0 i 0 wqpp YOU VOTED, WE COUNTED. Best Coffee Starbucks By Eston Bond | Managing Online Editor NOW WE PRESENT TO YOU Schoolkid's Records stays open and thriving even though it's underground. tarbucks is absolutely huge, and no, it's not only the corporation. According to their website the Seattle-based Starbucks Coffee Com- pany has 10,801 establishments in 37 countries worldwide (With 7,661 of those in the United States,) Ann Arbor's South University and State/ Liberty locations are among the largest at 4,600 and 4,500 square feet, respec- tively. At both campus locations, the espresso bar is almost alchemical. Customers order extremely complex drinks in Starbucks lingo, starting with a size, continuing with a seem- ingly endless amount of modifying adjectives, and ending with what- ever the base drink is on the wall- mounted menu. Starbucks newbies be warned: those ignorant of the lan- guage may be scoffed at by bystand- ers holding grande, seven-pump, sugar-free, non-fat, extra-hot, vanil- la cappuccinos. If you mess up your word order, the cashiers relay cor- rect grammar to the baristas making your coffee. Half of the chains success on cam- pus - and most likely elsewhere - is due to its massive amount of customization; at more than 38 mil- lion possibilities for espresso-based drinks alone, one is sure to find something palatable, if not absolute- ly delicious, on the Starbucks menu. Some customers stick to simple, daily brewed coffee; others order $7, 10-word caffeinated potions. Thanks to strict quality control and barista training, Starbucks coffee is nearly homogenous between locations; the drink you love at your hometown Starbucks will most likely taste exactly the same at another. The Starbucks selection doesn't end with mere liquid libations; a fully stocked bakery case holds more than 20 sweet (and not-so- sweet) goods from classic crumb cake to immensely sugary cupcakes. If you're on the go, a refrigerator case directly below the baked goods holds Jones Soda, San Pellegrino and even cans of Starbucks's own iced coffee. The social atmosphere at the State Street location is diverse and lively. A crowd of sorority girls, hipsters, professionals and even the occa- sional Ann Arbor homeless float in and out through the first floor's two entrances from at 9 a.m. until close at midnight. The crowd at the tables varies depending on the time of day: In the morning, the first floor is packed with a range of professionals, townies and students alike; as the day progresses, the crowd becomes increasingly more casual, with the late-night crowd composed almost entirely of University students. The Patrons can use wireless Internet and choose from an array of drinks at Start L N B O R newly renovated basement contains a removable stage area for live music, adding to the casual atmosphere. Throughout the day, the glass-walled exterior of the first floor adds a bright, lively light to the interior, soaking the soft leather couches in a comfortable amount of sunlight for reading. At peak hours, it can be absolutely impossible to find a seat, and the basement closes inexplicably early on some weeknights, adding to the seating chaos. The South University Avenue scene is primarily college-oriented, filled with students from open to close. Compared to the State Street, the South University Starbucks is almost always darker. In the day, dim incan- descent lights clash with the fluores- cent glow of those in the nearby mall hallway, which the location shares a glass wall. At night, the lighting situ- ation can cause an uncomfortable, if not disorienting, condition for those attempting to read textbooks or nov- els too close to the hallway. For patrons using laptops, electri- cal outlets are sparse in both loca- tions. Wireless Internet is controlled S t j 7 l ,A Red Hot Lovers makes the best hot dogs on campus. Best Businesses Best Apartments: Willowtree Apartments Best Art Supplies: Michigan Book and Supply Best Athletic Store: Steve and Barry's Sportswear Best Bank/Credit Union: TCF Bank Best Bicycle Sales: Two Wheel Tango Best Bookstore: Borders Bookstore Best Bowling Center: Colonial Lanes Best Cab