Babs' Underground Lounge

The Location: 213 S. Ashley St. (a block west of Main St., just south of Grizzly Peak)

The Facts:
Babs' opened in 1997. It's located, as the name would suggest, underground. Slightly hard to find, you must first enter a foyer to the building, then go down a series of stairs. It features two levels. The upper level has large leather chairs, a handful of tables, and two pool tables, the lower level features more tables, and the bar. There is also a photobooth on the lower level. Free WiFi. Open Tuesday through Saturday.

The Specials:
Babs' is a fairly expensive lounge. Bottles are generally around $4, Drafts are around $5. Martini's, the bar's specialty, are generally around $7.
Tuesday: Movie night, $4 40oz bottles of PBR, Olde English, and Miller High Life, Free Pool
Wednesday: Pitchers (4 drinks) of various mixed drinks for $12. Live DJ.
Thursday: $2 PBR and High Life bottles. $3 Vodka Red Bulls.

Review:
I first must admit I've only been to Babs' twice. Once on a Thursday, once on a Saturday, so I don't know the place that well. However, in those two times I've been, I've loved it. So relaxed. While some might call it a 'college' bar, it certainly isn't a bar populated by the average college student. While it's not 'quiet' you can certainly hear the people near you without yelling. You also avoid a lot of the patrons showing up to 'get drunk'. It's a very relaxed social bar.

It also is billed as a cigar bar. While there aren't a large amount of cigar smoker, there certainly are a lot of cigarette smokers. As someone who loves the former and, at best, puts up with the latter, this isn't ideal (for me) and a non-smoking section would be nice, but the amount of smoke is going to depend on who you're sitting near.

As I said, I haven't been to very many nights at Babs' and I haven't been able to develop a baseline for its average 'fullness', however, I have been there when it was 'at capacity' and was let in after a few minute wait. Coming down, I saw that it was far from crowded (though certainly not empty). I'm pretty sure the owner elected to have the 'capacity' much smaller than the fire marshal would have allowed to facilitate the atmosphere. This is an indication that the owner would rather cater to people looking for a certain atmosphere than make as much money as possible. A plus in my book.

As a side effect to this, I've noticed that you rarely have to wait to get a drink up at the bar. At that night of full capacity, I was asked what I wanted by the bartending staff almost immediately after laying a hand on the bar. Also, even on a busy night, the waitstaff is making rounds asking for drink orders.

On non-free days, pool is quite expensive. $15 an hour. However, the tables are immaculate. No where in Ann Arbor, other than perhaps Monkey Bar have I seen as nice of tables.

I really like Babs'. I think I'm getting older and that might be a sign, but I'm becoming more intune with the quiet(er) place with nice atmosphere than the place with cheap beer with loud underage drunks. I really think Babs will become one of my main haunts now. I really like it, dispite it's expense. I give it four stars.

Grizzly Peak Brewing Company

The Location: 120 W. Washington (between Main and Ashley)

The Facts: Grizzly Peak opened in 1995, after refurbishing an older building just south of Kerrytown. It is one of two breweries still in Ann Arbor, since the departure of Leopold Bros. GP keeps about 6 beers constantly on tap, with three other seasonal specialties. These are swapped almost every week, and more than once, I've seen them swapped while I was there. Drafts are $4.50 dollars during regular hours, but after 11pm, all drafts are $1.99 all nights. You can order beer samplers as well, where you can taste some or all of the various beers on tap for fairly cheap (price varies on how many beers you get). There are also various wines, and bottled beers, as well as a fairly well stocked liquer cabnet.

Grizzly Peak also offers a quite nice menu for lunch and dinner. The prices are moderate, though I would have to say my personal favorite is the pulled pork slider for $1.99. I generally get 4-6 and I must say. They're delicious. Be wary, the kitchen closes at 11, the same time happy hour starts.

GP has a 'Mug Club' where, for around $60 you can buy a lifetime membership, and get 25% off all in-bar and to-go beer (growlers, mini-kegs, etc.). Also, when ordering a draft, you get your beer in a special mug, which is slightly larger than a normal pint. Other perks of Mug Club membership include special 'Mug Club only' events, and other special deals.

The first tuesday of every month, there is a 'Brewer's Night' from 6-9 where there is discussion on home brewing techniques and tips, as well as $2 off beer samplers.

