More Ann Arbor Material to Whine About
We’d expect this from the crowd at Scorekeepers or Rush Street, but Leopold’s? Et tu? “Who ever does that ann arbor is over-rated website needs to get out more often. From what I can tell they have no social life and spend all day googling for ann arbor related material to whine about.” Now, that’s just unfair. Sometimes we use Feedster or Technorati.
I remember when Leopold’s used to make good beer and have live music.
posted by langel on October 20th, 2005 at 2:46 pmDon’t blame Leopold’s for not having live music…the neighbors created a shitstorm about it and they had to give it up. Very sad.
posted by OFWinsurgent on October 20th, 2005 at 2:50 pmLocal bands who want to ruin a perfectly good bar have plenty of options that don’t infringe on my ability to go someplace unhorrible.
posted by Brian on October 20th, 2005 at 5:20 pmAw, Brian, you must be just darling in your khakis and polo shirt. Collar popped!
posted by js on October 20th, 2005 at 7:17 pmMaybe I was mistaken the last time I passed by, but it looked like Rush Street had closed. Can anyone verify?
Regardless, one block south, a long-awaited replacement for the vacant retail space in Ashley Mews appeared close to opening: Zenaida Chocolate Lounge. I know H.P. Pickleshitter’s left some deep shoes to fill, but the name sounds appropriately pretentious.
posted by Jeff on October 20th, 2005 at 9:31 pmBitching about bitching about bitching. At some point this will stop, right?
posted by Chris on October 20th, 2005 at 11:17 pmI’ve been peering in the windows of that place for weeks now. Couldn’t they have done something about the glass blocks? Will they hire scantily-clad waitresses to fan people with palm leaves (to fit the hareem-fantasy theme)? Do they have a secret connection to OZ? And, perhaps most importantly, do we really need another chocolate/ice cream shop in Ann Arbor? a chocolate LOUNGE? It’s when I see shit like this in AA that I start imagining leasing agents in devil suits snickering over a pile of offers and saying, “you know what would *really* be funny?” Not that there were a pile of offers for the oh-so-desireable locations up there in Ashley Mews…
Speaking of leasing offices, the rug shop (currently splashed with “going out of business” and “70 percent off” banners) near the Madison House is up for lease. Urbanoasis has a posted a letter to the leasing agent, Jim Chaconas, here:
http://www.urbanoasis.blogspot.com/
Keep your fingers crossed.
posted by Heidi on October 20th, 2005 at 11:19 pmAw, Brian, you must be just darling in your khakis and polo shirt. Collar popped!
This appears to be an insult, but I do not understand. Apparently hating local stoner bands means I am a b-school frat boy instead of someone with eardrums?
posted by Brian on October 21st, 2005 at 1:09 amRush Street is still open and was really packed last Friday.
posted by tom on October 21st, 2005 at 9:00 amI was at Rush Street not long ago — I know, I know, but it was for business and I didn’t pay, so can I still be cool?
My impression was that it was a typical Ann Arbor restaurant: OK food at “damn, best meal I ever had” prices.
posted by Dave on October 21st, 2005 at 9:39 amAAIO is a bitter, bitter man.
posted by Anna on October 21st, 2005 at 9:56 am(pssst - Anna - AAiO is a woman)
posted by tom on October 21st, 2005 at 10:20 amNo way, women aren’t funny.
posted by Anna on October 21st, 2005 at 10:29 amAAIO is a plural.
posted by Dave on October 21st, 2005 at 11:05 amHeh. Witty.
posted by __earth on October 21st, 2005 at 11:58 amHa. This was probably the same guy who yelled at me for having “the worst jukebox that he’s ever seen in his life” this past week. Sigh.
On a very crass commercial note (since you brought us up, AAIO), our first shipments of vodka, gin, and liqueurs will head out to Pennsylvania and Virginia in November. If any of you fine folks have classmates/friends/enemies in those states, politely ask them to ask for our spirits in their local watering hole. Good bartenders will be happy to stock our spirits if you ask them to. Many thanks if you can help.
Shipments will arrive in Manhattan, Colorado, and Illinois in December.
