Hi! Katie here! I’m really excited to be writing today about one of my favorite towns to eat in: Ann Arbor, MI! I’ve been living in Ann Arbor for about 2 years now, but only recently have I been able to truly explore the amazing food options Ann Arbor has to offer. Last year, I was a Freshman at the University of Michigan and I relied heavily on the dining halls. Eating at the dining halls was great for socializing, but as someone with a TON of food allergies, they were a difficult place to find super delicious meals. Don’t get me wrong! University of Michigan has excellent dining halls! I just struggled finding meals that satisfied my spoiled, pretentious tongue.
So this year, now that I am living in a house, I have begun to explore more restaurants in Ann Arbor. And oh boy, I was not disappointed! Ann Arbor is an extremely vegan and allergy-friendly town, so I hardly ever struggled to find an amazing meal that my taste buds didn’t love. Here are some of my favorite restaurants in Ann Arbor and what I like to order at each one:
Detroit Filling Station
I’m going to be honest…I spend wayyyy too much money at Detroit Filling Station. I probably order it once a week. YIKES! But if the food is that good, I might as well treat myself. This restaurant is completely vegan and they list when their food has an allergen such as nuts, gluten, soy, and coconut.
My go-to order is the Buffalo Cauliflower Wings and the Yum Yum Tots. Oh my goodness, they are both so good. I had never had cauliflower wings before eating at Detroit Filling Station and I’m forever converted. They are extraordinary! I also love their mac and cheese. It’s completely vegan and made out of super yummy vegetables. It has a nut topping, but you can very easily ask for it to be made nut-free.
Cottage Inn
Speaking of restaurants that I eat wayyy too much…Cottage Inn is my favorite pizza place in Ann Arbor. They have gluten-free and vegan options available. I normally get the vegan cheese pizza because I promise you the vegan cheese is amazing! I know vegan cheese can be very hit or miss, but Cottage Inn really chose a good one. Also, I love getting artichoke and spinach on my pizza, is that normal? Do other people like that combo as much as me? Let me know so I know I’m not too weird.
Miss Kim
One of my best friend’s parents took me to Miss Kim a while back and I have not been able to stop thinking about it since! My meal was absolutely incredible. Miss Kim has Korean food and drinks. I can’t remember exactly what I ordered but I think it was the Korean Fried Tofu and the Tteokbokki (Royale Style). Miss Kim was so allergy-conscious and I felt so safe eating there. They list whether your meal is nut-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan or vegetarian. Also when I went, they had a sesame-free menu that was extremely helpful to me. I HIGHLY recommend!
Avalon
Avalon is a great breakfast/brunch place to go with your friends on the weekend. Currently, they have outdoor seating which is so so nice! They have so many vegan and vegetarian options. They don’t list allergens on the menu, but they are extremely helpful at the restaurant in working to find you something to eat. I normally order the Avalon Hash which is a seasoned veggie tofu mix with a side of toast. It’s so good and if you get an avocado on the side, the meal goes from great to amazing!
Zingermans
I think I would be shunned if I didn’t mention the famous Zingermans Deli in this post. I have ordered both the Stewert’s Farmer’s Hash Plate and the Soy-Vey sandwich. Both are what you would expect to get from Zingermans: delicious huge portions. You need to make sure to tell the server your allergies when you order so they can clean off surfaces and be extra safe with your order. They are normally extremely helpful in helping to make your meal allergy-friendly and they have gluten-free bread!
Conclusion
There are plenty of other restaurants I could mention, but these are just my favorites! If you really like this post, I would love to make it into a series! Let me know! This might even motivate me to try new restaurants around town. I’ve had my eye on the Jamaican Jerk Pit for a while and really want to try it out!
I hope you enjoyed my allergy-friendly orders in Ann Arbor. I hope this convinced you to come visit Ann Arbor or explore more restaurants in your hometown! Growing up, I used to hate going out to restaurants. I felt embarrassed of my allergies and I never wanted to be a “burden” to those around me. But as I got older, I realized that I was missing out on so many amazing foods and that restaurants are always so happy to work with you to find something for you to eat. Never be embarrassed to go to restaurants with your dietary restrictions. There’s too little time in life to worry about that!
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