Review:
I find GP to be a fantastic place to go and 'hangout'. I don't think I've ever gone there on a weekend with a bunch of people, but almost every Sunday, my two friends (though one of them has lamely been absent recently) and I head out around 10:30 and have a few beers and chat. You can often find various Ann Arbor locals/professors doing the same. I would regard it as a much more stereotypical 'pub'/'brewpub' than anywhere else in Ann Arbor, even ABC has a bit of a 'college bar' atmosphere, compared to GP.

There are a few televisions around the bar, that generally have various sports games, and sometimes news on them. I certainly wouldn't consider it a 'sports bar' but on the occcation, townies will show up to watch an NFL game dressed in their favorite team's gear.

The biggest problem I have with Grizzly Peak is the location. If you live near Kerrytown, this is a fantastic hangout, but it is a bit out of the way to someone like me who lives in University Towers (hopefully for the last time after this year...). As it gets colder I'm afraid I'll be less and less likely willing to make the trek, but we'll see.

Given the choice of late night hangout, I would chose GP first or second in almost any situtation. The prices are low, and I'm becoming a bit more 'low-key' as I evacuate my youth, which, matches the atmosphere there. I wouldn't really want to go there for a birthday, or some other event with a lot of people, and going there early is asking for a large tab, but a dinner there is pretty nice, with pretty good food. I give GP 4 stars. The food and drink is quite good, and the atmosphere is fantastic if that's what you're looking for, but the prices other than late night beers make this prohibitive for anything but special nights, at least for my wallet.

Link: http://grizzlypeak.net/default.html

Dominick's

The Location: 812 Monroe (just south of the Law Quad)

The Facts:

Dominick's is a restaurant that's known for it's atmosphere and drinks. It is open during the spring, summer, and fall, and maintains fairly early hours closing at 10pm most nights. It has some indoor seating, but the majority of the tables are outside, with a first and second story patio in both the front and back.

Other Info:

Dominick's will be closing for the winter (I'll try to find out exactly when ASAP) soon. If you want to visit, now is the time.

Review:

As I said before Dom's is known for it's atmosphere. The almost exclusive outdoor seating and the interior decor give it a feeling of a spanish bistro mixed with an alpine cafe. The patrons are a nice blend of townies (often there with their children), law students, and professors. The undergrad population there is considerably smaller than you would assume given the proximity to student housing, but I certainly welcome the change of pace from the younger spots in AA.

Dom's also has a very famous sangria. You can order it in pints, quarts, and half gallons, (pricing scales from ~$6 to ~$17. It comes in a mason jar, and you can pour it into smaller cups at your table. It is mixed there at Dom's using their own recipe, much like MY favorite Dom's drink: Constant Buzz.

This stuff is to die for. Remember the first time you saw a boob that didn't belong to a family member? Yeah, like that, but with alcohol. And stawberries.

It's basically a strawberry daqueri but with about 5 more types of alcohol. It only comes in one size (slightly less than a half gallon) mason jar, and costs about $20. When it's fall, it's less fun to drink, as it's cold out, but during the summer, there really is nothing better, than on, a Friday afternoon, going to Dom's splitting, a Constant Buzz with a friend, and sitting out on the top porch watching Ann Arbor go about it's business.

Dominick's also sells a number of local wines, and has several local beers on tap. These drafts are fairly costly, and I have never had one there.

The food at Dominick's is what you would expect from a Continental restaurant. Pasta, pastries, seafood etc. The pricing is fairly steep, so, if on a budget, I'd recommend somewhere else, though the few times I've had it, the food has been pretty good.

Personally, I've never been to a place like Dominick's in the states. It's a very European experience. I recommend going there with someone who's already been once, just because the intricacies of ordering, etc. are a little confusing at first, but definitly try to make it there if you have the time and money. I give it 4 stars.

Red Belly Boardshop

The Location: 1671 Plymouth Rd. (on the corner of Murfin and Plymouth)

The Facts:

Red Belly Boardshop opened in 2002, becoming one of the premier action sports shops in the area. They are active in snowboarding, skateboarding, kiteboarding, and wakeboarding. They sponsor local competitions at various locations in the Ann Arbor area, as well as the occational local video. They also offer comprehensive kiteboarding lessons, as well as snowboarding lessons and skating tips.

