Great Tastes in Local Food: Fall 2023

By Crysta Coburn

Bridge Community Café

Bridge Community Café is appropriately found in the heart of downtown Ypsilanti. You can find it right next to the Ypsilanti District Library’s Patsy Chandler Fountain. It is a terrific spot to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee or a lemonade and a vegan hand pie next to the flowing water fountain when the weather is agreeable.

With its exposed brick wall, Bridge is a tiny bit industrial-modern yet filled with color and light. Beautiful murals brighten the walls. There is also a quote by Gina Valdé painted on one wall that says, “Hay tantísimas fronteras que dividen a la gente, pero por cada frontera existe también un puente.” (This translates to, “There are so many borders that divide people, but for every border there is also a bridge.”)

There are also numerous potted plants that thrive in the windows and on tables and counters. The drink menu is colorful and unique. Each drink is built around a zodiac sign. The Lady Red, a delicious and sweet house-made hibiscus lemonade, is also my sun sign, Libra. Gemini is the Salty Boi, a salted caramel espresso latte. During chilly winter, I particularly enjoyed the Reina (Leo), an espresso latte flavored with pistachio rose syrup. For those of us who can’t have cow’s milk, oat milk may be substituted at no extra charge, or pay $1 extra for cashew or almond milk.

As for food, all of the savory hand pies, burritos, bagels, salads, sweet mini pies, and cookies are vegetarian or vegan. For me, a broccoli and cheese hand pie and iced chai were the most perfect lunch. The pie crust was satisfyingly flaky and crispy. My dining companion’s mushroom and peas hand pie had an adorable little mushroom made out of pastry on top so we could easily tell which pie was which.

For those in the community who can’t afford a drink for themselves, Bridge has a pay-it-forward program. Those who can afford to may pre-purchase a drink for someone in need in the future. Bridge also offers a pay-what-you-can soup every Tuesday.

In addition to being a great little cafe, Bridge has hosted several events, such as a holiday mercadito (little market), free book swaps, clothing swaps, book readings, a film screening, and so much more.

Bridge Community Café is located at 217 West Michigan Avenue in Ypsilanti. They are open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.; Tuesday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; and Friday has additional evening hours from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. For more information find them online at facebook.com/bridgecommunitycafe, call (734) 896-3710, or email hello@bridgecommunity.cafe.

Union Rec

If you are looking for an elevated eclectic experience with a healthy dose of whimsy, Union Rec is the place for you. Located in a former Fingerle Lumber Company warehouse, Union Rec brings together multiple concepts under one roof. There is a coffee shop, which opens early to serve morning customers; a restaurant that opens later to handle lunch and dinner; and a bar for those who just want to grab a drink with friends. The restaurant also has a breakfast menu which is served all day.

The seating is eclectic. Along the back wall, the booths are covered by a tent, giving a blanket tent or treehouse kind of feel, and offering a nice bit of privacy in a space that is so open. Plush, comfortable chairs covered in plaid and clustered around a free-standing fireplace are reminiscent of a mountain lodge. There is so much to discover around every corner of this unique business.

The menu is pan-American—North, Central, and South. I enjoyed a half pound of brisket accompanied by a gluten free elote corn muffin with honey butter, which was deliciously sweet and fluffy. There were three choices of barbecue sauce on the table to choose from, and I had fun seeing how each one went with the brisket. The Brazilian barbecue sauce was made in-house and had a sweet taste, reminding me of Sweet Baby Ray’s. There was also a mustard-based South Carolina-style sauce, and a Costa Rica sauce which was a nice middle of the road sauce.

You can also order disco fries, burritos, tacos, macaroni and cheese, soups, salads, and so much more. There is a full bar, so you may order alcoholic drinks with dinner, but there are also some delightful non-alcoholic options as well, such as the almond sour, which was pink with an air on top and tasted a bit like a limeade. It was served with a paper straw.

Union Rec is the kind of place I would frequent for the experience as well as the excellent food and table service. It could also serve as a memorable treat for out-of-town guests.

Union Rec is located at 545 South Main Street in Ann Arbor. The coffee shop is open daily starting at 7:00 a.m. The kitchen opens daily starting at 11:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, Union Rec closes at 9:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday they close at 11:00 p.m. For more information find them online at unionrec.com, call (734) 636-9999, or email info@unionrec.com.

Dozer Coffee

As part of the Homes Campus, Dozer Coffee is another food business that is part of a whole, though it seems to operate independently from the others. The other components that make up the campus are the Can Shop and Smooj Lab, a tap room as well as a place to purchase cans of Homes’ latest brews and hard smoothies called Smooj (an original Homes innovation), and the gallery, an indoor seating area whose walls are filled with works of a featured artist. (When I visited, it was Ann Arbor artist and designer Gary Horton.)

Dozer is bright, funky, and modern but still cozy. You can see the roastery through a window, so you know your coffee is going to be fresh. You can also take your drink and/or meal to the gallery to be surrounded by art, or head outside to one of the many tables in the courtyard between the campus buildings. There are colorful umbrellas to offer shade.

At Dozer, brunch is served until 2:00 p.m. and offers Mission-style burritos or bowls (for an equally satisfying gluten free version of the burritos), loaded tots, toast made from beer bread or a gluten free alternative, soup, and salad. I loved the huevos rancheros bowl, impressed by how much flavor even the eggs had let alone the beans and avocado. Sandwiches such as grilled cheese and corned beef hash are served all day. And you don’t want to overlook the pastries that are made fresh daily in house.

The drink menu offers an impressive variety of coffee drinks and styles, teas, as well hot chocolate, milk, juice, and sparkling water. You definitely want to check out the seasonal lattes and sparklers. If you are a chocolate lover, I highly recommend the ganache mocha latte! It truly does taste like a cup of chocolate ganache. The honey dust latte is also a real treat for honey fans.

While I do suggest you stick around to enjoy Dozer’s pleasant atmosphere, you may also take advantage of their order ahead and to-go services. The campus is host to events such as Sporcle Trivia and a rotation of different food trucks throughout the week as well, making a spot to keep an eye for sure.

Dozer Coffee is located at 112 Jackson Plaza in Ann Arbor. They are open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information find them online at dozercoffee.com, call (734) 929-5217, or email info@dozercoffee.com.

Related Content: