The Michigan Daily - New Student Edition - Wednesday, September 5, 2001- 3F Best of Ann Arbor Pizza House perfect for the indecisive By Heidi Wickstrom Daily Arts Writer RACHEL FEIERMAN/Daily Cooks at Fleetwood know how to make the best greasy food in Ann Arbor. Here a 0k is making cheese fries. Fleetwood a late night favorite 4 Joanna Goddard For the Daily Voted "The Best Greasy Spoon" in Ann Arbor, Fleetwood Diner is the dirtiest, dingiest dive you'll ever love. On the corner of Liberty and Ashley, this little restaurant offers a taste of real America. "Fleetwood is a legit crappy diner," said LSA senior Penny ~Meets, "but I wouldn't say crappy cause it's so good." The little dive has no pretensions. The decor is basic. The wait staff is down-to-earth. And the customers seem to love the good, cheap, greasy food. ,,Customers sit at the counter and watch the cooks scramble eggs on the stove. Other patrons chat togeth- er at the small tables inside the ner, around which servers bustle ith trays of burgers and cokes. "It feels like you're in a trailer home; it gets you down to your roots," explained regular customer Kathryn Fortune. But despite its small size and modest appearance, Fleetwood has plenty of spunk. Tami Koperl, a tall waitress clad in a black t-shirt and jeans, claims that they have "the gist wait staff in Ann Arbor." And the brightly colored menu, Fleet- wQod dubs itself "The Hippest Little Diner in the Hippest Little Town in the Midwest." The most popular item on the menu is the Hiippie 1-ash, a mass of homemade hashbrowns, onions, green peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, And mushrooms, all topped with melted Feta cheese. *The diner also serves eggs, pan- cakes, meats, sandwiches, salads, gyros, and burgers. And coffee, tea, soft drinks, milk, and juices are available to wash it all down. "You can get comfort food here," Kathryn said as she pulled her son Cameron into her lap. "Fleetwood is a very comforting, social place. Everyone starts talking, and you're nurtured by the waitress." Open 24-hours-a-day, Fleetwood is a classic scene of Ann Arbor: weird and wonderful. A wide spec- trum of Ann Arbor locals visits the diner, and Tami has noticed that "a pattern has developed" throughout the day. In the morning, gruff old men sit on the black chairs, sip the strong coffee, and read the morning paper. Professionals also bustle in and out, grabbing coffees and gobbling eggs before heading to the office. In the afternoon, high-school stu- dents fill the tables. Dressed in hooded sweatshirts and baggy jeans, they relax outside and order Cokes and French fries. "Kids just come to Fleetwood to smoke away from their parents," laughed Tami. In the evening, families with young children enjoy a low-key din- ner at a place where it really doesn't matter if the kids spill lemonade on the floor. And late at night - when parties have ended but buzzes are just beginning - University of Michigan students flock to the diner for munchies before hitting the sack. LSA senior Stephanie Shuler explained, "The best feeling is when you cuddle up in bed right after downing a cup of black coffee and a plate of Hippie Hash." So, why wait? Put on your oldest t-shirt, grab a few bucks, and run over to Fleetwood Diner for some scrambled eggs and bacon - and lick it all off that inevitably greasy spoon. Over the past two years, Pizza House has earned top honors in the Michigan Daily "Best of Ann Arbor" Poll for their extensive variety of delectable pizzas, entrees, and munchies. Since its humble begin- ning in 1985, Pizza House has flour- ished into something of a take-out, delivery, and dining-in Mecca, with an immaculate menu of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, pasta dishes, chipatis, desserts, and of course, pizza to satisfy any craving. As this school year comes to a close and the votes have been cast for all that which is great in Ann Arbor, it is no surprise that for a third consecutive year, Pizza House has proven to be a favorite dining and delivery estab- lishment among Michigan Daily readers. Whether you feel like dining-in or carrying-out, a Pizza House appetiz- er or salad can complement a main course, or be a meal in itself. Their many appetizer selections range from standard fare, like chicken fin- gers, buffalo wings, and onion rings, to more unique treats, such as their mini-pizzas, pepperoni stix, and highly-acclaimed three cheese nachos. If you fancy a salad, they offer over ten different varieties, from antipasto to taco salad. When it comes time for the main course, Pizza House serves up a wide variety of fantastic sandwich- es, submarines, and savory pasta entrees to pleasure any palate. You can order cold and hot sandwiches and subs alike, with top-sellers being the chicken parmesan sub, Georgia reuben, and Italian sub. Their Big as a House Burger certain- ly lives up to its name; 1/2 pound of beef and a plethora of toppings to choose from give this burger leg- endary status. Since this is Ann Arbor, Pizza House has not forgot- ten the vegetarian diner; a Big as a House Burger can be made with a black bean patty on request. As for their delightful pasta selections, they offer everything from ravioli and spaghetti to lasagna and fettuccini alfredo, providing a taste of