Ann Arbor Highlights

The faculty at the University of Michigan are thrilled to share their perspectives on Ann Arbor’s hot spots. We have diverse tastes and perspectives, and as such, we’ve provided a guide on each of us so you can best align yourselves with different perspectives and maximize the chance of getting what you want. We humbly submit our preferences to be judged by the ultrasound world. - Rob Huang

  • People who like sitting in places for a long time, who like fancy drinks, and don’t mind spending some money.

    Chris Fung / Director of Ultrasound Research

  • People who want good food, good drinks, or good experiences, and don’t really care about the level of fussiness.

    David Ahmad Haidar / AEUS Fellowship Director, Director of Resident Ultrasound Education

  • People who don’t eat to live but live to eat; anyone who very much cares about the level of fussiness, or wants to appeal to the whims of their hipster friends; people who like water/nature but aren’t like, intense about it.

    Rob Huang / Residency Program Director, former AEUS Fellowship Director

  • Vegetarians; people who like good, cozy things.

    Nicole Klekowski / Director of Childrens’ Emergency Services Ultrasound; Director of Gender Equity; Pediatric Advanced Emergency Ultrasonography Fellowship Director; AEUS Fellowship Assistant Program Director

  • People who are not high brow but enjoy food and drinks.

    Jess Koehler / AEUS Fellowship Assistant Program Director, POCUS Director of the Ann Arbor VA and Ann Arbor VA ED Service Chief

  • People who never go downtown; people who like small, unpretentious local places that are kid friendly and don’t cost big money.

    Will Kropf / Director of Student Ultrasound Education, Residency Assistant Program Director

  • People who come to conference to see and catch up with people, who like walkable and convenient options and are okay missing “the absolute best of Ann Arbor” if it’s second- or third- best and much more convenient.

    Nik Theyyunni / Chief, Division of Clinical Ultrasound, Associate Chief of Staff

Coffee & Breakfast

Hyperion Coffee Co: 111 W Liberty St ($)

“Do you like a pretentious $10 cup of coffee with a description like a wine label? This is where I’d go. It’s right in the middle of downtown Ann Arbor. Social media tells me this one is the best.”
— Chris

Argus Farm Stop: 325 W Liberty St ($)

“Hands down, my favorite. Try the house made chai latte. Also have local pastries and other goodies. If you are lucky enough to be there on a day they are offering the blackberry pistachio croissant, and they have not yet sold out, I highly recommend you give it a go.”
— Nicole

Casual Dining & Lunch

“This is my #1 place in Ann Arbor. It’s not fancy, really. The chef was a contestant on Top Chef (Eve Aronoff – don’t look her up, she did terrible on Top Chef but is amazing) and serves Cuban inspired food: Fritas are burgers, and Batidos are shakes. They keep piling up awards – they’ve won the Michigan Daily Readers Best burger for literally ten straight years (2014-2023). Particular highlights for me are the fritas, of course (I recommend you ‘make it loco,’ the accoutrement is really a big part of it), the lime batido (I like my milkshakes a little sour) and the churros (the orange zest in the dough! The Cuban chocolate dipping sauce!). I’d prepare to be uncomfortably full after. You can also make your milkshakes alcoholic, and they have a full bar.”
— Rob

Frita Batidos: 117 W Washington St ($)

Zingerman’s Deli: 422 Detroit St ($$)

“...A great lunch spot. They have historic, famous sandwiches – if you talk to food people about Ann Arbor, they’ll ask if you went to Zingerman’s. The sandwiches are very good, and extremely diverse in their options. There’s a Zingerman’s bakery literally next door, so you can also sample their cakes, gelatos, sweets, etc.” “I enjoy ‘Leo’s Friendly Lion’ and the Cypress Salad.” “​​If you’re visiting Ann Arbor, you sort of have to go here.”
— Rob, Nicole, Chris
“This is less a restaurant than a wine and cheese place that hosts food trucks. You can’t really go wrong here, and you’ve got a couple of options. First – there is Ricewood Barbecue, which does these amazing barbecue bowls....I personally like their brisket and their szechuan tofu. The first time I went I said to myself “oh look, a midwestern BBQ place, I’ll order every spicy thing,” then spent like thirty minutes diaphoretic, so plan accordingly. York’s constant food truck is Bao Boys, which does amazing bao sandwiches. Their flagship is the Shorty – my children (ages 9, 8, and 8) can eat three each. It’s probably better for lunch than dinner, as they tend to run out (the curses of popularity).”
— Rob, also recommended by Chris & Jess

