By Crysta Coburn • Photos By Rachel Everheart

Eli's Blazin Wings + Pizza

A takeout counter in the back of a party store is not where I expected to find amazing vegan food. But there I was, standing in Lakeside Party Shoppe, located a stone’s throw from the shores of glistening Whitmore Lake, waiting to pick up my order from Eli’s Blazin Wings + Pizza.

As the name implies, Eli’s is not exclusively vegan, and yet it’s so much more than just chicken wings and pizza. For such small square footage, they have an incredible menu that makes me feel like I’m at a neighborhood backyard barbecue party. Eli’s uses only fresh ingredients to make their roughly fifteen original recipe sauces, spice blends, and dry rubs. Meat options include fried chicken, barbecued ribs, and seafood. You can also choose wings, sandwiches, pizza, and salads. The sides are downright homey with things like potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans, and brown sugar biscuits. For dessert, there’s warm chocolate cobbler, salted chocolate chip cookie pizza, bourbon pecan pound cake, and strawberry lemon gooey butter cake. My mouth is watering just writing that.

I don’t think I have ever before been impressed or excited by a menu’s salad options. But Eli’s House Salad, made with fresh strawberries, candied pecans, and crumbled goat cheese on mixed greens and drizzled with an apple cider honey vinaigrette was unbelievably delicious, satisfying, and sang of summer. It was difficult to choose between that and the Boss Lady, kale topped with roasted cauliflower, sunflower seeds, toasted almonds, crumbled goat cheese, and dried cranberry with a lemon herb vinaigrette.

The salads are not the only vegetarian or vegan option. You can also order vegan wings in the form of battered cauliflower or oyster mushrooms. There are vegan “chicken” sandwiches and burgers. You can also order vegan Italian sausage and vegan pepperoni on your pizza with vegan mozzarella. The pizzas also have a gluten-free crust option, and you can order crispy gluten-free wings.

Having multiple food restrictions, I often have to tread lightly around barbecues. But at Eli’s, I had so many options, I genuinely had a hard time narrowing them down. I was worried the cauliflower wings would be just an afterthought to satisfy the odd vegetarian customer, but they were packed with flavor. The coleslaw was fresh and crispy. I think I could eat the House Salad every day for lunch and not get sick of it. My husband loved the Sticky Honey Chicken sandwich, which I watched him eat with envy.

It only took me 15 minutes to drive from downtown Ann Arbor, and it was worth the trip. This would be a great place to order buckets of food for a party, and there is enough variety to satisfy every palate.

Eli’s Blazin Wings + Pizza is located at 52 Barker Road in Whitmore Lake. They are closed Sunday and Monday, and open Tuesday through Thursday from 11a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information visit elisblazinwings.com or call (734) 449-5252.

What's In Your Cup? Juice And Smoothie Cafe

Smoothies are a refreshing and satisfying treat, even when serving as a quick lunch. What's In Your Cup? Juice And Smoothie Cafe on Ypsilanti Township’s south side is the perfect place to grab a delicious smoothie packed with fresh, healthy ingredients. They have amazing soups, wraps, and salads too, and everything on the menu is “vegan, dairy free, and mostly organic” (per their website).

The raw juices are freshly made from real fruits and vegetables. They each have a fun name like Beet-It (beets, carrots, orange, apple, and lemon), Spin-Gin (spinach, cucumber, lemon, and ginger), and Cucumber Blast (cucumber, spinach, celery, lemon, and orange).

The smoothies are just as well named with the Kale-Yeah (kale, spinach, orange and lime juice, mango, pineapple, banana, and coconut water), Mang, Tang, Bang (mango, orange and lemon juice, and coconut water), and Yum-Me (strawberry, orange, pineapple, lime, banana, and coconut water). My hands down favorite, though, is the P&B Smoothie (peanut butter, banana, and almond milk), which is like the thickest, most delicious milkshake.

The Best Southwest really was the best Southwest Salad that I have ever had. (It also comes as a wrap.) The vegan imitation chicken was really quite impressive. It was juicy and tasted just like grilled chicken. If I hadn’t known it was vegan, I probably would not have guessed it. On my next trip, I will have to try the Asian Persuasion (cabbage, soy chicken, carrots, red peppers, sesame sticks, and peanut sauce). I’m a sucker for a good peanut sauce.

For the especially health-minded, one ounce shots of fresh wheat grass are $2.96. You can also order house chips and dips to share with a group, a bowl of hearty soup, and a cupcake (vanilla, chocolate, or banana) in case you still need to satisfy that sweet tooth.

The seating is casual and comfortable, and there is a fireplace to cozy up to when the weather turns cold. It’s the perfect place to meet a friend, and the staff could not be friendlier or more passionate about eating healthier. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask!

Located only a short distance south of the I-94 Huron Street exit, What’s In Your Cup? is a much more gratifying, healthful, and, dare I say, delicious option than fast food.

What's In Your Cup? Juice And Smoothie Cafe is located at 1816 Whittaker Road in Ypsilanti Township. They are closed Sunday and Monday, and open Tuesday through Saturday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. For more information visit whatsinyourcupcafe.com or call (734) 340-9097.

First Bite

We featured First Bite after it first opened five years ago in issue #68. Anyone who has been by for brunch on the weekends can attest that First Bite has become a beloved part of the downtown neighborhood. Owner Vivek Dalela was kind enough to speak to me about First Bite’s success and its commitment to Food 4.0: positive food, positive life.

“We have been reasonably successful because we try to offer our customers more value,” Dalela shared. “[First Bite] is probably the most organic restaurant in town. We have organic maple syrup on the tables.” And First Bite strives to do it all at a reasonable price. “We never want customers to say it’s too expensive.”

But high-quality food at a reasonable price isn’t the only thing to which Dalela credits the restaurant’s success. “We have a like-minded team to execute that value,” he said. “The team is the key.”

2020 was a desperate time for restaurants, especially independent ones, but the First Bite crew remained committed. “They knew how serious the situation was,” said Dalela. “They never complained. We stayed open at all times because the team was available at all times.” Sanitary conditions were immediately put in place, and First Bite signed up with DoorDash and GrubHub and offered take-out and delivery.

Throughout the pandemic, First Bite remained committed to its vision of a healthier lifestyle. All packaging materials for take-out and delivery orders were made from compostable resources. In 2021, outdoor seating was increased. On weekends, there were ten tables outside, and greenhouses with heating were added for the chillier months. All attention was paid to their customers’ safety and comfort.

And the food has only gotten better and better. The omelets are fluffy and packed with vegetables. The toast is crisp, and the sandwiches are gratifying. Everything is fresh and bursting with flavor. When food is made with care, it shows. Everyone at First Bite clearly takes pride in their work and takes care of every customer.

Dalela would also like to thank the taxpayers. “Without the PPP loan,” he told me, “We never would have made it.” Each of us can reap the rewards by stopping in for a cup of coffee, a smoothie, or a freshly made, nourishing meal that’s good for the body and the soul.

First Bite is located at 108 South Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor. They are open Monday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information visit www.firstbitefoods.com or call (734) 369-4765.