Casual in Ann Arbor?

[Mosco]

Hi All,

Going to Ann Arbor/Hill Auditorium for a concert next week with my 13 yo daughter. I'm hoping to find something casual, but interesting for a pre-show dinner. Any recs appreciated.

[Mosco]

Awesome everyone, thanks! We're going through websites now trying to narrow it down. Looks to be some good options.

[rainsux]

Google Maps makes it easy to get a list of restaurants that
are nearby; with reviews:

http://goo.gl/maps/Bo16N

Perhaps, others here have experience with the closest
restaurants.

[Jim M]

Sava's on State is a good pick—decent pasta dishes and sandwiches, and they handle big crowds well on concert nights. If you want to try Middle Eastern, La Marsa is a small local chain that does it reasonably well.

[pinkishfloyd]

La Marsa is like...my favorite restaurant. We have one in Brighton now, and while their food isn't quite "traditional" middle eastern, it's sooooooooo good. They put some fantastic twists on the traditional recipies, and I believe their style is more Egyptian. Needless to say, FANTASTIC FOOD.

It should also be noted that Sava (correct me if I'm wrong, I haven't been there in 10 years or so) is almost entirely vegan. Good stuff though, used to always get yam fries and a giant burrito.

There's also NYPD (New York Pizza Depot), which I had never had until recently. It's mostly reheat by-the-slice deep dish. I don't have any issue eating reheated pizza, as I'm pretty sure anything with a red sauce just gets better over time, plus they have interesting choices, such as eggplant, which was delicious. It's also fast and very filling.

[charlesbois]

I think you might mean Seva, on Liberty, which is all vegetarian. Sava's, on State, is where the old Zanzibar used to be.

Also, just my preference, but I wouldn't send anyone to NYPD when there are so many better pizza choices in the area. Literally within spitting distance.

[Jim M]

Some of the recipes at La Marsa are Egyptian, others are Moroccan. One Egyptian dish, called koshary, is good, simple, and inexpensive.

And yes, as stated below: Seva = vegetarian, Sava's = omnivores.

[pinkishfloyd]

I suggest searching "Restaurants near Hill Auditorium" on Google maps. You will see why this is difficult to narrow down, as there are a TON of restaurants within walking distance. Based on the walk alone, I'd suggest dining somewhere in the S. University area so you can walk through the Diag.

[Mosco]

She is pretty flexible/adventurous eater for her age so I wouldn't rule anything out. I'd prefer to keep it walking distance to Hill just so I know we won't have to worry about rushing. We'll probably get into town between 5:30-6 for a 7:30 show so we should have some leeway.

[Markcron]

I think Paesano's fits the bill.
http://www.paesanosannarbor.com/
Some interesting choices on the menu, and it is definitely casual.
I've recommended this place before, but I don;t get to AA often, and it has been over a year since my last visit to Paesano's.

[trapani]

I like Paesano's, but it is nowhere near Hill.

[trapani]

Places my teen is happy to eat at within 3 mins walk from Hill:
The Red Hawk--best all-around.
Tomukun--cool decor, nicely appointed Asian noodle bar
Silvio's Pizza--interesting/different toppings.
Totoro--Sushi, etc.

[heathergcam]

As much as I like Silvio's, I wouldn't go there if you are ever on any type of time contraint! They can be very, very, very slow. Red Hawk, Totoro, and Tomukun are some of my favorite places on campus, though!

[charlesbois]

Really there are a lot of choices just in that area of Hill. What does your daughter like to eat?

Within a 5 min walk there's decent Jamaican, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, and Middle Eastern. There are a few pizza places, from student-oriented cheapies to eclectic & organic. A few nice bars and sit-down places where the student element is at a minimum. If you feel like walking farther afield, there are a bunch more choices on Main Street. Any parameters to narrow the field?

[charlesbois]

Do you want to check out a UofM "instutition?" Go to Cottage Inn for deep dish and woodfired pizzas.

Red Hawk on State may have some sort of deal for people with tickets to shows at Hill. They have good sandwiches, bar foods, sometimes some interesting specials. They'll understand you're under a time constraint if you tell them you're dining before a show.

Both are under 5 min walk from Hill.