Service: Yellow Cab Best Camera/Photo Shop: Ritz Camera Best Car Dealer: Sesi Lincoln Mercury Best Coffee Shop: Starbucks Best Computer Store: UM Computer Showcase Best Copy Store: Kinkos Best Customer Service: Bennigan's Best Florist: University Flower Shop Best Furniture Store: Three Chairs Best Gift Store: Middle Earth Best Grocery Store: Hiller's Best Haircut: State Street Barber Shop Best Hardware Store: Jack's Hardware Best Head Shop: 42 Degrees Best Health Club: One on One Best Hotel: Campus Inn Best Jewelry Store: Option Four Best Laundromat: Mr. Stadium Best Liquor Store: Strickland's Best Men's Clothing Store: Bivouac Best Moving Company: Two Men and a Truck Best Musical Instruments: King's Keyboard Best New CDs: Schoolkid's Best New Local Business: Za's Best Outdoor Apparel: Bivouac Best Packaging Store: The Mail Shoppe Best Place to go for a Piercing: Lucky Monkey Best Place to Pamper Yourself: Aveda Best Public Golf Course: U of M Public Course Best Realtor: Oppenheimer Best Shoe Store: Footprints Best Sporting Goods' Store: Dunham's Best Store Display Window: Bivouac Best Tanning Salon: Tanfastic Best Test Prep: Kaplan Best Textbooks: Shaman Dram Best Thrift Shop: Value World Best Travel Agency: Council Travel Best University Fan Apparel: Moe's Best Used CDs: Schoolkid's Best Women's Clothing: Bivouac Best Entertainment Best Bar: Rick's Best Club: Necto Best Concert in the Last Year: Ludacris Best Happy Hour: Heidelberg Best Live Music: Blind Pig Best Local Festival: Ann Arbor Film Festival Best Movie Theatre: Quality 16 Best Radio Station: WXQI 95.5 Best Video Store: Liberty Street Video Best Restaurants Best All You Can Eat: Mongolian BBQ Best Bagels: Bruegger's Best BBQ: Damon's Best Breakfast: Angelo's Best Brunch: Gandy Dancer Best Burgers: Blimpy Burger Best Burritos: Big Ten Burrito Best Cheap Beer: The Arena Best Cheap Eats: NYPD Best Chinese Food: China Gate Best Chipatis: Pizza House Best Coffee: Starbucks Best Cookies: Mrs.Field's Best Deli: Zingerman's Best Dessert: La Dolce Vita Best Fine Dining: Gratzi Best Fries: McDonald's Best Greasy Spoon: Frank's Best Greek Food: Mr. Greek's Best Hot Dogs: Red Hot Lovers Best Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt: Stucchi's Best Indian Food: Raja Rani Best Italian Food: Palio Best Korean Food: Seoul Korner Best Late Night Munchies: Bell's Pizza Best New Restaurant: Za's Best Overall Restaurant: Palio Best Pizza: Bell's Pizza Best Place for the Folks To Treat You: Real Seafood Company Best Restaurant for Large Groups: Pizza House Best Salads: Cosi Best Seafood: Real Seafood Company Best Soup: Cosi Best Subs: Jimmy John's Best Sushi: Totoro Best Take Out: Pizza House Best Thai Food: Tuptim Best Vegetarian Food: Seva Best Wings: Buffalo Wild Wings Best of the University Best Athlete(Female): Samantha Findley Best Athlete(Male): Mike Hart Best Blow Off Course: one- credit GeoSci courses Best Campus Event: Dance Marathon Best Campus Tradition: Not walking on the 'M' in the Diag Best Computing Site: Fishbowl Best Course: Psych 120 Best Dorm Cafeteria: Bursley Best Fraternity to Party With: PIKE Best Lecture Hall: Hale Auditorium Best Library: UGLi Best Place to Get a Parking Ticket: In your own driveway Best Place to People Watch: Diag Best Place for Public Sex: The Stacks Best Place to Study: UGLi Best Place to Workout: CCRB Best Professor: Pat Gurin Best Residence Hall: West Quad Best Restrooms: The Union Best Sorority to Party With: Kappa Kappa Gamma Best Spot for a First Date: Grizzly Peak Best Speaker(Past Year): Bill Gates Best Sports Team: Softball Best Sports Tradition: Tailgating Best Student Job: Orientation Leader Best Thing About Football Saturday: Beer Best of the Web Best Apartment Locator: www.housing.umich.edu Best News Site: www.cnn.com Best Overall Website: www.google.com Best Search Engine: www.google.com Best Website to Waste Time On: www.facebook.com Best of the Rest Best Excuse for Cutting Class: Working at the Daily Best Excuse for a Late Paper: Saved my rough draft over my final draft Best Fad: No More Uggs Best Place to "See and Be Seen": Rick's MR. 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