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Amid The Gloom, The Excitement of Comebacks
Last week, I told you about some places around the Detroit area that were instant hits. This week, I’m going to talk about comebacks.
You’ve previously met Jenny Song, the owner of the Songbird cafes here in Ann Arbor. For the past ten years, Jenny has served delicious baked goods, breakfast and lunch items, and many beverages at her two places on the city’s east and west sides.
But for a long stretch in 2021, there was only one Songbird. In mid-June, Jenny temporarily closed the west side location, unable to get enough staff to work and the pressure of juggling both spots in the pandemic.
In the meantime, a nearby cineplex shut down, and Jackson Road out in front of her location was snarled with construction. Along with working at her original Songbird, Jenny used the much-needed break to visit other coffee houses around Michigan, which she featured in her personal Instagram account, @cafedreamery.
I kept driving by the west side Songbird, hoping to see signs of life. The big espresso maker and tables and chairs remained in place, providing hope that the second Songbird could eventually re-open.
Reader, it did, last week, to the relief of her customers. Jenny looked pleased when I chatted with her about it, saying she never gave up on that location. And certainly, it’s a welcome west side respite in our snowy winter.
Jane Kim returns
Meanwhile, a long-time local restaurant owner who spent 14 years away from the scene made her own comeback late last year.
Jane Kim transformed a former pottery studio in Ann Arbor’s Lower Town into Plate, serving affordable sushi and Korean fried chicken, a combination that works very well.
I’ve eaten there three times since it opened, most recently on Friday night.
Despite bitterly cold weather and roads that were still a little icy, every table was filled, many with University of Michigan students and young professionals. There has been so much business that the restaurant sometimes has to pause its online ordering (hint: try during daylight).
As her busy evening wound down, Jane came to sit with me. I asked her what it was like to be back running a restaurant after such a long hiatus.
“It’s very exciting,” said Jane, who was born in Seoul. Gesturing to the room, she said she was pleased to see the variety of ages in the room.
Keeping prices affordable
In order to attract a college crowd, Jane has deliberately kept her prices affordable.
Crunchy chicken wings start at $10 for five generous pieces, and nuggets of popcorn chicken are $12 for a shareable serving, dressed in a variety of sauces such as soy garlic and sweet and spicy.
Kim cooks some dishes herself, while her sushi chef, a veteran of her previous restaurant, Totoro, handles raw fish and rolls.
Bento boxes are $12 to $16, depending on the protein and all of them could be shared by two people. My favorite is the $12 vegetarian /bento, which begins with a small appetizer and miso soup.
But the highlight of the menu for me is agedashi tofu--puffy squares, lightly fried, which quickly dissolve in the mouth. They were a godsend last week when I was recovering from a wisdom tooth extraction.
Jane got into the restaurant business in 2003, and I wondered whether there were more challenges this time in launching Plate.
A maternal feeling
One of the biggest hurdles for Kim and her partner Esther Kim (no relation) was transforming the space. They wanted to open earlier, but were held up waiting for permits and construction materials.
When it proved hard to get furnishings, they scoured restaurant auctions and scored some fixtures, like the overhead lights that cost $5 each. When bench seating didn’t arrive, they bought a church pew, painted it, and stenciled “Plate” on the back (it’s now my favorite seat).
Staffing, interestingly, has not been a big problem. She’s hired kitchen employees and servers, and her husband, Bhumsoo, a researcher at the University of Michigan medical center, helps out on weekends.
Jane’s children are now grown — she’s planning to be in Chicago today to celebrate her daughter’s birthday — but she’s expanded her family to include her customers.
“I feel like their mother,” she said, looking around the full room. Jane says she has a maternal need to feed people and make sure that they go home happy.
I certainly got that sense. In Korean hospitality fashion, Jane walked me to the door and waved a cheery good night as I proceeded carefully through snow piles to my car.
In a time when places are closed and suffering, it’s wonderful to see these comebacks.
A Valentine’s Day Dessert Idea, Or A Treat For You
Say the name Pavlova, and it means one thing to lovers of ballet: the Russian dancer Anna Pavlova, who was an international sensation more than a century ago.
But in Britain, Australia, and other parts of the world, pavlova is admired for another reason. It’s a favorite—and potentially luscious—dessert, inspired by the legendary ballerina.
Pavlova is a baked meringue, made from egg whites, powdered sugar, and cornstarch, with a crispy exterior and marshmallow-like interior. It’s filled something luscious, whether fruit, caramel or chocolate, then slathered with whipped cream.
