Ann Arbor's Field of 64

The Ann Arbor News has taken the concept of March Madness to another level!

In yesterday's "Connection" section, we looked upon a familiar sight - March Madness brackets. Except, this one was a bit different.

What the News has done is take 64 great things about Ann Arbor, seeded them into 4 regions and 16 seeds, and matched them against each other.

The result? The greatest thing about Ann Arbor is Zingerman's.

Now, you may or may not agree with the ultimate champion - is there ever consensus agreement about the eventual NCAA basketball champion? This bracket will sure get tongues wagging on what was included and left out!

The other three in the final four? Football Saturdays, the Michigan Theatre, and the Art Fairs. Now, really, is there anything better about Ann Arbor than these final four?

Congratulations to Zingerman's!

The Best Of Ann Arbor

The Best Of Ann Arbor

Each year, the Ann Arbor News asks its readers to vote for their favorite businesses in the Ann Arbor area. It’s called the Reader’s Choice awards. The list encompasses restaurants, stores, sports, and entertainment.

If you’re looking for the best of Ann Arbor, the Reader’s Choice awards is a great place to start!

PS – My favorite burger joint, Blimpy’s, made the list again!

Hamburgers

Hamburgers.

A quintessential American food.

I really like a good hamburger. Not every day, mind you, but once a week is great. Like most of us, I can cook up a good burger on the grill (except during winter – I want the burger cooked, not frozen!).

Most of us have our favorite restaurants, depending on the type of food we want to eat. For me, the best hamburger place is Krazy Jim’s Blimpy Burger, in Ann Arbor. Blimpy’s has been serving “Cheaper than food” burgers since 1953 – long before I was even a thought in my parent’s minds! Blimpy’s has won the People’s Choice “Best Burger” award from the Ann Arbor News for many years running.



The menu at Blimpy's is brief, but the possibilities are many! The mathematicians at U of M have figured out that there are 1.2 million possible combinations of burgers you can order!

When you order at Blimpy’s, you have to know the protocol:
First, you tell the fry cook how many patties you want (from 2-5).
Next, you say what kind of bun you want.
Then, you tell them if you want anything from the grill (like grilled onions).
Don’t tell them anything more than this, for now.
Then wait and watch as they cook your burger right in front of you.

As your burger is finishing up, the cook will ask if you want any cheese on your burger (don’t tell them anything about cheese until they ask you). The cashier will also ask what condiments you want.

The place can be a little intimidating to a first-time visitor, so remember this order well, and you’ll fit in like a regular.

My favorite burger at Blimpy’s is a double on a regular bun, with grilled onions and bacon. Couple it with an order of fried zucchini sticks, and mmmm….

If you haven’t been there, you owe it to yourself to experience Blimpy’s – and then keep coming back.