Ann Arbor celebrates 200 years with a restaurant week and 12 months of special events

An event at the Michigan Theater on Jan. 19 will kick off the bicentennial

Jan 3, 2024 at 10:14 am

Downtown Ann Arbor on a winter day. Shutterstock

[
          {
            "name": "GPT - Leaderboard - Inline - Content",
            "component": "35519556",
            "insertPoint": "5th",
            "startingPoint": "3",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "3",
            "maxInsertions": 100
          }
          
        ]

It’s Ann Arbor’s 200th birthday, and the city is celebrating with special events all year long.

Festivities will kick off from 6-8 p.m on Friday, Jan. 19 with an event at the Michigan Theater featuring a silent auction, snacks, cocktails, music, and bicentennial poetry recited by resident poetjournalist Aaron Dworkin.

Dworkin was chosen in 2023 to create six poetry compositions that reflect Ann Arbor’s two centuries of history with emotionally expressive insights into Ann Arbor’s past, present, and future.

Tickets to the celebration are $50 per person and benefit Ann Arbor’s Bicentennial Legacy Project, which includes Bicentennial Park and the James L. Crawford Elks Lodge. More information will be provided about the new developments at the event.

As another way to kickstart the bicentennial festivities, Ann Arbor Restaurant Week is returning from Jan. 21-26. Over 30 restaurants are participating and will provide chef highlights, menus for two, family meals to-go, and bicentennial specials.

More information is available at a2bicentennial.org.

Ann Arbor taps ‘poetjournalist’ Aaron Dworkin to help celebrate bicentennial: Poetry and journalism combine

Slideshow

15 Ann Arbor food spots to satisfy every craving

Detroit Street Filling Station300 Detroit St.; 734-224-8262; thelunchrooma2.com/detroit-street-filling-station-1 For the vegans and vegetarians specifically, this spot is for you. The restaurant provides nice outdoor patio seating and an array of plant-based appetizers and meals.

Pilar's Tamales2261 W. Liberty St.; 734-929-4161; pilarstamales.com At this Salvadoran food restaurant, owner Sylvia is a welcoming smile in the community. Apart from the tamales, pupusas, and various traditional sides, the spot offers horchata and Latin coffee drinks.

Jamaican Jerk Pit314 S. Thayer St.; 734-585-5278; jamaicanjerkpit.com The interior of this small space is brightly colored and lined with the flags of Caribbean countries. While it is take-out only, its authenticity is unmatched.

The Blue Nile221 E. Washington St.; 734-998-4746; bluenilemi.com As the only Ethiopian restaurant in the area, this family-owned spot has shoes to fill… and does it well. Stepping in, the decoration makes it feel like you aren’t in Ann Arbor at all. Try the “all you can eat” vegetarian platter for $20 that comes with unlimited sides and crepe-like Ethiopian bread Injera. Various meats can be added for extra and the spot sells a list of unique cocktails.

Le Dog = La Soup306 S. Main St., Suite #1-E; 734-769-5650; le-dog-la-soup.business.site This Ann Arbor staple has been serving up the city from its small stand since 1979. With tons of soups, stews, and hot dog options, Le Dog is perfect for a quick lunch stop.

Dalat Restaurant2216 S. Main St.; 734-327-0091; dalatrestaurantannarbor.com For Vietnamese noodle soups, rice dishes, stir-fries, vermicelli, and more, this place has got the authenticity and the variety.

Aloha Hawaiian BBQ882 W. Eisenhower Pkwy.; 734-332-8789; alohahawaiianbbqmi.com This Hawaiian barbeque restaurant just opened in the last month and seems to be the one and only authentic Hawaiian food place in all of Southeast Michigan.

Click to View 15 slides

Tags:

About The Author

Layla McMurtrie

Layla McMurtrie is the digital editor of Detroit Metro Times. She's passionate about food, music, art, and Detroit's culture and community. Her work has been featured in the Detroit Free Press, Between the Lines, Metromode, and other various Michigan publications.