I’m a huge fan of pavlova, but it’s harder to find in the United States. However, it’s a simple dessert to make for a group or for yourself.
In my story for the Takeout, Dorie Greenspan shares her recipe for a pink pavlova that’s perfect for Valentine’s Day, or something you can make and serve when you feel like it. Amy Emberling of Zingerman’s Bakehouse shares her tips for pavlova, which the Bakehouse sells at Christmas and Easter.
So, grab a whisk or a mixer, separate some eggs, and set your oven for a low and slow bake. Then, enjoy the delightful results.
We Have A Winner!
Thank you again to the Local Tea Company for their generous selection of tea. Our winner is Tammie Gilfoyle, who is one of Washtenaw County’s most prominent growers and a mentor to countless people in the local food community. I look forward to her delicious tomatoes and bountiful produce every summer.
You can learn about Tammie and her Tamchop Farm in Dexter, Mich., through her Instagram. I asked Tammie to share a little about herself.
“If you had told me 10 years ago that I would be living in Michigan, I would have laughed, ‘no way!’” she says. “Living in a small apartment I. San Francisco, navigating up and down Herculean hills on my bike, to my small food industry job, so much seemed out of reach.”
Then, she met Ari Weinzweig, co-founder if Zingerman’s, now her life partner. (He took the photo, above.) “I discovered a deep ‘seeded’ love for growing food and all that comes along with it, the dirt, the wonder, the physical labor, the feeling of feeding others,” she says. “I’m happy and proud to say I am a first generation female farmer, with five dogs and a passion for obscure peppers and heirloom tomatoes.”
Given our single-digit temperatures, I’m sure the Local Tea package will be most welcome out at Tamchop. Stay tuned for our next drawing.
Jeremy Peters’ Look At Turbulent Political Times
Tuesday marks the publication date for Insurgency: How Republicans Lost Their Party and Got Everything They Ever Wanted. I try not to wade into partisan politics in this newsletter, but I want to take a moment to express my pride in its author.
I met Jeremy Peters when he was a staff member at the Michigan Daily at the University of Michigan. He was the campus stringer for the New York Times, and came along when a group of Times people met at La Shish in Dearborn for a sumptuous Middle Eastern feast.
Jeremy subsequently became an intern in the Times’ Detroit bureau, working with Danny Hakim, and when I became bureau chief, I inherited him as my assistant.
Jeremy lived in an apartment building that overlooked Zingerman’s. On Sunday nights, we’d meet up there, get gelato, and talk about journalism and our lives.
I have loved seeing Jeremy grow as a journalist. I helped him get hired as a beginning reporter at the Times, and have subsequently watched him become one of the country’s leading political reporters. He’s a familiar face on MSNBC - and as of Tuesday, is an author.
If you’re interested in what’s happened to the Republican Party, I hope you’ll buy his book, and join me in congratulating him. I couldn’t be more pleased to have played a role in his successful career.
Keeping Up With CulinaryWoman
Satisfaction Guaranteed will be published two weeks from Tuesday. Last week, I was interviewed by MLive, the group of Michigan newspapers, about the book, and I have a number of interviews lined up in coming weeks.
Friends have asked about the calendar of events for the book, and you can find that on my website.
More will be added, but I want to mention one in particular. On March 15, Zingerman’s Deli will host 40 Years Of Satisfaction Guaranteed: A Zingerman’s Birthday Celebration.
I will join Zingerman’s founders Paul Saginaw, Ari Weinzweig and Deli Managing Partner Grace Singleton for a conversation about Zingerman’s food, history, philosophy and more.
There are three price levels of tickets, and a food menu includes a corned beef or veggie Reuben, side dishes, and birthday cake. I’d love to see you there.
Meanwhile, the book is available at all the big book sellers and hopefully from your favorite independent bookstore, too. Many of the Zingerman’s businesses will have the book for sale once it comes out on Feb. 22.
Remember that if you pre-order Satisfaction Guaranteed, I will send you a special bonus. Just email a screen shot of your receipt by Feb. 21 to culinarywoman@gmail.com.
Meanwhile, check with your local library to see if it’s been ordered, and put in a request if you don’t see it in their catalog.
You can follow me on Twitter and TikTok @culinarywoman and on Instagram @michelinemaynard. There’s also a CulinaryWoman Facebook page.
Please stay safe in our unpredictable winter weather — even friends down South are being hit with ice and cold temperatures. And stay healthy, too.
See you next week!