Marketing, Brunching and BBQing

Yesterday was a good day. I awoke on my Saturday morning to a lovely storm. The rain didn't get me down however, as I had plans to head to the 90th Birthday celebration of the Ann Arbor Farmer's Market with Nick and Carly. Nothing could spoil that fun! Well, maybe not having my morning coffee. But Nick quickly fixed that with a stop to Bagel Fragel. Once we were bagel'd, coffee'd, and on our way, nothing could stop us. Walking to the market getting drenched was not really high on the list of "fun Saturday morning activities," but once we were actually at the market under the covered sections, it was busy and full of cheerful people. And veggies! The market really has been displaying it's bounty lately, and everything was on display from jams to fennel. It was very exciting. While I didn't manage to get myself any free gelato or cake, I was still happy just to be marketing with some great people.
After the market and a quick trip to Sparrow's, we decided brunch was in order. So we called up Brad to meet us, and headed over to The Bomber in Ypsilanti. Another exciting adventure, since I'd never been! In fact, none of us had ever been. I'd heard some great things and have always been meaning to check the Bomber out, but it just never seemed to happen. Alas, today was the day. Unfortunately, the "great" things I'd heard about the Bomber were definitely not in direct relationship to the atmosphere. I mean, I know most diner's are kind of dumpy, but this place gets two stars (if that) in the ambiance department. The walls covered in American war history was nice, but I could have done without the mismatched furniture and booths, in addition to what felt like dirty glassware. I think the very large gentleman who happened to break not one but TWO chairs during his meal would agree. Redecoration would be in order. Location aside though, the food was pretty good (including some of the better bacon I've had in a very long time). I went with some sort of Bomber special (french toast, egg, bacon), Brad got a breakfast burrito, Nick had the "cowboy," and Carly went with a combination of a greek omelet and the "nature" pancake. No major complaints as we brunched away.

Mmm, Bomber Brunch

After brunch, Brad headed to Adventures in Homebrewing in Taylor to get some Oberon ingredients, and I headed back home to start prepping the house...for a BBQ! Nick and Carly would be joining us in Milan later in the afternoon for a chance to hear about their Europe trip and play our typical Euchre and bocce. Obviously the rain ended up killing our bocce plans, but thankfully by the time Nick and Carly arrived around 5:30, the rain had cleared so that we could eat outside. And eat we did! I proclaim it a grand feast.

Potato SaladSunflower Sprout Strawberry SaladGreek Couscous SaladLemony Cayenne Green BeansLocal watermelonBurgers and dogs

Nick and Carly even spoiled us with homemade mayonaise in the potato salad, and of course, Carly's famous brownies for dessert. I forgot to take a picture, but she outdid herself with a double batch this time, and they were beyond divine. Paired with some local Calder dairy vanilla ice cream, we were living the high life.
We ended the evening by playing some games, but strangely enough, not our usual. Nick brought a new game called Ticket to Ride that Brad and I have since fallen in love with. The game involves building trains to score points, and even though the instructions for play seemed hella complicated at first, once we got the hang of it, we were hooked. After a few games we switched things up and taught Nick & Carly how to play Oh, Hell. I think Nick was less than enthuased at first (of course, because he wasn't winning), but after things turned around in his favor, I think he saw it's draw. Next time, we'll have to play Euchre though, as I've been missing a good round. Overall, it was a lovely evening with friends, and exactly the kind of day that reminds me just how lucky I am to live in such a great little city. I wouldn't change things for the world. :-)
P.S. Thanks to Carly for the lovely bouquet of market flowers! They make me smile.