Redbelly has a full stock of hard and soft goods, from shoes to decks, as well as skate and snow vids. Other items for sale include hardwear for all your equipment, rails, mini-verts, etc. They offer tune ups for gear, waxing, edgesharpening, just about anything you could need.

Review:

My favorite part of going to Red Belly is that it's owned and operated by riders/skaters/whatever you call kiteboarders. They know their stuff, and they're always willing to help you with a question. They'll work with you regardless of your knowledge (or lack thereof) to get you in the right gear for the right price.

Their stock is large, though there are a few brands they don't carry. When asked about a particular brand, one of the guys responded, "while their high end boards are good, there's a huge disparity between quality and price." While I'm not sure how true that is, the concept is good: only supply quality products. I lift my hat to those guys for it.

The soft goods selection has increased in recent years. It's populated with the brands you'd expect: Volcom, DC, Vans, etc. along with Red Belly's own line of clothing and hats. They even have their own board.

I like the concept of RBS along with places like it. It's somewhere where some guys focus entirely on their sport of passion. They're not just geared at making money, they're dedicated to the culture. While RBS doesn't stick out in terms of uniqueness in terms of boardshops, it does stick out in terms of Ann Arbor culture. There are few good boardshops in SE Michigan, in general, and RBS has higher quality and larger selection than the other shops in the area. The reason: the owners/employees. Good job guys, keep on huckin'. Four Stars.

State Theater

The Location: 223 S. State (at the corner of State and Liberty)

The Facts:

An iconic Ann Arbor location, the State Theater has been around since 1942. In the 80s the balconied theater was divided to have four different screens. In the late 80s, the owner sold the lower half of the theater as retail space (now Urban Outfitters). The State tends to screen newer independant films during the week. Films generally start at 7 pm and 9:30 pm-ish. On Saturdays, the State has it's Midnight Movie, screening a different cult classic each week.

Other Info:

Screenings are $9 for adults, $7 for students, and $6 for Saturday and Sunday screenings before 6 pm. You can buy a membership that will reduce your ticket price to $6.50. On Tuesdays, student tickets are only $6.

Review: The State is not my favorite venue. Because each of the screens are the remains of the balcony getting chopped in two, all of the seats seem at an angle. The seats are comfortable enough, but the lack of leg room forces taller people to be a little cramped. The screen is smallish, but no disproportionate to the amount of seating. The audio system is a little hit or miss. I've been there times when it was fine, but other times (screening the same print) it's been terrible. The State is think is an underutilized resource for students, though. Considering it's location, the pricing is nice. If I believed in 'buying things for girls' on dates I'd take a date there, hell, even if I wasn't very interested in a girl, but she offered to buy me a ticket, I'd go there with her...

I'm a big fan of the Midnight Movie. All of the screenings are 35mm prints, and they show some great flicks. 'Back in the day' (25+ years ago) they used to alternate screening Harold and Maude and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Now they mix it up much more, though Rocky Horror is always screened Halloween weekend. It's the only time when there are two Midnight Movie screenings in one weekend (Friday and Saturday).

I give the State four stars. It's something that should not be missed if you spend more than a few days in Ann Arbor per year. After UofM, the State Theater (along with the Michigan Theater) are the first things to pop into my head when picturing Ann Arbor. Fight Club is screening this Saturday at Midnight, if you're looking for something to do and can't find a party, I'd recommend going.

Links:

http://michtheater.org/state.php

Circus Bar and Billards

The Location: 210 S. First St. (two streets west of Main, between Liberty and Washington) Up the stairs, big red door.

The Facts: 

Circus is the top fourth of the Cavern Club 'complex' (a total of 4 bars/clubs). During the week, Circus is segmented away from the rest of the bars, but on Friday and Saturday, all 4 can be accessed through a series of stairwells, though cover is required on these nights. Know for it's economical drinks, free pool at their 5 tables, and free popcorn.

The Specials: 

Circus is known for it's very cheap PBR cans (yes, cans). While [oldpersonvoice]when I first started going there[/oldpersonvoice] the PBR was 55 cents, from open-1am, currently, the special runs from open-midnight, and the PBR is 75 cents. Apparently, after looking closely at the actual math of it, adding lost deposit on crushed cans, delivery, etc. they were losing money selling the Pibber's at $.55.

