The Wurst Challenge

On March 20th, Ypsilanti philanthropists will compete against each other to see who can eat more bratwurst at Wurst Bar. Proceeds go to the Fly Children's Art Center. You can read more about the event over on MarkMaynard.com and you can RSVP here.

Maiz to take over Woodruff's

According to a facebook post yesterday, Woodruff's will be replaced by Maiz Mexican Cantina. I take back many years of denouncing a god, because I have been wishing for a while to have any sort of Mexican food within walking distance. If only it was Taqueria La Fiesta.

Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority preview for March 5, 2014

The Ann Arbor DDA meets monthly on the first Wednesday of the month at noon at the DDA headquarters on S Fifth Ave. Here's a summary of the March 5, 2014 DDA board packet. Look for the #a2dda hashtag on Twitter, either to follow or to mute.

all hail the comcast overlords

I love Comcast, I really do. If Comcast was a person I would marry them. I mean, is it even an issue if that little red starts spreading over the other states? It probably means more True Detective for everyone? We should really be happy about Comcast, I mean, they are who is allowing me to type this message anyways. I really LOVE COMCAST. COMCAST FOR LIFE.

Paczki Day at Wayne State University

Check out this great little video from Wayne State. It covers everything you ever wanted to know about Paczki but were afraid to ask.

Previously:

Happy Paczki Day!
Paczki Day in Hamtramck, a photo essay

Happy Paczki Day!

Sister Pie was up all night putting her spin on the classic pastry. (Chocolate hazelnut rye and cranberry-lemon poppy seed. They embody that traditional packzi decadence, and you can still sit up straight after you eat one!) This morning, she's serving up both pre-orders and (limited) walk-ins at the Hannan House Cafe.

Where are you getting your paczki this morning?

Kickstarter for local bees

Gentle readers, I hate to bring you down on Fat Tuesday, but bees are not doing well. Fortunately, there are dedicated local apiarists like Meghan Milbrath. She just launched a kickstarter to help local fund a project that would teach beekeepers in the area to build nucs and propagate their own queens. Meghan has been keeping bees for well over two decades now and really knows her stuff. Check out the video above for some awesome pictures of her happy bees.

Ann Arbor City Council preview for March 3rd, 2014

Ann Arbor City Council is meeting in regular session on Monday, March 3rd, 2014 at 7:00. Here's what to expect from the meeting.

Highlights of the agenda include several items that had been previously postponed, including a No Smoking Ordinance and termination of the Percent for Art program. Funding for affordable housing is also on the agenda. In the clerk's report, the highlights are a 3 year old DDA annual report, and a set of letters from Pattengill students about the poor plowing on the main street leading up to their school after a recent snowstorm.

As always there are other media organizations covering council - look for a comprehensive Ann Arbor Chronicle preview, and a Monday story from the Ann Arbor News with background on one or two highlighted issues.

Paczki Day in Hamtramck, a photo essay

Ed.: Tomorrow is Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras/Paczki Day. In acknowledgement of paczki and their cultural importance in the region, I will be re-posting several of our classic paczki-centric articles from the archives. This photo essay was originally posted by EJ on March 8th 2011.

The paczki torment us as we wait in line at the New Martha Washington Bakery. So close, yet so far. And lest we forget Michigan's abysmal unemployment rate, the bakery advertises that it accepts Bridge cards.

Brunch at Mani

Mani has recently started serving weekend brunch. It is delicious. EJ and I went there with my family two weeks ago and it was wonderful and if you get there early, not too crowded. I highly recommend the truffle toast, which comes with prosciutto and a poached egg. The grapefruit basil pancakes.