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. IAPLAN Voted BEST Test Prep Company 2007! TEST PREP AND By Michigan Daily ADMISSIONS Readership Poll LSAT MCAT GRE DAT OAT GMAT PCAT* Voted Ann Arbor's Number 1-AGAIN! Welcome Back Students! 168THRIFT STORE Thinking about Grad School? Let Kaplan Test Prep raise your test scores! we've got the gear you need visit kaptest.com/hsg. The Higher Score Guarantee applies only to Kaplan courses taken and completed within the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico. the United Kingdom, and France.