I I 0 The Michigan Daily/New Student Edition-City-Thursday, September 9, 1993- Page 5 es many sidelights 3 allow for the entertaining viewing of i colorful cross-section of Ann Ar- or'life. Not to be confused with Amer's >n Church, however. Though the menu is consistent with its sister store, the more southern location is iampered by bad music and drunken :xst-happy hour Rick's refugees. . cafe, however, vindicates itself with its proximity to Pizza House nd its late hours. U CavaJavais thenew kidonthe block. Opened in March, the bistro mploys all the trendy gimmicks of he traditional coffeehouse-sweet unes, outside seating and an aes- hetically appetizing interior. And while the coffee tastes too sng yet mysteriously leaves no te, Cava Java - the name alone makes me want to set the place worms. And they don't kick you out for loitering. Gratzi serves a good brew, but as a friend once commented, it's your father's coffee shop. Rumor has itthey considered checking I.D.s a few years back, but nothing ever came ofit. True, Gratzi caters mostly to the AARP crowd. You might find one of your old professors here en- joying a good chat with the fellow at thenexttable, making it agoodplace to kiss ass for a few rounds. True stalkers of the night, usually finding themselves still wide-eyed well past 3 o'clock, have two caffeine options. The first is the Meijer's coffee and snack shop, located in the heart of the sprawling everything-for-ev- eryone superstore. Though vehicular transporta- tion is required for the four-mile trek, the tacky, made-for-subur- bia, "no really, we didn't model this place after Denny's" ambi- ance is so passe that it seems to epitomize the cultural demise of America. Not spending at least one late night here hunched over the ply- wood booths, cramming forthe next day's mid- terms would be almost sacrile- gious. The second late-night venue for the forbidden IARON MUSHER/Daity beanisthelegend- lchritudinous ary Fleetwood Diner. Always open, the small, unassuming restauranthosts the most motley assortment of Ann Arbor's population. And while the brew is certainly less than delicious, the ex- tremely modest prices and authentic decor make it unbeatable for overall atmosphere. Anyway you brew the cup, how- ever, you really can'tlose. "Students here take their coffee for granted," Guldman conceded, "because not everyone is lucky enough to have this caliber of bean." Indeed, Ann Arbor and coffee are like Jordan and the Bulls. Where else can you find an espresso machine at a McDonald's? Ann Arbor. HEATHER LOWMAN/DaY Revelers enjoy a night in one of the city's fine drinking establishments. Numerous watering holes reside in Az by Alison Levy Daily Staff Reporter Well, I'massuming thatsinceyou're all new students, most of you aren't old enough to drink. Legally, anyway. So, I'lljust give you abasic primertothe bar scene. Then, you can file it away, with the handknit Michigan shawl your Grandma made and take it out when you finally turn 21. But hey, there's more to bars than drinking. It's true. There's atmosphere. So, just one second while I pop some Tylenol and prepare a small hangover remedy. But, pay attention - your so- cial life depends on it. Rick's The most over-rated bar in Ann Arbor. Little to no atmosphere fre- quented by "Greeks from Hell." But, if that's what you're into, then it may be heaven. On campus, they bring the best bands, however. And Monday and Wednesday dollar pitcherscan'tbe beat, if you can stand the two-hour lines. Also, Friday happy hour is well worth the buck if you don't mind getting ham- mered before 5:30. Oh, just a warning. Don't wear pearls. They've got black lights and it looks like you've got a string of dentures around your neck. Trust me on this. Scorekeepers Sports, sports, sports. I bet you couldn't guess from the name. It has the infamous Dooley's location, but a whole different atmo- sphere. At last count there were 37 televisions and two big screens to sat- isfy your needs. Prices are pretty high and cover's not cheap. The cajun fries are great and they make mean Long Islands on special night. Rumor has it the hot night has switched from Thursday to Tuesday when they serve dollar pitchers. And, if you want to get in on the action, there are pool tables upstairs. Ashley's This is a traditional En- glish pub on State Street. They have tons of ale from all over the world and great lunch specials if you're there early enough. Pleasant atmosphere, but not good formingling.You gottalove Tues- day nights with live music and a dollar off pints. That's usually pretty crowded, but make sure you get a seat. O'Sullivan's This is the perfect bar/restaurant mix. If you can't guess from the name, it's an Irish theme. Good beer specials and Wednesday is wing night with amazing buffalo wings for 15 cents from 2:00 on. Goes great with apitcher of Killian's.Fair as far as party scene goes. However, it's the place to be on Notre Dame Saturday and St. Patrick's Day, of course. They even have a live singer and sheet music. Plus, four years from now, they'll post all your rejection letters from grad schools and jobs and you can get a free drink for