By Crysta Coburn • Photography by Rachel Everheart

DRIP HOUSE COFFEE CO.

I think we can all agree that 2020 was a tough year to launch a new business, especially one in food service with limited indoor seating. But if my visit to Ann Arbor’s new coffee shop Drip House is any indication, it is still possible to flourish.

It was a chilly, albeit sunny, afternoon in January when my husband and I dropped by for a warm beverage and a snack. Drip House is located in the sweet spot between Michigan Stadium and Pioneer High School, conveniently on the way to several local destinations. With indoor seating still verboten for another couple of weeks, we had to take our food to-go or sit in the outdoor seating area, equipped with an open-sided tent and heat lamps.

Because it wasn’t crowded (yet), we chose to stick around and picked a table on the edge of the tent in the warm sunshine. There was a couple at a nearby table on their respective laptops, a typical coffee house activity in the before times. Yes, we were outside and all wearing masks, but I took this as a sign that some sense of normalcy was returning to Ann Arbor.

In adition to fresh coffee, Drip House serves organic smoothies and tea. Neither my husband nor I actually bought a coffee! (Though it smelled amazing.) I opted for a delicious matcha latte, and he ordered the signature Military Drip, which consisted of matcha (powdered green tea), espresso, vanilla syrup, cocoa powder, and milk. I was honestly surprised that such a combination was indeed tasty. Bravo, Drip House! You clearly know your stuff.

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As for food, there are a number of vegan and gluten free options in addition to the conventional pastries you often find in cafes. I ordered gluten free avocado toast with lox. (The default bread is sourdough.) It was actually more food than I was expecting; two slices of bread rather than the single slice that I am used to from other establishments. And they did not skimp on the avocado or the lox! This was such a satisfying, healthy little meal. My husband enjoyed his chocolate croissant, too. Drip House also serves both sweet and savory crepes.

I’m not currently working downtown, but I can absolutely see myself one day, in the future when more businesses have reopened, stopping by Drip House for some avocado toast and a latte on my way into town. I often make use of the park-and-ride across the street, and I imagine this being a perfect morning. I suspect Drip House will be popular with the kids at Pioneer, too, as well as football game attendees when they return.

Drip House Coffee Co. is located at 1336 South Main Street in Ann Arbor. They are open Monday through Friday 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit driphousecoffee.com or call (734) 800-4135.

BELLFLOWER RESTAURANT

Bellflower Restaurant opened in downtown Ypsilanti at the end of August in 2020. I learned of it from friends who took advantage of the patio dining to celebrate their wedding anniversary. When indoor dining was closed during Michigan’s pause to curb pandemic numbers, and the weather turned chilly, Bellflower quickly innovated by offering complete dinners-to-go, an all-day sandwich menu, a wide selection of bottles of wine, and kits for you to make cocktails at home called cocktails-to-go. They also collaborated with nearby Go! Ice Cream to create a special dessert, Sticky Molasses Pudding with Tiger Tail ice cream.

For Mardis Gras, they offered a New Orleans-themed feast-to-go (with or without wine) which included an entire King Cake (complete with “baby”) for dessert. Tragically, I was not able to partake because the King Cake was not gluten free, and my husband is not a fan of seafood, so no crawfish etouffeé or Hot Deviled Crab Dip for me.

Instead, we took advantage of the sandwich menu. Since I did not see a gluten-free alternative to the house-made milk bread, I contacted Bellflower to see if I had options. I was told that any sandwich can be made as a rice bowl instead, however, many of the sandwiches do involve breaded ingredients, and the same fryer is used for both breaded and non-breaded items. The chicken boudin (a kind of sausage) was suggested as my best option as it spends the least amount of time in the fryer.

I was very happy with this choice. The boudin was not spicy, as one might expect from a Louisiana sausage, but rather slightly sweet and packed with flavor. I think it was the best sausage I have ever eaten. The bath in the fryer gave it a lovely crispness that a grill alone cannot accomplish. The slices were arrayed in a circle around a bed of rice topped with shredded lettuce, thinly cut onion, pickle slices, and a few cuts of tomato. The flavors all went well together, as they would have on a sandwich, and I was left pleasantly full. Alongside the rice bowl was a bag of Great Lakes Parmesan Ranch potato chips and a glass of Malbec wine.

My husband enjoyed his Fried Pork Collar Sandwich, noting that it was surprisingly tender. He wasn’t so sure about the chocolate chunk rye cookie that he ordered for dessert, however, describing it as someone making a cookie out of pumpernickel bread. It was “more scone than cookie” in texture, which he admitted wasn’t terrible, it just wasn’t what he expected from a cookie. So, if you are a pumpernickel fan, you may not want to skip this unique dessert item.

As of this writing, Bellflower plans to reopen table service in early March with a new spring menu.

Bellflower is located at 209 Pearl Street in Ypsilanti. For more information, including current open hours, visit bellflowerypsi.com or call (734) 896-0599. If you enjoy beautiful pictures of food, be sure to follow their Instagram @bellflowerypsi.

JAGGED FORK

One of Ann Arbor’s latest brunch spots, the Jagged Fork, had just opened its doors before Michigan shut down in March of 2020. (The Jagged Fork is a small Michigan-based group of restaurants with four other Metro Detroit locations. Ann Arbor is the most recent.)

I am delighted that they have weathered the storm. Not only is there an array of mouthwatering classic breakfast items like pancakes, French toast, and waffles, but each one has a gluten free option! I was able to enjoy delicious gluten-free pancakes with berry compote and cream cheese frosting on top. There are also sweet and savory crepes, five varieties of Eggs Benedict, endless combinations of omelets, skillets, and more.

For lunch, you can choose between several different burgers, sandwiches, and salads. The sides are varied and include healthier options, such as fruit or avocado, and indulgent choices, like six different varieties of fries. (Those Animal Fries sound awfully familiar to this former California resident….)

Jagged Fork serves Lavazza coffee, which is an old Italian brand at which my husband (a bit of a coffee snob) normally turns up his nose. But, he very much enjoyed the cappuccino he ordered from Jagged Fork, often exclaiming in befuddlement that he couldn’t believe how good it was. I was also pleased with my caramel latte that paired excellently with pancakes.

Because I am a big fan of corned beef hash, I also ordered it as a side just to try. It is a meat-heavy hash with a lot of good flavor. I ended up having it for lunch the next day with eggs because I wanted something to absorb some of that pungency.

At the time we ordered, Jagged Fork was only offering delivery and pick-up, including curbside, which we found very convenient as we live outside of the delivery area. I had some tasks to do in downtown Ann Arbor, so we ordered ahead of time for a noon pick-up, and while I was finishing up my errand, my husband grabbed our food. He was surprised how quickly they brought it out after he called the number to let them know he was there.

In the before times, when my mother would come to visit from West Michigan, we often went out for brunch together. After finishing eating with my husband, I wasted no time in telling my mother about this new place that she had to try. I look forward to safely dining out again and continuing this brunching tradition with my mom. In the meantime, I would definitely take advantage of Jagged Fork’s curbside pickup again, and I’ve already spread the word to my friends.

The Jagged Fork is located at 414 South Main Street in Ann Arbor. They are open Monday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, visit www.thejaggedfork.com or email info@thejaggedfork.com.