Zou Zou's Cafe

Name: Zou Zou's Cafe
Location: Downtown Chelsea, MI
Meal: Coffee
History: When we parked to explore Chelsea on foot we found ourselves next to Zou Zou's and decided to stop in for a caffeine infusion before we got back on the road for some more exploring. Once inside we discovered that we could have enjoyed a lunch there as well.
Menu: They offered a great selection of coffee and tea beverages as well as pastries and lunch items.
Food: Chris ordered a coffee with a double-shot of esperesso that had a surprisingly smooth finish. After learning that they brew their own chai blend from Indian Spices, I ordered a soy chai tea latte and was not disappointed. It had a nice, subtle flavor that was a nice switch from the typical syrupy sweet chai of most major chains.
Atmosphere: The cafe had a funky mix of old small town relics, hand made art and industrial throughout the small room. The overall effect was inviting and cozy. The staff was incredibly welcoming and friendly which always adds to the overall experience.
Total Cost: $6 (after tax and tip)
Conclusion: 5 stars

The Common Grill

Name: The Common Grill
Location: Downtown Chelsea, MI
Meal: Lunch
Server: Clint
History: We were driving around the country side near Ann Arbor taking pictures of the Winter Wonderland and needed to stop for lunch. The Common Grill was recommended by a local so we stopped to give it a try.
Menu: The menu was simple, but well laid out. We both saw several things we wanted to try and had difficulty narrowing it down to one. Many of the dishes described sounded enticing. This was to be our main meal of the day so we didn't mind, but things were on the pricier side.
Food: We both ordered off of their lunch menu. I had the Goat Cheese Ravioli and Chris chose the Grilled Chicken Fettucini. The bread served was incredibly fresh and soft with a sweet poppyseed glaze. We both chose to have a House Salad with our meal and I aked to substitute their Citrus Vinaigrette. The salads were fresh with high quality ingredients. We both found our entrees to be tasty and appropriately light considering the lunch hour, however we both felt they were a bit bland and could have used an extra punch. Both portions were perfect for a lunch as well.
Atmosphere: The grill had a great open design but still managed to keep the noise down so that conversation was possible. The walls had great paintings of the town from the days past that contrasted well with the new industrial and modern applicances. We were actually pleasantly surprised to find such a great modern atmosphere in an older quaint country town.
Total Cost: $6 (after tax and tip)
Conclusion: 4 stars

Palio

Name: Palio

Location: Downtown Ann Arbor, MI

Meal: Dinner

Server: Jeremy

History: Chris had researched another Italian place on the internet that was listed as being in downtown Ann Arbor. After difficulty finding it we called and learned that they closed their Ann Arbor location and our reservation was for their place in Detroit. We canceled and decided to park and walk along Main St. and hope we could find something. We followed a crowd of students into Palio's and both immediately liked the atmosphere.

Menu: The menu was great. All dishes were named in Italian and then described in English. They easily accomodated my Vegetarian needs and had a great selection of traditional as well as new dishes.

Food: We started with a glass of their House Chianti which was a bit sharp but overall pleasant. We shared an appetizer of Asiago al Forno which was a crock of Asiago cheese topped with fresh pepper and servered with fresh bread for dipping. Definitely not on our diet but it was still oh so yummy! We opted to split one House Salad. This was easily the highlight of the meal. The salad consisted of fresh spicy greens topped with gorgonzola, fresh crutons and cranberries all mixed with fresh pepper and the richest, most flavorful olive oil either of us have tasted in the states. Chris ordered a pasta dish called Fettuccine con Pollo e Peprocini Picante which was thick linguine in a creamy tomatoe sauce. It was delicious. I opted for a seafood dish, Pesce Bianco con Pistaccio Incrostate which was white fish with a pistaccio and pinenut crust served with Brocolini (broccoli bread with asparagus) and roasted new potatoes. My dish was very tastey, though a bit bland. I was also turned off by the fact that the skin was still on my fish.

Atmosphere: The envrionment was fairly authentic. The walls were covered with Italian paraphenalia and soft Italian music was playing. The only complaint would be that even though we were in a high booth the noise from other tables was difficult to hear over at times. Our server helped a lot with our overall experience, explaining the menu and recommending both our dishes. He even helped with directions back to our hotel.

Total Cost: $62 (after tax and tip)

Conclusion: 4.5 stars