Other specials include $2 (one drink) Long Islands, $3 well drinks on Thursdays featuring mid-shelf 'well liquors' such as Jack Daniels, Jose Cuervo, and Tanqueray, $1 Jolly Rancher shooters, and $2 Bud Light bottles.

Other Info:

Circus's calendar is as follows:

Sunday - Closed

Monday - Occasionally Double Take Karaoke, otherwise standard pool/jukebox (No Cover)

Tuesday - Standard Pool/Jukebox (No Cover)

Wednesday -Bluegrass night (No Cover)

Thursday - Double Take Karaoke (No Cover)

Friday - Occasionally Double Take Karaoke, otherwise standard pool/jukebox ($5 Cover, access to all of Cavern Club)

Saturday - Occasionally Double Take Karaoke, otherwise standard pool/jukebox ($5 Cover, access to all of Cavern Club)

On No Cover nights, those 18-20 can get in for a $5 cover fee and black 'X's on your hands.

(Be wary, they tend to watch under 21's very closely and will kick you out if you even sip a drink.)

Review:

Yeah, so I go to Circus religiously. It's a rare Thursday that I'm not seen there belting tunes with Double Take's live karaoke band. It's really a completely different experience to machine karaoke. Circus has the distinction of being one of the few bars in Ann Arbor who's patrons are largely non-students. This is a mixed blessing. While Circus is rarely too crowded on weekday to find a seat, there are some 'questionable characters' that frequent circus. The non-students at Circus aren't going to be your prof, and they aren't going to be middle management business suits. They're going to be sketchy townies and Yspilanti folk. Think less GRE, more GED. That's not to say most Circus patrons aren't nice people, it's just something to be aware of before you go.

One of the high points of Circus is the bar staff. Lou and Chris are exceptionally nice. Pretty standard fare, if you tip well, they treat you well. Just keep in mind that you're only paying $.75 a beer, so more than the standard 15% should be your norm. I'd generally put down about a buck for a beer. It's only a quarter, but it's still a 33% tip.

While I don't play pool that often (mainly because I'm terrible, and vice a versa), Circus has some pretty nice tables, especially considering they're free. The pool sticks are kind of hit or miss, so if you're an avid player, I'd recommend taking your own. You can get a table for an hour at a time (longer if there's no one waiting) by giving them your drivers licence as deposit. If it's a busier night, you may have to wait a while (I've never waited longer than about 15 minutes) until a table opens up.

Popcorn (or sometimes pretzels, if the popcorn machine is broken) is in bowls all around the bar. This tends to get stale by about 9:30. To get more/new popcorn, just go up to the bar, near the popcorn machine and grab a new bowl. These are generally fresh and crisp (and you know no one has stuck nasty dirty fingers into them).

No matter the night, Circus will have a movie with subtitles playing on a small TV next to the bar. On nights when nothing big is going on (Mondays/Tuesdays), they have been known to project movies on the wall and have the sound going. This is actually pretty fun, as you have all the popcorn you want and as much beer as you want within 15 feet of you. Oh, and it's free. Win-Win-Win. The movies they generally play are action and comedy flicks that have come out recently to DVD, or are 'modern classics' (my 'modern classics' are different that what you all would call them but I digress) such as Zoolander, Fight Club, Wedding Crashers, etc.

The only time Circus nears a 50/50 split between college students and townies is on Friday and Saturday. These nights, the entirety of Cavern Club is open, and Circus tends to get the less 'Dance Party' oriented patrons who got dragged to Cavern Club by their friends, along with a few of the Double Take regulars. I plan on doing a piece on the whole of Cavern Club a little later, so I'll leave that for now.

As you will eventually learn, I'm a big fan of dank, dingy bars. Circus fits the bill. It's dark, occasionally smokey (occasionally with non-tobacco products), and has a cool, slightly weird decor. Covered in  a Barnum and Bailey motif, it's certainly a unique place.  The only real bright-ish part of the bar is 'under the big top' of the actual bar. This, and the fact that there are tables, a TV, bands, and pool give Circus a 'come as you please' atmosphere. Some people go there every night, just for the pool, and never sign karaoke, or sit around and chat. Others come just to hang out, or just to sing karaoke. I give Circus four stars. It's a fantastic hangout spot. If you haven't already, check it out.

Links:

http://www.cavernclubannarbor.com/

http://www.myspace.com/freewednesdaysatthecircus/

http://myspace.com/doubletakeliveonstage/