BTW, the leasing agent for the space near the Madison House, Jim Chaconas was literally the person responsible for us getting our building. He’s a great guy, and will do everything he can to get a good, business in that space. He literally knows pretty much every business owner in town, and I can assure you that he is very much into helping locally owned businesses. He will help as much as he can.
posted by todd on October 21st, 2005 at 12:22 pmTodd:
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: never change the vibe of that jukebox.
And I do have a friend in Pennsylvania, Philly to be specific, who likes her vodka. I’ll pass the word on.
posted by Jen on October 21st, 2005 at 7:04 pmI talked to a chef at Rush St, who said it was closing.
posted by steve on October 21st, 2005 at 8:17 pmMy understanding was that D’Amato’s was moving to Rush St (well, same owner and name with D’Amato’s menu) and D’Amato’s was becoming a bar/club.
posted by DH on October 21st, 2005 at 9:58 pmTodd, do you have loactions in Manhattan where they will be selling Leopold’s stuff?
posted by OFWinsurgent on October 21st, 2005 at 10:05 pmI was at the Live or PJ’s or whatever the hell it was called (the place where D’Amato’s was) the other night. It is fine. No beer on tap. Take that for what it is worth. Clearly, why would it have beer on tap if it is a bar?
posted by Peter on October 21st, 2005 at 10:34 pmOFW,
Well, I won’t know for sure until we our the distributor finishes the NYState paperwork and receives official p.o’s but, unofficially:
21
Grammercy Tavern
Daniel
Nobu
Employee’s only
Those are the one’s I can think of off of the top of my head. There are about 10 more that we’ve sent samples to. We are forunate to have some very influential friends helping us in the NYC area, so we’re optimistic at this point……but you haven’t really made a sale until the bottle is sitting behind the bar, so who knows??
posted by todd on October 22nd, 2005 at 9:45 amTodd: Had the mix swap last night at your place and had an extra CD, so I left it for you.
posted by js on October 22nd, 2005 at 1:26 pmThere’s some stuff on there that might be a little weird for your tastes, but you’ll probably dig on some of the second half.
(And besides, how can you go wrong with a 13 minute Iron Maiden reinterpretation of the Rime of the Ancient Mariner?)
But if I had known there’d be extra, I would have saved you a poppier one.
Congrats, Todd, that’s a great list.
posted by Anna on October 22nd, 2005 at 2:30 pmtodd: where in PA? specifically, anywhere in Pittsburgh?
posted by [libcat] on October 31st, 2005 at 4:17 pmHere’s what I don’t understand…most of you sound like you live here…why not get the hell out? I mean….whats’ the point in joining a site just to bitch about where you live and the type of shit you hate about it and act too high and mighty to be a part of it….no other purpose in life?
posted by Rhiannon on November 2nd, 2005 at 1:43 pmOh and I found this by searching Zenaida Chocolate Lounge — you’re missing out by being a stuck up group of angry, elitist ann arborites if you haven’t been there.
Rhiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanon—
posted by js on November 2nd, 2005 at 1:55 pmMan, I hate Fleetwood Mac. For a quick insight into why people might be here, there’s always the FAQ.
Your parents named you after a witch? Whoa, pass the bong!
posted by Anonymous on November 2nd, 2005 at 2:20 pm“Here’s what I don’t understand…most of you sound like you live here…why not get the hell out”
Maybe because the company where I’ve decided to have a career at is based in Ann Arbor, and its the only office in the company? How dare I want a short commute to work! Where should I move to? Royal Oak? Detroit? Jackson? Taylor? Toledo? All different kinds of shit, but shit just the same.
There’s no law that states you have to like the town that you live in. I’ve had a lot of friends move here after living elsewhere, towns big and small. They all come to the conclusion that AA is pretty damn overrated and unbearing. Chased one away to Cleveland by way of Sacramento it did.
In the meantime, get a real name.
posted by HNG on November 2nd, 2005 at 4:19 pmTodd:
I’ll be in New York the whole month of December and will put a dent in that booze shipment you sent.
Also, you might want to call the owner at a bar called Proof on Third Ave. He in a former Ann Arborite. Might be inclined to stock your liquors.
Congrats. Grammercy Tavern, Daniel and Nobu! DAMN.
posted by John T. on November 3rd, 2005 at 7:31 amYou guys are pathetic. Absolutely pathetic.
posted by Darcy on March 6th, 2006 at 1:51 pm