w w lw Nw w w 7 8B - The Michigan Daily - Weekend Magazine - Thursday, September 12, 2002 The Michigan Daily - Weekend Magazine - Thu Staying power: The places your dad still talks about By Davd Enders Daily Food and Drink Critic It's almost fal thing old is moving ba worked fast and fu pouring cement an the annual influxc ents). Hell, I even- And as part of t (or in many cases, simply acclima- tion) students will soon establish and reestablish their favorite places to eat, drink and spend their hard- e a r n- e d ('pleeeeeease mom, I need more money!') cash. And the places they will find will most likely be Cosi, Starbucks and Mr. Greek's. Scorekeeper's and Rick's. Those parents who come to cam- pus will take them to The Gandy Dancer. The only place my mom and I go when she visits Ann Arbor is Dominick's - one of the few businesses that .1 in Ann Arbor, and every- new again. Students are ck. Construction crews arious a couple weeks ago, (334 Maynard, open Mon. to Sat. 7 a.m. to 03 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.) d making campus pretty for Frank's is an affordable (nothing runs more of students (and their par- than six bucks) greasy spoon that still closes got a haircut. for two weeks every August so proprietor and he inevitable reacclimation cook Pete Poulos can take a vacation. Breakfast is served all day and daily spe- cials are offered forlunch. "I'm a family man," the 67- year-old Poulos said. "So I treat you kids like my own." Poulos first worked at Frank's when his brother-in- law (for whom the diner is named) opened it in 1969. After work- ing at the diner off - and - on under different owners, Poulos bought it in 1999. It's a story most of the regulars at the diner know. Jon Test/Daily Frank's decor Uke people watching? Stop by the Fleetwood at about 4 a.m. has remained FRANK PAYNE/Daily Even people who work on Maynard St. don't know that Frank's exists. p.m. Sat. and Sun. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.) I recently pulled out some of my uncle's records from his closet, and found Wazoo price stickers on most of them. Wazoo has the best selection of used music in Ann Arbor, something owner John Kerr attributes to the store's focus - 50 percent used and 50 percent new. "I think because we've been around so long we've accumulated so many CDs and vinyl," Kerr says. The store opened in 1974, and Kerr bought it from its first owner in 1978. It's been at its present location since 1982. Kerr, who grew up in Ann Arbor, has seen the makeup of the town shift. "When I was growing up, the Del Rio used to be a dangerous bar. There used to be a lot more shady places. They started getting out when property values started going up," lie says. "The reality is a that it's the chains that can afford it. I imagine that (the former Olga's restaurant at the corner of South State and Huron) will probably be a Gap. That's fine, if that's what peo- ple want." D i g g i n g through the crates of used CDs and vinyl at Wazoo is a rewarding expe- rience ('look mom, I'm saving money!') and thef location makes it perfect for a stop between classes. Steve's Lunch, located on Sou The Heidelberg (215 N. Main, open Tues. to Sun. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fri and Sat 11 a.m. to midnight) on salsa night last semester I decided that stopping off here is always worth the walk. Downstairs is a beer garden with filling German fare (I didn't know there were so many kinds of wurst) and real imports on tap. Upstairs, the Heidelberg also has The Club Above, featuring entertainment ranging from stand-up to local bands depending on the night. The basement is the Rathskeller, a tradi- tional German-style beer hall. "Our downstairs bar is the last bastion for townies," says general manager Michael Holloway, who has worked at the Heidelberg off and on since it opened in 1961. "The police come in, lawyers, doctors, union workers, restaurant people. ... There used to be a lot of townie bars, now there's not that many." On football Saturdays, the Heidelberg often fills with alumni looking for a bit of their past. "Husbands and wives who went to school here before they were married come back," Holloway says. "We swap sto- ries." (1313 S. University, open Mon. to Fri. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sat. and Sun. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.) still remains from her days as a stu- dent here 30 years ago. That's because you can't find places like it anywhere else. There are a few places that, like Dominick's, have survived the Deuce's slow (but increasingly fast) transition to Anytown, U.S.A. If you can't find an Urban Outfitters, can it really be a true American campus? But if you are inclined towards the homier, friendlier, less polished atmosphere of the places that have been around since the days when Hash Bash was considered a serious political statement, here are some hints. There are others I'm sure, but these are my personal favorites, the ones my friends seem to often reply 'Where is that?' when I mention them. If you're already aware, you're ahead of the curve. l a r g e l y unchanged since it opened, sporting booths along with the req- uisite counter seating. Most of the regulars sit alone, reading the paper or preparing for morning lectures. MCCs (minor campus celebrities) such as Great Books lecturer and Classical Studies prof. H.D. Cameron are common. "There are only a few places like this left - the change has gone to more upper class," Poulos says. "Suburbs take a big toll - shop- ping centers and subdivisions and develop- ment takes a lot of the foot traffic from the central area." Poulos doesn't advertise Frank's. "It's a word-of-mouth place," he says. Wazoc Records (336 S. State, open Mon. to Fri. 10 a.m. to 6 m Steve's Lunch opened in 1972, and has served a combination of Korean/American breakfast fare NY DING/Daily since 1982. The only seats are the stools at the Frank's, the cook is the pro- uth University. counter, and like prietor. The owner, Joe Lee, has operated Steve's since 1995, and pins its success on the diversity Ever since I wandered into the Heidelberg See STAYING POWER, Page 10 The Heidelberg has been a favorite in Ann Arbor since the early 1960s.