Italy right here in Ann Arbor. When it comes to chipatis, Pizza House. proves that no one does it better, with a wide array of dress- ings and toppings to complement this unique salad-bread hybrid. The Original Chipati is the most popular of the chipati family; however, the chicken ceaser, steamed vegetable, and chicken ranch chipatis, as well as the spinach-version, the Chipop- eye, are not to be forgotten. To com- plete the masterpiece that is chipati, a spicy, yet creamy Pizza House original chipati sauce or your choice of a salad dressing accompanies the goods. Hence the name, Pizza House serves up a mean pizza. The choices are endless, as they offer a tradition- al or thin crust pizza, as well as their famous Chicago Deep Dish or Stuffed Pizza. Their specialty pizzas will solve any problems of having to choose toppings; they feature many interesting and unique varieties, such as the chicken alfredo, seafood, LOUIS BROWN/Daily Here a cook at Pizza House prepares to make a pizza, but Pizza House has much more to offer than just the pie. chicken salsa, salad pizza, and Southwestern BBQ pizzas. These specialty pizzas, along with cal- zones, pizza pockets, and matzo piz- zas are offered for those looking to liven up their dining experience. Saving room for dessert is a must at Pizza House. Regardless of your tastes, they have a tempting treat to satisfy any sweet tooth. The Snickers Pie and New York Cheesecake are House Specials, and their over 20 flavors of shakes and malts are fan- tastically mind-boggling. For the more upscale diners, a scrumptious tiramisu is also offered. Heavenly. Convenience is key for the Pizza House customer. All these aforemen- tioned dishes can be enjoyed in the restaurant, or in your home. Pizza House has over 40 drivers on staff, which means that fabulous food is only a phone call away, and you don't even have to leave the house. Also, Pizza House is open from 10:30 am until 4:00 am, seven days a week, for both dining in and delivery. There- fore, there are only 45.5 hours a week when you cannot reach the Pizza House crew. I find that both impres- sive and commendable. Hats off to these special people. Pizza House is deserving of praise and recognition from Michigan Daily readers and other Ann Arborites alike. To conclude, I would remind you that you should be hungry by now. If so, you know what to do; give the folks down at Pizza House a call or stop in to experience some great food and ser- vice for yourself. Better than Mastercuts? T By Autumn Brown For the Daily Getting comfortable in its new location on South University, two doors down from its former home, Noggins Hair Shop continues to serve the campus community for its sixth consecutive school year. This is the fifth year Noggins has been recognized for its outstanding hair service. Noggins is a full service hair salon, specializing in hair cuts, coloring, perming and highlights for both men and women. "We set our prices around students, as they are the majority our clientele," Manager Debbie Williams said. Consequently it is clear that Noggins salonists make a consience effort to cater to the needs of University students. One of the ways they are able to do this is by attending various hair shows annually, where they often are updated on current styles and trends in the young adult sector. According to Williams, the most difficult style to do is a bald scalp, but she offers the assurance that all of the salonists are capable of doing a Mr.Clean. Noggin's proximity to the quads and the all-female dorms makes it an ideal alternative to a trip home to your high school salonist. As an added bonus, Nog- gins is able and willing to do all of the styles your mom refused to pay for, and will still shock her when you go home for Easter. It will be especially interest- ing to see the look on your grandmother's face when her high-achieving grandson sits down at the table with hair that matches the color of her borsch. This is not to say that Noggin only caters to extreme tastes. The most conservative, Wheaties-eat- ing college student has been known to frequent Nog- gins, and they too have been satisfied by the friendly, prompt service of the famed hair salon. You will not find any grouchy, overworked salonists at Noggins. Instead the salonists are refreshingly upbeat and just waiting to take the next student that comes into the ry Noggins shop. While, you are sitting in a comfy chair trying to get- a glimpse of your beautiful self in the oddly shaped- mirrors that line the walls of the shop, your salonistM, asking you the usual group of questions- where your, are from, what classes your taking, do you miss you; folks,ect. - basically all of the stuff people ask y' now that you are a University student. Meanwil; you are thinking to yourself: What if she screws up; my hair? What if she messes up my hair so badly that I have to do a Mr.Clean? Naturally, all of your fears come to nought as she: takes the mysteriously sterile black cape off of yoiu neck, and presto! You smile as you touch the back of: your neck and are pleased to discover the absence of razor burns and missed spots. Wow! As you are grab- bing your coat,you make a mental note to tell all o your shaggy friends about this great hair salon an& give your salonist a generous