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- 2B - Thursday, April 12, 2012

The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

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BEST THRII
SH
Salvati
Vintage isthe name of the fash-
a. iongame inAnn Arbor, and while
we enjoy an abundance of trendy
thrift stores crammed into build-
ing attics, basements and every
space in between, none of them
can compare to the sheer size,
o variety and unpredictability of
" the Salvation Army.
Though many students see
* it first and foremost as a great
a place to find a deal for an "ugly
Christmas sweater party," the
warehouse-sized facility is
chock-full of amazing everyday
buys for anyone with a little
time on their hands and a sense
of adventure, offering every-
thing from leather jackets to
prom dresses to '90s windbreak-
: er jumpsuits.

FT/VINTAGE
IOP
on Army
The store itself is impeccably
clean and impossibly well-orga-
nized, with clothes arranged by
color to create a massive rain-
bow of sweaters, turtlenecks and
T-shirts. Their books and LPs are
delightfully hit-or-miss, and the
home-goods section tucked into
their back corner offers every-
thing from mismatched wedding
china to cheap apartment couch-
es, perfect for anyone on an off-
campus budget. Plenty of dressing
rooms and an unrivaled selec-
tion means you'll tire long before
you exhaust the endless racks of
clothes, somake sure you plan for
a day-long excursion when head-
ing to Washtenaw's near-legend-
ary Salvation Army.
-LAUREN CASERTA

BEST BURGERS
Blimpy Burger

TERRA MOLENGRAFF/Daily
BEST DESSERT/ICE CREAM
Stucchi's

If you don't like having dia-
betes, dying from heart and/or
liver disease or acquiring the
multitude of cancers scientifi-
cally linked to eating red meat
and deep-fried anything, stay
far, far away from Blimpy Burg-
er. If you like polite, "we value
our customers" service and
change that doesn't suck/fits
in a vending machine (not half
dollars), also stay away from
Blimpy Burger.
If you like your service with
snark instead of a smile, think
that strange money nobody uses
is fun and, most importantly,
like your food drenched in gal-
lons of greasy "good for you" oil,
head to the "oldest hamburger
stand in Ann Arbor." The menu

offers "other sandwiches &
goodies," but really, they only
offer burgers, fries and other
forms of deep-fried "cheaper
than food" sustenance, unless
you're willing to tolerate tor-
rents of abuse from the staff.
Then again, they're not
mocking you because they like
to. Well, maybe they do. But if
you're ordering anything other
than their juicy, delectable piles
of freshly ground beef, and pair-
ing that with an order of some-
thing that isn't their delectably
deep-fried mixed vegetables
(like tempura but not as unjusti-
fiably expensive), get out of line
and leave Blimpy to the profes-
sionals.
-DAVID TAO

It's hard to grasp Ann Arbor's
love for Stucchi's until you're
standing in line for free ice cream
at Ben & Jerry's and you see peo-
ple sitting inside Stucchi's eat-
ing exactly the same dessert they
could have gotten for free only a
few feet away.
Correction: It's not the same
dessert. Stucchi's is an examplar
of that rare native Ann Arbor busi-
ness that has continued to be a city
staple over multiple generations.
It's the place you take your family
to because they haven't heard of
the wonder that is frozen yogurt,
it's where you hang out with
friends you haven't seen since ori-
entation, and most often, Stucchi's

is that wondrous haven where you
can bury your stress and finals-
week panic attacks in a mound of
"Swiss Chocolate Almond."
Yeah, sure, Stucchi's isdifferent
from its competition because it's
local. It has the perfect location
to hop over from home or class for
a quick dessert break, and it's got
enough flavors to keep a sweet-
tooth experimenting for months.
But what makes Stucchi's spe-
cial is it tastes fresher and richer
than any other ice cream in town,
and has flavors so original and
delectable that going to Stucchi's
becomes the rare, special event
you can't help but look forward to.
-ADITI MISHRA

BEST NEW BUSINESS
Bongz & Thongz

Despite getting off to a
rough start, Bongz & Thongz
has managed to root itself in
slightly off-campus downtown
Ann Arbor with its menag-
erie of smoking accessories"
and adult novelties. With an
impressive array of reasonably
priced pieces - ranging from
discreet one-hitters to more
military-themed gas-mask-
and sniper-rifle-shaped bongs
- the friendly and knowledge-
able storeowners succeed in
their aim to carve out their
own niche in a market with

nearby competition like 42
Degrees, Stairway to Heaven
and Smoka Hookah.
Just downstairs from a
hookah and shisha inventory
that would make Jabba the
Hutt blush, more adventurous
patrons will find themselves in
a land of X-rated threads and
accessories. Bongz & Thongz
lives up to its name by deliver-
ing on both fronts while provid-
ing excellent customer service,
and is a must-see even for those
not inclined to use either.
-JULIANAIDAN

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BEST LATE NIGHT EATS OF ANN ARBOR
THE MICHIGAN DAILY

BEST HOUSING
Zaragon Place

Who lived there? The only per-
son I knew of was a high-school
acquaintance, rumored to have
dropped out of college after he
made his fortune on the stock
market. He drove a Porsche. He
lived the life.
So I had heard.
Do they have hot tubs at Zara-
gon? Rooftop tennis courts?
Live tigers as extravagant pets?
Maybe. I simply didn't know. But
I vowed to myself that if I ever
made it big (hitting the lottery,
creating the next Internet sen-
sation or starting my own band)
I would immediately move to

Zaragon to cement my status as
a kid who was as cool as Ferris
Bueller.
A year or so later, I found
myself rising in Zaragon's eleva-
tor to a party on the top floor. The
dream was coming true, partially.
What sort of wonders would I
encounter? The answer was quite
simple. Instead of exotic animals,
I saw a beautiful apartment. And
while there was no hot tub, there
was an amazing view of a glow-
ing Ann Arbor. Somehow, it was
nothing like I imagined, but it still
met my expectations.
-MATTEASTON

FRONT PAGE PHOTOS BY (CLOCKWISE STARTING FROM TOP LEFT):
Austen Hufford, Mckenzie Berezin, Teresa Mathew, Teresa Mathew, Marlene
Lacasse, Austen Hufford, Teresa Mathew, Todd Needle
FRONT PAGE DESIGN BY:
Anna Zielinski, Alicia Kovalcheck, Stephanie Love
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