York / Ricewood: 1928 Packard St ($$)

More Casual Options

Slurping Turtle: “A good mix of ramen and sushi. In general I’d recommend the ramen (I personally really enjoy the tan tan men ramen here), but the appetizers are also excellent, including the duck fat fried chicken.” - Nik

“Perhaps you have heard of Takashi Yagihashi, either from his James Beard award or his time on Top Chef Masters. The Slurping Turtle was his creation - their ramen is I think the second-best in Ann Arbor, but infinitely closer than the first-best.” - Rob

Jerusalem Garden: “Zamaan Café and Haifa Falafel are probably better, but don’t discount Jerusalem Garden! They serve excellent fast casual middle eastern food conveniently close to our conference location and hotel for this event. I strongly recommend the falafel and the kafta kabob.” - Nik

Zamaan Cafe: “In terms of Arabic food in Ann Arbor, by far my favorite! Their fattoush, hummus, and shawarmas are the best in town. Two locations, one in north Ann Arbor and one on the south side, both with a great vibe and the nicest staff.” - David

“Best Falafel in Ann Arbor.” - Nicole

Jolly Pumpkin: “This is a pretty typical American gastropub that serves and brews sour beers. The beers are great (but I’ll admit not quite as good as Homes) the food is good, the atmosphere is fun. This is one of my wife’s favorite restaurants!” - Nik

“Editor’s Note: I know Nik’s wife and hold her opinion on food in the highest regard.” - Rob

Joe’s Pizza: “Massive slices of New York style pizza. Some seating is available but your best bet is getting some pizza and taking a stroll down South University for some people watching at the heart of the undergraduate campus.” - David

“For those of you from NYC, I know what you’re thinking - yes, it is THAT Joe's Pizza. There is one Joe’s Pizza location outside of New York and it is in Ann Arbor. Turns out, when your son goes to University of Michigan, building a pizza chain in town is a good way to connect.” - Rob

Dining

(make reservations)

Knight’s Downtown: 600 E Liberty St ($$)

Knight’s Dexter: 2324 Dexter Avenue ($$)

Chophouse: 322 S Main St ($$$$)

“If you’re feeling a steak then both are good options. Knights is a family-owned steakhouse that’s been around since the 1950s. The meat is good and the drinks are heavy pours. The Dexter Avenue location (5-10 minutes from downtown) has the look and feel of a 1970s small town “fancy” restaurant. Chophouse is the actual “fancy” steakhouse in town so it’s more $$$ but it is also good.”
— Chris
“Sava’s is a mildly pretentious, reasonable enough dinner place that’s the right mix of convenient, good enough food, reasonable beverages, and excellent location to be the path of least resistance for any number of dinner occasions. Many of the locations suggested by my colleagues are better on any one axis, but Sava’s hits a very specific optimal that makes it the ideal place for a mid-sized group of people at a conference to have an all-around inoffensive meal with good company. As I read this it sounds less positive than I intended, but I promise, try it out for a group dinner, you’ll walk away going “I’ve had dinner at at least one place just like this at another conference and it was perfect for the specific needs of a post-conference-day dinner.”
— Nik

Sava’s: 216 S State St ($$)

“Vegetarians: try the Hippie Bowl” - Nicole

The Dixboro Project: 5400 Plymouth Rd ($$)

“Located in the northeast part of town, this is by far my favorite date night location. Their food is delicious, their drinks are great, and their mushroom pizza is easily the best pizza I’ve had (maybe ever).”
— David
“If you don’t have a reservation, you can still order pizza and eat on the deck, also check out the cafe.”
— Nicole
“This Korean restaurant, in the heart of Kerrytown (Ann Arbor’s historic district), has gotten a ton of press. Their chef, Ji Hye Kim, received her fourth James Beard semifinalist nomination last year for this restaurant.”
— Rob, also recommended by Nicole

Miss Kim’s: 415 N 5th Ave ($$$)

Drinks & Dessert

HOMES Brewery: “The unofficial brewery of University of Michigan’s ultrasound division.” - Nicole