tip and of course, your phone number. GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS Best Compact Discs: Borders- The corporate behemoth known to us as Borders proved too strong for our local music shops. They've got A erything: Books, coffee, live entertainment, music and DVDs. Now if only they would sell milk. Just out of curiosity, how can a CD on sale still be $16? Best Used CDs: tie between Wazoo Records, L'ncore- Wazoo and Encore fought long and hard for the crown, but after an impressive array of used stock, the stores ended in a draw. Encore took the early lead with its never-ending stack of used discs their counter, but Wazoo came back strong with cozy atmosphere and friendly service. Best Shoe Store: Footprints- Not to be con- fused with Foot Locker, although the employees do wear those tacky referee outfits. Best Haircut: Noggins- For 15 bucks they'll m7ake you look as sharp as a Philadelphia lawyer. For a few dollars more you might be able to get teat mullet you've always wanted. Best Tanning Salon: Tanfastic- Tanfastic, oh I it.Clever. Whileits name lacks creativity, the high octane tanning beds are sure to give you that sorority shine you've always dreamed of. Best Books: Borders- They sell books too? From the latest "Harry Potter" thriller to the unau- thorized biography of Mary Chapin Carpenter, Borders has every book in print. Best Art Supplies: Ulrichs- Jackson Pollock ops here, so should you. The friendly staff at Ulrich's is waiting to help with your artistic needs. Ask for Frank, he'll be good to you. Best Textbooks: Ulrich s'- I thought all the textbook stores were the same. Regardless, Ulrich's ias been named once again the best textbook Act like y( best of 'U' Best Campus Tradition: Naked Mile- If there's anything better than college co-eds running through the streets in the buff it's being the amateur pornographer who is putting it on the internet for $3.95 a week. Best Campus Event: Football Satur- days- Fans sitting to watch future Major League baseball players play football. I smell irony. Best Speaker (past year): Jesse Jackson- He never meant to make your daughter cry, though he can rhymes better than Aurthor Miller. The civil rights pioneer is always welcome back. Best Course: Psych 111- Won last year. Won this year. Will win again next year. It's the weeder class for the psych department, I promise. Best Blow-Off course: Psych 111- It wins the best course, and then wins the best blow off, I think the students are trying to send a message to admin- istration. More courses like sorority girl, easy. Best Professor: Ralph Williams- Hey, it's a special treat when you can teach like hell, touch your knees stand- ing straight up, and palm two medicine balls. All hats down for Ralph. Best Lecture Hall: 1800 Chem- But, it's so big. I know baby, I know it is If we~ start slw u i'll yet used to it. )u know; CampuS Best Residence Hall Cafeterias- Bursley- Up in the Bur-lodge the sexy- grandpa roams free, serving some of the University's finest in pre-packaged cuisine. Best Co-op: Michigan House- This co-op is tolerable, sexy and ready to step to the podium and take home the gold for this best of. Best Frat to Party With: Beta Theta Pi- Big jeans, big muscles, aw shit, I dunno these jokers are probably the smoothest group of criminals on cam-a pus, pimpin' the ladies leavin' their heads ringing. Best Sorority to Party With: Delta Gamma- The DG's know how to dance and swing with the best of them. ActualP: ly, I don't know if they do, I'm a hermit. Best Place to Study: Law Library It's oh-so-quiet. Turn off your Bjork CD and get some work done. Just because you are taking German pass/fail doesn' mean you should slack. Dad, is that you?- Best Library: Graduate Library- For reasons why this is the best library on campus, head to the Best of Dating section. It will open your eyes, where as. the grad library opens something else. I'm talking about your mind. You per verts. Best Computing Center: Angell1- Hall Fishbowl- This is like asking paitrons at Ouitback Steakhouise what- ABBY ROSENBAUM/Daily Encore records has one of the largest selections of music on campus. ter way to say, "I love you" than with a flower? Your special someone would really like to see you waste fifty bucks on plants that die in a few days. Best Travel Agency: STA Travel- That's no moon; it's a space station! For $17,000 they'll book you a flight on the Millennium Falcon. Remember to board at docking bay 94. Best Men's Clothing: Bivouac- They have a great selection of top quality, but it will cost you. Ever wonder where the source of all those North Face coats on campus is? Best Women's Clothing: Urban Outfitters- sure Diag Party Store would have won this catego- ry, oh well. Maybe next year. No, you can't rent their canoes. I asked specifically, and apparently they aren't usable on dry land. Best Sporting Goods: Bivouac You'd think the winner of the best sporting goods category would sell shuttlecocks. No such luck. When I asked an employee if they carried them I was greeted with an all too common phrase, "Shuttlecocks? Shuttle- cocks? We don't need no stinkin' shuttlecocks!" Best Bicycle Sales: Great Lakes Cyclery They specialize in midget-sized unicycles with detach- able horns. If you're in the mood for something in