We celebrated ten years in Ann Arbor and it was so good, I had to share some recommendations and what we did here! We started in Dearborn, just outside of Detroit on the east side. We went to Sheeba, a Yemeni Mediterranean restaurant. We'd never had Yemeni food before and it was a fun experience! I got lamb haneeth, a large lamb shank on a huge bed of rice. My hubby tried the fahsah, which came with naan, soup, and shredded lamb and potatoes served bubbling hot in a clay bowl.
Then we popped over to Qahwah House, a Yemeni coffee shop where we learned that Yemen was the first placed coffee was sourced from, and the owners use beans grown on their ancestral land there! In the picture immediately below, you can see the variations of roast, from light to dark. We purchased some raw beans for our coffee roasting adventures, but also bought some roasted coffee. Turns out what we got is the first layer of roasting, the lightest roast they carry, and we like it a lot darker, so we ended up mixing it with a darker roast coffee.
We tried some other things off their menu, including this chai. It was good, but very spice heavy, as in I could taste the layer of powders in my mouth. It was such a neat presentation, though!
We stayed at The Graduate Hotel in downtown Ann Arbor and really liked the location...and those green velvet couches! The room was fine, pretty compact (but we knew that going in). There was miniature mini fridge -- or we just bought too many things at the A2 Farmers' Market, haha. So many great, fresh, organic offerings there! Also, cheese from Zingerman's, meats from Sparrow Market, and a few other things. Read about it in my A2 small shops post! I do have mention that they allow dogs in the hotel, and, dogs with mixed company in an elevator is not fun for me. I think the cleanliness, especially in the bathroom and floors could be better, but we'd definitely stay there again!
Especially when eating out or traveling (and both, in this instance), I like to use Healthology By Dr. Jen's Binder Pro (affiliate code: SB10).
...and I have been bringing my own coffee (affiliate code: SATIATEDBLONDE), raw milk, maple syrup, and coffee cubes--but they did melt a bit, unfortunately!
We enjoyed tacos at TAQ. Well, it ended up mine had some kale and/or spinach (or something) on it, so I ate my husbands, lol. The margaritas there were really good, though! I look forward to trying something else on their menu next time!
Our favorite Mexican restaurant? Hands down, Isalita. Their tortilla chips are made in house and they use plenty of salt to toss them with (that's key, lol). The drinks were delicious and they offer non-alcoholic beverage menu, which I appreciate too! The food was so good. I got birria -- which as of the last time we went back was no longer on the menu as a main dish. I appreciate their changing menu, though! The chips and salsa trio is definitely worth it -- I am a fan of green salsa, well, for about ten years now (guess who got me on it?!).
We got a housemade ginger soda at a spot called The Ravens Club, but it wasn't my favorite. I like them super gingery, more spicy than sweet. And of course, we popped in Shinola to look at the watches we're getting each other for next anniversary, lol!
Before we headed home, we tried out Star's Cafe. It's like a diner in a strip mall which is often where gems are hidden and enjoyed: shawarma, lentil, rice, hummus with chicken, and grape leaves! It was fast and good, but I'd be up for trying other places in that area, too.
That's a quick sneak peak of our anniversary! Hope you enjoyed the Ann Arbor tour. Do you have any favorite A2 places we need to check out on our next trip? Tell me in the comments and as always, #GetSatiated.
