The Crier

Keeping it Regular

It’s good to be a regular. A few delicious habits you won’t want to break

Barb Chaterjee · The Gastronomist · Feb 12, 2007

Everyone has an image of what it means to be a regular. Maybe you walk into a restaurant/coffeehouse/bar, finding your spot and your food is brought to you without ordering. The waiter/host/bartender asks about your day, and you vent because the waiter/host/bartender has become a sort of confidant. As it’s famously put in TV’s “Cheers,” sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name.

The qualifications for a place to be a good regular are quite simple: Good food, personable staff, and cozy atmosphere.

Believe it or not, Ann Arbor’s culinary scene expands further than the unoriginal, cold chain of restaurant that have overtaken State Street and South University. Among the Pita Pits and Jimmy John’s, there are a few gems worthy of recurring patronage.

Pita Kabob Pita Kabob is Ann Arbor’s hole-in–the-wall, fantastic ethnic restaurant. Located at State and William, the restaurant boasts a wide menu that would please vegetarians and meat-lovers alike. The warm, toasted wraps of delicious shwarma and falafel are perfect for a quick meal or to eat slowly during a lengthy chat. The restaurant itself is tiny with only four tables and six bar stools, which are perfect to stake out with a newspaper and kabob wrap in hand. The people behind the counter are amiable and welcoming. After a few visits, they’ll know your face and order. And after a few months of visits, they’ll start throwing in few drinks or a free piece of baklava.

Jamaican Jerk Pit At first visit the small, florescent-green restaurant on Thayer may seem intimidating. You may not understand that you have to walk downstairs for service, or that you have to be proactive about getting your order written down. Or you may be embarrassed about having to order your jerk pork with “tourist”-level spiciness. But after a while, the draw of delicious jerk pork and cocoa bread becomes irresistible. It takes at least two or three visits to recognize that the staff isn’t scary (they’re just really laid back), that your food comes a lot quicker if you just go up to the counter and order, and that the sweet potato fries are out of this world.

Afternoon Delight To be a regular at Afternoon Delight, you have to be up early — the sunny restaurant closes at 2:00 p.m. While it is considerably larger than the other restaurants on the list, Afternoon Delight offers a welcoming atmosphere. The fare includes safe options like omelettes and pancakes, but there are also enough original and delicious dishes to keep your culinary curiosity satisfied. Dishes like the Muffin Delight (warm bran muffins split open with cool, frozen yogurt seeping through their pores) and the diner-style coffee are enough of a draw to inspire at least weekly visits.

Rich J.C You might have passed it a hundred times and never noticed it. Rich J.C. is the tiny Korean restaurant tucked between No Thai and Sadako on South University and South Forest. The minimal set-up consists of a single long counter and tall stools. The food is quick and hearty, with rice, egg, kimchi, miso soup, meat and vegetables. And being seated next to a complete stranger at a counter makes the dining experience feel more significant. For at least half an hour, you can let your guard down in front of home-style bibimbop before venturing back onto campus.