Best
I
talian
Restaurant
As my last name would sug-
gest, I'm Italian, which is to
say that there's only one voice
I truly respect when it comes
to culinary wisdom - my own
little Italian grandma, Adeline
DePollo.
Since coming to Ann Arbor,
however, I've had to add anoth-
er voice to my list of experts on
the subject: Gratzi.
Built inside what was once
the Orpheum Theater, the
restaurant is gorgeous. From
the massive bay window look-
ing out over Main Street to
the paintings of Orpheus and
an ancient Greek bacchanalia
hanging above the dining room,
few other restaurants in Ann
Arbor can boast such sumptu-
ous and elegant decor.
But Gratzi's real strength lies
in its Head Chef, John Fisher.
The man is an artist, constant-
ly creating fresh new takes on
traditional Italian dishes with
close attention to flavor, pre-
sentation and the history of
the food he loves. Each month,
Fisher crafts a new menu built
around the flavors of a different
region of Italy, bringing recipes
to Ann Arbor rarely seen out-
side the confines of the penin-
sula.
Though the menu is always
changing, the quality of food
and service remains consistent-
ly high at Gratzi - and it's the
only place outside of my grand-
ma's kitchen that you can find a
truly excellent plate of gnocchi.
-ADAM DEPOLLO
Best Late
Night Food
Ilizi~ia Ilo s
Oh, Pizza House and your
divine cheesy creations. Are you
the bane of late-night partygo-
ers or the perfect culmination of
a night out with friends? Are you
the abominable diet destroyer or
the super taste-bud teaser? Do you
want to make my stomach curdle
and churn or do you want to make
it joyous? These are the questions
we demand an answer to. And
here are the charges we bring
against you:
1) You are so subtly addictive.
God only knows what kind of spe-
cial concoction could make cheese
and bread so majestic.
2) Your late-night availability
only makes you crueler. How dare
you try to exploit the money-blow-
ing habits of hungry and impres-
sionable individuals.
3) No amount of fair-pricing or
generous food portioning could
justify your late-night snacking
monopoly. Okay, this third point
is false.
Pizza House, no one knows
exactly what your ambitions for
world-domination-after-dark
may be, but we're on to you. Your
feta cheesy bread, your pizza
pockets, calzones and chipatis are
exceptional. The convenience of
your nocturnal operation is com-
mendable. The tempting aromas
of your foodstuffs that fill off-
campus walkways are outrageous.
You are tasty, you are reliable and
you are clever. You may rule the
world of late-night snacks for now,
but we're on to you. We are so on
to you.
-BRIAN BURLAGE
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 11