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Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Hot Winter Deals at Ann Arbor Hotels!
Wintertime in Ann Arbor, Michigan is the perfect celebration of everything wonderful the season brings with it. Uplifting activities, amazing comfort foods, and invitingly warm accommodations will have you fondly remembering the magic of winters past, while creating new memories to cherish.
Plan a Winter Getaway in Ann Arbor! Click here to view special Winter offers from Ann Arbor Area hotels, valid through January 31, 2011.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Arts Walk: Ann Arbor
It’s cold. It’s windy. It’s snowing. It’s days before Christmas in Ann Arbor, Mich., and for shopkeepers, gallery directors, working artists and hordes of eager holiday shoppers, conditions couldn’t be better.
Start your gallery stroll at the lower end of South Main Street, in the heart of the downtown shopping district. There you’ll find Clay Gallery (335 S. Main St.), a co-operative space opened in 1984 by a group of local potters.
“We started in a small location near the campus,” says director Royce Disbrow. “And through two additional moves we’ve inched our way downtown.” The gallery is deceptively long on the inside, with lots of tables and built-ins to showcase work by guild members. Work is all handcrafted, all locally made.
Next stop: the Carol Roeda Studio (319 S. Main St.). It’s one of two Michigan retail stores (the other is in Grand Rapids) owned by artist Carol Roeda. The shop features Roeda’s own whimsical artwork, plus work by local artists, and the Sticks line of handpainted furniture and art objects.
At the corner is Selo/Shevel Gallery (301 S. Main St.), opened in 1982 by owners Elaine Selo and Cynthia Shevel. “We may be prejudiced, but we think our gallery is on the best corner in downtown Ann Arbor,” says Selo. Inside you’ll find an extensive selection of contemporary American crafts. Best sellers at holiday time include hand-blown glass ornaments, menorahs, wood jewelry boxes, jewelry, scarves and ties.
Cross the street and head for WSG Gallery (306 S. Main St.), owned by 16 artists, and a showcase for fine art at affordable prices by 22 local artists. WSG caters to a whole spectrum of art lovers, says member artist Michelle Hegyi: those who come to browse, those following how a particular artist evolves, and those looking for exceptional quality, affordable fine art.
Article by Hope Daniels from the Winter, 2010 issue of AmericanStyle magazine. Click here to read the rest!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Cuisine in a College Town
Did you know Bob Seger’s song “Mainstreet” is about Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he grew up?
Ann Arbor is a blend of Midwestern rural and urban cosmopolitan. A college town — home to the University of Michigan — it has a concentration of cultural attractions, shopping and dining of all sorts.
Le Dog, 410 E. Liberty St., has been in a red, 10-by-10 foot building since 1979. Hot dogs, of course, are on the menu, but it is known for a repertoire of 284 soups. Each day, chef Jules Van Dyck-Dubos prepares eight soups from scratch, using the freshest, seasonal ingredients available. On my visit, options included Sicilian meatball, Tuscan bean and cheesy chicken tortilla soups. Mmm-mmm good they were. People come from 50 miles away to savor the lobster bisque, served only on Thursdays and Fridays. This is street food in a class by itself.
At Cake Nouveau, 1924 Packard St., owner and pastry chef Courtney Clark offers four flavors of cupcakes daily. Always standard are chocolate truffle and vanilla beany. Chocolate mint and carrot cake completed my tasting. Mexican hot chocolate, honey lavender and crème brulee caught my interest on a return visit. Courtney designs full-size cakes. She has appeared on 10 TV cake challenges.
Article by Stephen Fries originally published in The New Haven Register. Click here for the full story.
