M6, AIIL Im 0 e 2B - The Michigan Daily - Weekend Magazine - Thursday, April 11, 2002 'Best Of' celebrates nineteen years This year's edition of the "Best Of Ann Arbor" marks the 19th anniversary of the annual survey that keeps shop owners crossing their fingers for a plaque to hang above the cash register. Many of this year's winners are long-term Best Of' recipients, but some responses have changed dramatically in the past 19 years. Here's a look at our favorite 'Best Of' years past: The Michigan Daily - Weekend Magi Mongolian Barbeque perfect for decad 'Best Of' Categories 1983 1988 1993' 1996 Rick's Bumpy By Andy Taylor-Fabe Daily Film Editor Despite the name, Mongolian Bar- beque is the perfect American restau- rant: You grab as much food as you can possibly fit into one bowl, throw it on a scalding hot grill, watch it sizzle and eat stir-fry until you can eat no more. God bless America. Mongolian Barbeque is technically a sit-down restaurant, but there is very little sitting involved because you spend most of your time at the massive buffet, observing your meticulously constructed feast being prepared by a throng of eager and vociferous employees armed with metal, machete- like chopping utensils (which used to be wooden and much cooler). The eating of the food becomes almost secondary to the preparation, for the time spent consuming said food is just potential buffet time being wast- ed, and if you eat too slowly, your body will have time to reluctantly inform you that if you try to cram in any more food, your body will consist almost entirely of teriyaki sauce and garlic powder, which will flow through your veins instead of blood. If this happens, you will not have time to get your money's worth of the cornucopia of meat, vegetables, savory sauces, oils and spices. For most people, three bowls is like the four-minute-mile -no matter how much you prepare and now matter how hungry you are, few can beat it. There are those talented individuals who can devour bowl after bowl like it was the oxygen in their very lungs, but three is industry standard. In the meat department, you have your standard beef, chicken, pork, lamb, etc., and there is also a variety of seafood, including shrimp and cala- mari, which is both delicious and use- ful for grossing out squeamish friends. The vegetable section includes every- thing from sugar snap peas to pineap- ple, and the oil, sauce and spice section contains everything for the dis- criminating palate. (A word to the wise: Use the follow- ing sauces sparingly: The lemon juice, which is more potent than you migl think, and the hot mustard - you' regret overuse later. Enough said.) A recent development that hurts th( restaurant is the rearrangement of tI stations at the buffet. The meat use to be the first thing you would ge followed by the veggies, sauces, oil: and so on. Now, however, the meat follows tli non-meat, in what can only be fiendish plot by the fat-cats to tric people into filling their bowls wit vegetables before they get to the meat That being said, Mongolian Ba beque is a fun and surprisingly activ dining experience that is fun for th whole family or for a group of slight intoxicated youngsters looking to ge the most bang for their buck. Bar: Charley's Rick's Bumpy Burgers: Concert: Pizza: To Take a Date: Blimpy English Beat Uno's The Arb Lester Bowie Cottage Inn The Arb Scorekeeper's Blimpy Spin Doctors Cottage Inn The Arb Tracy Chapman Cottage Inn The Arb I Do you have PMS? Women with severe PMS can earn up to $360 for a Clinical Trial at U of M Hospital e Ages 21-43 " regular menstrual cycles " non-smoker CALL: (734) 936-3590 EMAIL: jlc@umich.edu 12,j;,x5f 7346638898or 8886638898 Airport Shutt e Hours: 5:'00 am - 8:00 pm dail Resrv2b 4- (4q A a ------------- ---------------------------------- Happy Birthday! Charley's would like to be the first to congratulate you with a free meal. Just bring along a friend and proper ID, and select your favorite entree rom our fanous menu. It Just our way of saying xxi T y Congratulations VVI T Mand thanks for Charley's celebrating with us. Car Loans? Back in 1954 when cars sported fins and women wore hats, U of M Credit Union opened for business and was the place to go for a car loan. Today it's still the place to go for a car loan, and a mortgage loan, and a home equity loan, and credit cards, and debitcards, Of The new Line Chinese Cuisine Rai Garden seiizn 116 S.Main St. (Bewteen W. Huron and Washtenaw) Carryout *''galf andareservations accepted. 11am-11p Open 7 Days 11 am-11 pm Saigon Garen Dine-In & Carry-Out Vietnamese &Cinese Cuisine 1220 S. Univetsity (at the corner of Forest) Sun-Thur. ". Fri 11 am to 1 pm M <- * :30 a to p Aft 734 747-7006 "Angelo's is the greatest place in the Big Ten... Folks curl around the block in an hour-long wait. Alljust to eat toast, hash browns, bacon, and eggs that happen to be the best on earth. The folks that run the place are great. Their fresh-baked raisin bread is world reknown." -from Big Ten Country by Bob Wood MEXICAN CAFE Ann Arbor's Finest Mexican Style Foodl Michigan's Largest Selection of Gourmet Hot Sauces & Salsas! WE DELIVER! Call 761-6650 'tit 1 a m. Sun. Tues. 'til 3 a m. Wed. Sat. 333-E. Huron and access to ATMs on campus, and free checking, and online banking, and a financial and lowe an In 1954, web site request now we 1100 E. Catherine at Glen 761-8996 Weekdays 6am-5pm Saturday 6am-2pm " Sunday 7am-2pm Serving breakfast all day and lunch. UACREDIT UNION 734-66 800-96; -0 m