ann Arbor on June 1, then you might have noticed a little shift in participants. For the first half of the event, Tabe, the new Asian fusion eatery on S. Main, had a table out with the rest of the tents, displaying an array of sushi rolls. They weren’t officially part of the event, so they were taking cash payments for sushi sample boxes, instead of the official pink tickets. People lined up to try their beautifully crafted offerings.
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Zingerman’s is one of a growing list of local companies offering their own boutique tours. They range from global cuisine to literary explorations of Paris, up-close explorations of Ireland, and even some led by public media personalities.
Read MoreJust a decade ago, the land surrounding the Meijer store at Jackson and Zeeb was mostly parking and potential. Those out-lots now host everything from an urgent-care center to a tobacco shop, along with quick-service food and drink options galore.
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It took over a year longer than expected, but the transformation of the venerable Original Cottage Inn into another family-owned Italian restaurant is nearing its big reveal on E. William. Coratti’s Pizzeria Bar and Bocce will open in early June in a vintage building in which most everything has been updated.
Read MoreAt the end of an interview about the recently unveiled expansion of his Main St. seafood and cocktail venue Black Pearl, co-owner Harry Cohen suggests, “Write something beautiful!”
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Big-name newcomers might be expected to rattle Ann Arbor’s independent businesses whose owners have Korean roots. But for now, at least, local proprietors say there’s room for everyone.
Read MoreThe operators of a new luxury hotel near U-M’s medical campus have chosen a French-inspired brasserie for their all-day restaurant concept.
Read MoreAn upscale Asian fusion restaurant has joined the fine-dining scene in the heart of downtown. Tabe (Japanese for “eat”) offers a low-key, elegant ambiance of exposed brick walls over three floors.
Read MoreBriarwood Mall shoppers and Planet Fitness members will soon have a spot for customizable Mediterranean cuisine, as Pita Express & Catering is expected to open May 1, according to the mall’s website.
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