“I spend about 12% of my waking hours here. There’s outdoor seating and a good vibe. The food is decent Asian fusion, and the beers are delicious. If you like sours and IPAs this is the place for you.” - Chris

“Great Korean BBQ, great beers on tap, and a great indoor and outdoor vibe. Tuesdays are Trivia Nights so get there early for a good seat!” - David

“The place to go for great beer and food, fun to hang with people of any age.” - Jess

“This is basically our second office. The food is great, the beer is the best, the ambience is wonderful.” - Nik

“Those in the Midwest will know that HOMES is a mnemonic for the great lakes (who knew?). This Brewery is a local staple. It’s further from the conference center – it’s definitely an uber ride unless you want an aggressive walk, but it’s my favorite brewery ever. There are closer options – and they are all unquestionably inferior. While they do many things well, HOMES’ sour beers are in fact life changing and I highly recommend them. For those less interested in beer – they do Asian-fusion cuisine which is very tasty – they have a variety of loaded fries that are very popular.” - Rob
The Last Word: (reservations recommended) “Speakeasy style bar with great cocktails! Food is mostly shareables. They have a lot of fancy whiskeys which are older than your children or older than you. They also do carry-out cocktails if you’re running late…” - Chris

“Excellent cocktails and the shareable foods are good but they also have about 4-5 entrees any given night, I am still dreaming about a steak that I had…” - Jess

Tea Haus: “Best collection of teas in Ann Arbor!” - Rob

“Come for a cup of tea of your choice and a scone.  TeaHaus also has really amazing tea inspired cocktails. Everyone should note that it is explicitly a no laptop / no wifi zone - it’s a space that encourages unplugging and connecting to each other.” - Nicole

Blank Slate: “Best Ice Cream in Ann Arbor.” - Nicole

“This place is very bougie. The quality of the ice cream is high. Be forewarned - if you come in looking for chocolate or vanilla, you’ll be disappointed, but you’ll be able to cry into your Barrel Aged Coffee Ice Cream or your two scoops of Rosemary Mint.” - Rob

“Blank Slate is a great ice cream place with a mix of classic and much more exotic/interesting ice cream flavors. It’s an excellent after-dinner spot for dessert, or just a casual ice cream treat after a day of engaging and interesting ultrasound talks!” - Nik

Activity

Argo Livery: “Ann Arbor has a big river (the Huron) that winds through it, and the Argo Livery (walkable if you’re a little adventurous, or a short uber) is a great place to rent either canoes/kayaks if you want to explore the river, or inner tubes if you want to float it (there’s a small rapids section as well). In September the water is doable but highly dependent on the whims of the weather – though if you canoe on a sunny day you’ll be in good shape.” - Rob, also recommended by Chris and David

The Michigan Theater and the State Theater: “Right near the hotel and conference center are two historic, old-timey movie theaters. They are both local, nonprofit theaters that show a mix of regular, new movies, and quirky, off-the-beaten path choices but also hold seminars and concerts. If you’re saying a little longer, Old Crow Medicine Show is playing on September 13th, which is the kind of band I read about on my hipster websites but haven’t actually listened to. This is probably best for people like me who listen to a lot of Noah Kahan and when I go to a new, smaller city want to find the place that makes me feel like I’m in an idyllic 1950s movie.” - Rob

Nichols Arboretum “The Arb”: “The hospital is built right next to Nichols Arboretum, which is 123 acres of green space with trails for walking/running, public gardens, and sufficiently close to everything else including the hotel that you can go from walking in city to surrounded by trees in about five minutes. I hate running and think it should die, but it is a great place to run if you’re into that sort of thing.” - Rob, also recommended by Chris and David

University of Michigan Museum of Natural History: “A great local museum! Also, there are a lot of mammoths, whales, and a brand new dinosaur exhibit.” - Will

“If you’re looking for a quick gift to bring home, stop in here. Michigan is known for its cherries and this is a great way to bring home something local.” - Nicole

A Drive Away:

Matthaei Botanical Gardens: “A huge botanical garden with both outdoor and indoor (tropical, arid, temperature greenhouses) spaces. There is a lovely river trail where you will often see beavers building a dam.” - Will

DTE Energy Foundation Trails: “It's about a 25 minute drive from downtown but if you want to rent or bring a mountain bike, there are 20+ miles of exquisitely maintained, flowy singletrack mountain bike trails.” - Chris