208 The Michigan Daily Weekei Magazine - Thursday, December 5, 1996
BAbout Town
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By Jenny Rubinfeld
For theaily
Sweet Lorraine's Cafe and Bar has an eclectic spin
on traditional dining. This three-year-old Kerrytown
restaurant combines a collection of various artwork
and decor details to create a vibrant yet romantic
ambiance. Its artsy and interesting atmosphere car-
ries over into the heaping portions of new-American,
gourmet cuisine. The menu "puts a twist on a clas-
sic," manager Howard Heuer said, "taking a tradi-
tional dish and adding or subtracting spice."
The cafe was established
in 1993 by Lorraine (yes,
there really is a Lorraine) Sweet
Plattman, from England,
and her husband Gary Cafe
Sussr nr from Southfield. V Where: 303 De
Lorraine started her career Kerrytown.
in food in the early '80s by V When: Sunday
making cheesecakes. The ciased Mondays,
popularity of her cakes led 11 a.m. to 10 p.m
to a catering business. Saturday 11 a.m.
which led to the opening of V Phone: 065-07
a small deli in Madison
Heights, eventually

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Michigan and there are a lot of people from there
in Ann Arbor. And Ann Arbor is more receptive to
change ... more willing to experiment with differ-
ent ideas and trends."
The menu is expansive and expensive. Dinner
ranges from a $6.95 soy burger to a $16.95
Jamaican Jerk Steak, from $12.95 Rock Shrimp
Pasta to a $7.95 Wild Mushroom Pizza. The menu
includes daily specials like the Marrakesh Express
(a vegetarian dish) for $13.95 and Lorraine's
Special Bouillabaisse for $17.95.
"The food appeals to all
types of eaters," said
rraine's employee Erika Schimik,
an RC senior. "The food is
id Bar spicy and different. If you
oit St., in want steak and potatoes, go
to Bob Evans."
a.m. to 10 p.m., Jason Zahorchak, an
esday-Thursday LSA senior, is a freqeunt
Friday and diner at Sweet Lorraine's.
11:30 p.m. "At first I thought the
menu was limited, but what
they do make is good. It is
my favorite restuarant in
Ann Arbor," he said.
The restaurant claims to offer freshness and
quality in the preparation of their food. "We get the
freshest food possible, including special types of
produce shipped in," Heuer said. "We go for the
wow appeal and offer a lot of food. If people leave
hungry, they didn't want to eat."
In the center of the vast restaurant is a mosaic-
tiled curved bar. Along with the wine list, the bar

Kristin Russo serves Adele Brinkman and Kathi Cohen at Sweet Lorraine's Cafe.

JONATHAN SUMMER/Daily

has a wide selection of single-malt scotches and a
variety of fun and seasonal drinks like Witch's Brew
and Cider Renaissance. The bar also stocks a wide
menu of domestic and imported beers, ranging from
$2.95 to even $6.50. Special drinks run $5.95 to
$6.50, some with fruit-infused liqueurs. Sunday
through Thursday the bar has happy hour, offering
half-off appetizers. "The students love the little
things we do" Schimik said. "like the fancy drinks
in silly cups and straws that change colors."
Those little things create a very funky atmos-
phere, complete with multicolored pepper grinders
to blue glass olive oil bottles. One wall is a
Matisse-like mural of naked, dancing ladies,
another wall is a mural of Monet's "Water Lilies,"
and the ceiling in another part of the restaurant is
a replica of Michelangelo's "Sistine Chapel."
This ambiance attracts customers. "It is warm and
cozy and nice to be inside. As far as Ann Arbor goes,
it is the ultimate dining experience," Zahorchak said.

"We really like the women on the wall," Heuer
said. "Lorraine has an interior design back-
ground" The low ceiling and low, yellow lights,
mixed with a background of light pop music,
makes for a big date scene. "We get a lot of first
dates. But you can laugh out loud and not worry
about a library-type atmosphere," he said.
However, the prices and off-campus location make
it a little difficult for students to frequent.
"They haven't really tapped into the student
market. They need to advertise more, yet a lot of
students couldn't afford to eat here. It appeals
more to faculty,' Schimik said.
"It is the best place to go when my parents pick
up the check," Zahorchak said.
Sweet Lorraine's prides itself on its service and
comfortable atmosphere. "People can come in
here and get the best service possible without the
pretension," Heuer said. "Basically, we are going
to bend over backwards to get what you want"

expanding into Sweet Lorraine's Cafe in Southfield.
Ultimately, in 1993, Lorraine made the move into
Ann Arbor. The restaurant has won many awards
since it jumped into the pool of Ann Arbor dining
competition, the most recent one being an award for
an outstanding wine list from Wine Spectator
Magazine. According to Heuer, "Ann Arbor was the
perfect marriage for the way we look and cook.
"We have a pretty good name in lower southeast

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