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So… about that food.
About three months ago, I started this blog about eating food in a town that I was completely unfamiliar with. I was having a good time. I had three or four ideas for posts lined up, and a dozen more ready to start.
Then I got sick.
I still dont know exactly what happened (despite the best efforts of U of M’s gastroenterology clinic) but suffice it to say that a few days after my last article I began throwing up everything I ate. Or drank. Even water.
I lost about 60 pounds in the last three months.
But now I’m better. As of Thanksgiving day, I’ve been eating and drinking normally without issue. So… yay for that!
I’ve got a few reviews to write up, and I need to get some photos done, and with finals coming up, it might take a while, but Ill have more posts up in the next few days/ weeks.
Ill start where we should all start…
Breakfast.
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. That’s true, but not just for the old reasons of nutrition , energy, and sustenance.
No, a good breakfast is important because it gives us a moment to pause during our morning ritual. To sit and read a paper over some coffee, or catch the morning news while crunching away on a bowl of cereal. When done right it’s a moment of early calm before the work day’s storm.
The best breakfasts are more than that, though. You see, breakfast is one of the last bastions of the calorie - where fat and carbs and grease are good things. I’ve never met someone who eats meat and doesn’t like bacon. Or a good breakfast sausage. Or some nice country gravy.
And then there’s Eggs.
Oh god, fucking eggs.
There are few other food items about which people are so picky. They are “the force” behind an incredible breakfast. They surround it, move through it, and bind it together. For while French Toast and cheese don’t go together very well, eggs go great with both. Savory, sweet, whatever your choice of breakfast, a good egg is a powerful thing.
So a good breakfast restaurant has to make good eggs. And that’s a tall order.
As I said before, people are pickier about their eggs than just about any other food you care to name. Scrambled is the easiest way to make eggs, but some people like their scrambled eggs made like an omelette, smooth and solid. Others like theirs cooked within an inch of their life, dry as a bone. Still others prefer a gooey mess of lumps with a high moisture level. And then there’s over easy, over medium, over hard, sunny side up, fried, on and on. Each preparation comes with its own stipulations and versions. Does over medium mean a completely hard white and a completely runny yolk? or is some yolk solidity OK? Ask ten people and you might get ten answers.
And then there’s the troublesome art of combining eggs with all of the other sundry delicious things we Americans are used to sucking down at the breakfast table. Sausage or bacon? That’s a no - brainer. But what about for the restaurant looking to do something special or unique to draw in the weekend breakfast crowd?
I’ve tried lots of stuff with my eggs, from fried steak to asparagus to spinach, and the answer is that there is no right or wrong answer. Well cooked eggs and fresh ingredients are almost always a winning combination. In fact, matching these secondary ingredients is really the other key to an excellent breakfast dish.
Tomorrow Ill talk about the Fleetwood diner, a place that has truly mastered the art of a good breakfast (refer to yesterdays picture). Until then, I bid you good night and good eats!
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Just a preview of breakfast this morning at the Fleetwood in AA. Corned beef hippy hash and over medium eggs.
Willkommen!
Hey, my name is Justin, and I just moved to Michigan from sunny southern California. I’m living in Ypsilanti and pursuing my bachelor’s degree in Anthropology at EMU.
I have a ton of hobbies and interests, but this blog is going to be about just one of them - food.
Moving to Michigan has been great so far. Learning about and exploring a new area is always fascinating. The best part of this process is discovering new places to eat. Ypsilanti has provided a ridiculous amount of area to cover here. With a large middle eastern population and food crazy Ann Arbor just a few minutes away, I’ve been spoiled for choice.
So I’ll be uploading stories and photos about various local eateries. Call it a wholly inadequate attempt to convey something about the area’s amazing food culture.
Oh, and if you’re an Ypsi or AA local, drop me a recommendation! I’m still a noob as far as the area goes, and would love to hear some ideas.
Thanks for reading!
