On a stretch of South State Street fairly overflowing with sandwich joints, Joe's Sub Shop stands apart from the crowd.

Step aside, Jimmy John's; outta the way, Potbelly. Clean and bright and one of only two in the world - as opposed to its chain competition - Joe's is the kind of place that makes one feel as if one has stepped back into a different collegiate era of felt pennants, letter sweaters and poodle skirts.

Great Lake Chinese Seafood Restaurant was bustling on a recent Saturday night. The restaurant is easily missed, through a dingy-looking parking lot off Carpenter Road, and the decor could stand a face-lift. That doesn't seem to deter the crowds.

When we visited, one large party of nearly 20 was celebrating a 2-month-old baby's baptism and his newborn cries could be heard throughout the restaurant as different relatives took turns walking him. On all sides of us were large family groups. There was a boisterous, down-home feel as everyone heaped their plates from family style servings with the arrays of food.

When you ask Roland Pohlman, the 42-year-old owner of The West End Grill, what accounts for his restaurant's success over the past 13 years, he jokingly replies, "It's the good-looking guy that stands by the front door."

Pohlman is there every night his restaurant is open, talking with the customers to get immediate feedback on their dining experience. "If you're paying a lot of money, it's got to be memorable," he says.

Sometimes, eating out is an event in itself. And that's what you get at The Melting Pot, an all-out eating extravaganza. There are more than 150 Melting Pots across the country. The Ann Arbor store, which opened Nov. 4, is the fourth in Michigan. Manager Eddie Flecker said the communal fondue dining "is what really drives people in here." Many come to celebrate a special occasion, like an anniversary or a birthday.

The ambiance here is dark, from the long, spacious booths, to the dark walls, broken up by a glimmering glass showcase of wines on display. Each table has burners for the pots that heat the various fondue sauces. If you decide to head here, come hungry and plan to spend a good deal of time and money. With a traditional meal consisting of four courses: a cheese fondue, salad, entree and dessert, "this is a two-hour dining experience," says Flecker. That's because the server goes through a lengthy process of mixing the various ingredients, table side. After each course, another pot is brought out that needs to be remixed and heated.

By Julie Halpert
News Special Writer

There's no doubt that Northside Grill is a big weekend draw, which made me consider whether I had the time to wait, either in the cramped indoor area or braving the cold outside, on a recent Sunday afternoon. We opted to huddle together, indoors, sidestepping the waitresses bringing out platters of tempting, delicious smelling hot food.

The reason for the crowds is that this place is a great weekend hangout. The Northside has been around since 1993, when Jim Koli opened it. The small space, which contains booths, tables and chairs, all fairly close together, definitely shows its age. There's nothing upscale about it, but the food, not the atmosphere, has long been the attraction.

I've had countless rich and extravagant desserts over the years: flourless chocolate cake, creme brulee, vanilla and chocolate mousse swirled in an elegant parfait glass, cheesecake and key lime tartlets. Yet I would trade them all for one simple favorite: a piece of moist yellow cake with thick, white frosting, oozing in cream and sugar, the kind I delighted in as a child at backyard birthday parties. Long after my kids have had their two bites of their birthday cakes, I find myself taking finger-fulls of frosting off their plates.

So I was more than happy to survey the burgeoning cupcake market in the area. There are plenty to choose from, some specializing in cupcakes, others offering other treats.

Arriving at Rick's American Cafe on Church Street recently, I was surprised to find that the dress code seemed to have been recently revised to allow ... paint.

Every last one of the 15 or so patrons (it was early yet) was covered in it, mostly yellow and blue. One guy's ear was so thoroughly recolored that I wondered if he would ever again use a Q-tip that didn't come out slightly azure. It turned out that it wasn't a hot new midweek apparel theme - it was a group of U-M business school students returning from an excursion to paint The Rock on the corner of Hill Street and Washtenaw Avenue.

Heading to Dominick's when the leaves are changing color is a bit like coming upon a ghost town. During balmy summer evenings, it's not uncommon to see throngs of students sipping sangria on the outdoor patio, making for a festive, party atmosphere.

But when the colder months of autumn barrel in, closing the restaurant's outdoor patio and quaint, Italian-style courtyard, there aren't many diners lingering. Owner Richard DeVarti said that diminishing traffic has influenced the decision to only stay open from March through the last home football game, this year, on Nov. 15.

Does fun frighten you? If not, here are some suggestions on how to mark the annual pagan ritual we call Halloween (and boo to those who got started early with all those parties last weekend!).

"I mean, really," Pat Valant, of Dearborn, asked the eight of us seated at his table, sipping wine outside Vinology as the sun set on a glorious night, "can you think of any place you'd rather be?"

We all tried to look like we were politely considering the question for a minute, but the answer was clearly, "No." Our group made up about a third of the attendees at Vinology's monthly wine-tasting event, the August installment of which was billed as "On the Patio." English poet John Gay wasn't kidding when he noted that "from wine what sudden friendship springs."

As a new burger joint, Bagger Dave's felt like a perfect choice for dinner following a University of Michigan home football game.

Surprisingly, my family and I were able to find an open table as the masses of Wolverine fans streamed out of the stadium.

Finding the new Glass House Cafe in the University of Michigan Life Sciences complex is a feat in itself. You won't see the name of the restaurant on or outside the building, and it's tucked away on the third floor of a building that overlooks Washtenaw Avenue. Its convenient location adjacent to classrooms makes it a draw for U-M faculty and students.

Once I located it, I was drawn to the serene setting. There is glass everywhere, starting with the tables. There are floor-to-ceiling windows, and acrylic resin panels made from recycled materials suspended, cloud-like, in the air, making for a picturesque setting with an incredibly sleek, contemporary feel.

Owner Sandhu Gajjan spent six months renovating the new Indian restaurant, Mahek, transforming it from a dark, closed-in space (when it was Shehan Shah) into a larger, bright and airy atmosphere.

Gajjan expanded the restaurant into an adjoining former office building and redid all the electricity and lighting. Bright white walls are decorated tastefully, with intriguing Indian paintings. The dramatic facelift contributes very positively to the dining experience.

First of all, he's cute.

I mean the leprechaun. In the blue outfit. Beaming down at you from several vantages in the new South University Avenue sports bar called - wait for it - The Blue Leprechaun.

There are few restaurants in Ann Arbor where I know that, whatever I'm in the mood for, be it a burger or a healthful salad, I can count on consistently reliable, high-quality food for every member of my family and know that I won't have to spend a fortune. Grizzly Peak Brewing Company is such a place.