July 18 • 2019 41
jn

Danny Raskin
Senior Columnist

raskin
the best of everything

Ann Arbor Welcomes Jim Brady’s
T

he highly awaited two-year construc-
tion of a Jim Brady’
s restaurant in 
Ann Arbor finally comes to fruition.
After numerous years of the property 
standing vacant, the reconstruction was 
completed this past December by part-
ners Tom Brady and Darin Dingman … It 
has been a piece of history in Downtown 
Ann Arbor that dates back to 1861 … on 
South Main in Ann Arbor’
s historic district 
between West Washington and West Liberty 
avenues. 
Jim Brady’
s continues to have signature 
items like its legendary hamburger and 
7 Mile Caesar-like salad … Jim Brady’
s Rock 
N’
 Rye barbecue sauce made with Faygo’
s 
R&R pop is a delicious addition to several 
of the menu items … A side sauce is also 
offered, and the sauce is served with black-
ened barbecue chicken and pineapple … 
Also featured, fish tacos, chicken and waf-
fles, Amazing Grace carrot cake and maple 
salmon.
Certainly unique is its roasted cauliflower 
appetizer, a vegetarian standout … The lus-
cious homemade sauce Romesco is based on 
almonds, garlic and roasted red pepper … 
A Vernor’
s ice cream made in-house is very 
rare and is luscious on the Boston Waffle 
Puff served with Sander’
s hot fudge and car-
amel sauce.
The Jim Brady Burgers are certainly 
among its best-selling items … Maybe, 
in fact, the biggest one with about 1,000 
pounds sold per week.
Another huge and fantastic feature at Jim 

Brady’
s Ann Arbor, along with its excellent 
food, is a bevy of television sets, including 
a large 222-inch motorized TV screen that 
almost takes onlookers to a University of 
Michigan football game … and gives them 
the best seat in the house … It covers an 
entire wall and is the only one of its kind in 
the state of Michigan … among the latest in 
audio-visual smart technology.
The Brady name is a much-noted one in 
the dining game … and having a restaurant 
with such a time-honored reputation is 
priceless.
Jim Brady’
s in Ann Arbor is open daily 
from 11 a.m.-midnight for lunch and dinner 
… Seating is for around 200 … with bars on 
two floors … 12 and 10 stools.
Doing business with its community has 
become a major priority with Jim Brady’
s … 
Ann Arbor must be mighty proud to have 
one now within its confines.
OPENING OF NEW small plates restau-
rant Three Cats, 14 Mile, Clawson, by 
Matt Prentice may be in late August of this 
year … Before it opens, there will be four 
training dinners that will culminate with a 
dinner for charity, which has always been 
his custom over the last four decades … The 
Three Cats charity dinner will benefit Cass 
Community Social Services, $100 per per-
son, with tickets including American wines 
and liquors and Michigan Craft Beers … 
The entire $100 will be given to Cass Social 
Services to use at its discretion or enhance 
its tiny homes, help the homeless, feed the 
hungry and provide for those who need 

assistance, etc. … Due to construction of 
Three Cats, the date for the dinner is still up 
in the air.
ALONG WITH THEIR excellent restau-
rant gem, Bella Piatti, which recently cele-
brated its sixth anniversary on Townsend 
Avenue in Birmingham, and their terrific 
Venetian Chef Francesco Apollonia, who 
creates delicious dining favorites from where 
he formerly worked, Bella Piatti owners 
Nino and Liz Cutraro, are going great guns 
with their seventh Wahlburger store in 
partnership with movie star Mark Wahlberg 
… Three more Wahlburgers with him are 
scheduled for Downtown Atlanta and a cou-
ple of military bases in Germany.
HEY, GUYS AND GALS … Don’
t be like 
the guy seen and heard at a fancy restaurant 
in Paris ordering from the menu in French 
… unless you know what you are talking 
about to show that you know your stuff … 
You might be ordering a stepladder or what-
ever. 
OLDIE BUT GOODIE … The young 
girl was having trouble getting married … 
In desperation, her mother suggested she 
put an ad in the paper … The girl placed 
one that read, “
Attractive expert homemak-
er desires companionship of man seeking 
same.
” … After a few days the mother asked 
if anyone answered the ad … The daughter 
hesitantly replied, “Yes — Papa!”
CONGRATS … To Bonnie Turner on 
her birthday … To Jayson Handler on his 
birthday. ■

Email Danny at dannyraskin2132@gmail.com.

Restaurant brings 
its unique offerings 
to the historic 
downtown district.

Tom Brady

PHOTOS VIA JIM BRADY ANN ARBOR’
S FACEBOOK 

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