The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
ESPRESSO ROYALE
Best Coffee
It's morning, you have class and you're on the
verge of falling back to sleep. You need coffee
- but from where? Starbucks is there waiting
for you, of course, around every corner, in every
plaza - but no. You want something good and
cheap.
If you spot a Starbucks anywhere around
downtown Ann Arbor, odds are high there
will also be an Espresso Royale conspicuously
tucked in somewhere along the same street. It's
a popular hangout among students and a reli-
able place to secure a satisfying and inexpen-
sive cup of joe.
Ambience-wise, Espresso Royale is not very
different from other coffee shops in the area.
It's a relaxing, relatively distraction-free place
to study or simply meet with friends. What it
does have that Starbucks doesn't is a wide and
constantly revolving menu with a huge selec-
tion of flavors for lattes and many different
choices for tea.
Espresso Royale also caters to money-
deprived students more than other coffee shops
in the area. On Latte Wednesdays, any latte,
even the large, costs a mere $2. If you're ever
hungry in the morning, its food is just as good
as its coffee. And it's open until midnight to
cater tothe 11:00 p.m. rush.
There are a tot of places in Ann Arbor that
serve coffee. But Espresso Royale is generally
the best value and certainly has the best selec-
tion, which makes it a satisfying, reliable way to
start your day - or start your all-nighter.
BRANDON CONRADIS
THE BLIND PIG
Best Club
Like dancing but are tired of all those sketchy
dudes who circle the dance floor, waiting to
latch on to some unsuspecting girl? Are you sick
of the top-40, sensory vomit that gets played en
masse at places like Necto and Studio 4?
Have no fear.
There is another club on campus unique and
fun enough that readers of the' Michigan Daily
voted it the best club in Ann Arbor.
Welcome to the Blind Pig.
While the Blind Pig is a great place to hang
out, listen to music, dance your ass off and be
with friends, it also has a rich musical history
that every other nightclub in the Ann Arbor
area is sorely lacking.
New Student Edition - 5F
The club plays host to live, mostly up-and-
coming bands. Little-known groups that
exploded after their show at the Blind Pig
include Sonic Youth, REM, Pearl Jam and the
Smashing Pumpkins.
In 1989, a then-obscure grunge rock band
called Nirvana played to its biggest audience to
date at the Blind Pig..Years later, once the band
had changed the face of rock music forever,
they called the venue their favorite place to play
a show anywhere.
That's pretty big praise considering the plac-
es Nirvana's music career took them.
Other notable artists who have played the
Blind Pig are Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon,
Iggy Pop, Everclear and George Thoroughgood
- who used the club in his "Treat Her Right"
music video.
So whether you're there to listen to great
music or just get your groove on, the Blind Pig
is a must-see establishment before your time in
Ann Arbor comes to an end.
ANDYREID
THE BROWN JUG
Best Bar
April 10, 2008 - After a year or two of wait-
ing in line for hours in the freezing cold to flash
your 23-year-old fake from Delaware to the
bouncers at classy, underage haunts, you've
decided you want more out of your bar experi-
ence.-
The moment you step inside the Jug's
friendly tavern-like interior, you know right
away you've made the right decision. Granted,
depending on the night, getting inside can be
half the battle, considering the Jug's notori-
ously slow lines.
Named after the Little Brown Jug given out
to the winner of the Michigan-Minnesota foot-
ball game each year, the Jug is also the best
place to go to reaffirm your faith in the maize
and blue. Nothing gets you more fired up than
singing along with the Michigan fight song as
it blares out of the bar's speakers at last call on
football Saturdays.
Unlike Scorekeepers and Touchdowns, the
Jug has the sort of mellow atmosphere where.
no one will ever judge you for wearing your old,
high school sweatpants to the bar. And make
your moves with confidence - the lights are
bright enough there that you won't come home
with something you might drag out of the base-
ment on a Thursday night at Rick's.
ANDY KROLL
Clockwise from top: The Blind Pig, Espresso Royale and The Brown Jug.
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