it. What a deal. See BARS, Page 8 Fake I.D.s can be a tough sell in this town by Bryn Mickle Daily Staff Writer Welcome to Ann Arbor. Now before you do anything youmightregret, open up your wallet and take out that fake I.D. you've been using in high school. Scrutinize it carefully - you are in the big leagues now. Many anew student has been known to walk into an Ann Arbor bar or liquor store and try to buy alcohol with a false identification card - only to be told to move along. "It goes through stages," Judy Wolf, a manager at the Village Corner liquor store, said. "It gets really bad at the beginning of the year with the incoming frosh." Village Corner is one of the worst stores to go in and try to pass off a fake I.D. The wall behind the counter displays the over 100 fakes the staff has confiscated in the past year. Wolf said her favorite I.D. belonged to one student who assumed all liquor store employees have the intelligence level of a box of crayons. "This guy handed me a piece of laminated blue construction paper," she said. "Under his picture it just read, 'Age - 21."' To make matters worse, the student started an argument with Wolf over the I.D.'s validity. Ann Arbor police (AAPD) resolved the matter by reducing the card to a pile of shreds and issuing the youth a ticket. Not all stores are as scrutinizing of I.D.s. Sgt. Pepper's and Blue Front party stores have a reputation for allowing the odd fake to slip by without a word. Heavy fines, however, from the state liquor control are forcing these stores to tighten up their sales policies. There is always the bored upperclass student who might take pity on the underage drinker, but the time consumed by hanging out in front a party store is often more trouble than it's worth. If an underage student gets caught with an out-of-state fake I.D., the stores will just confiscate the piece. If the student has decided to get creative with a Michigan driver's license, the penalty is much more severe. Since it is against state law to altera license, violators can beprosecuted and facestiff fines. AAPD officers referall of these cases to thejuvenile department. Those underage drinkers who are really brave might be tempted to try area bars. Most Ann Arbor bars do not allow patrons under the age of 19 to get in the front door. An added security measure that some of the bars use requires state of Michigan drivers license as the only acceptable form of ID. Rick's Cafe Americain implements a two-man system to examine the patrons' I.D.s. If you arereally lucky, you may get the opportunity to reproduce your signature for them. An added bonus is when you get to recite your astrological sign, your license's expiration date or maybe even the color of the background of your photo. Some students have the mistaken impression that only the popular bars like Rick's and ScoreKeepers really scrutinize ID.s.This is a blatant misconception. Smaller bars, like the Del Rio, post a doorman to check the I.D. of everyone who passes through the door. But Brian Broderick, a doorman at Del Rio, admitted he has not confiscated any fakes. "We catch very few," he said. "Next to none." Pete Sickels, abartender at the Eight-Ball Saloon (under the Blind Pig), said the bar confiscates an average of seven fake ID.s per week during the school year. "We just take (the cards) and throw 'em out," he said. Sickels added that the bar is more than willing to call in the Ann Arbor police for any students who might want a further discussion about the authenticity of the I.D. One last word of advice to enterprising students. A few years ago, a couple of North Campus students were arrested and prosecuted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their scheme to produce fake driver's licenses in their dorm room. So while we are not here to tell you what to do, at least you have been warned. THE U-M COMMUNITY CAN RELY ON THE RIDE: Wherever you live, work, study, or play, you can get there and back on AATA. Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and environs rely on the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority for exceptional, efficient mass transit services. So do U-M students, faculty, and staff. The Ride offers three routes designed specifically for the University of Michigan community. You can go anywhere The Ride goes for just 75 cents per one-way trip, or $25.00 for a monthly unlimited-use bus pass. During football season, AATA also offers reasonably priced shuttle service from area hotels, motels, and parking areas to Michigan Stadium for every home game. For information on any and all AATA services, call 996-0400. Welcome to Ann Arbor. R 0 U T E Broadway/Traver/Pontiac Trail to U-M Direct service from north-central Ann Arbor to the U-M Medical Center and Central Campus, from 6:30am to 6:30pm Monday- Friday. R 0 U T E 5&5e 15-Minute Service Along Packard Every weekday, from 7:30am to 5:30pm, The Ride provides 15- minute service along Packard Road. This route includes Meijer's on Carpenter Road and the Michigan Union. Michigan Union to Briarwood R 0 U T E Special shoppers' shuttle from the A rb Union to Briarwood Mall, Oak F:~I