Destination Flavor
Destination Flavor: Exploring Ypsilanti’s Depot Town
It might be just a handful of blocks found right after you make your way over the Huron River on East Cross Street in Ypsilanti, but Depot Town practically bursts with local flavors. And not just the culinary variety. The area has a rich history, great shops and a uniquely chill vibe.
Named for the Ypsilanti train station, which opened here in 1838, the area also hosted another railroad—the Underground—providing safe haven for African Americans escaping slavery. With most of the buildings lining East Cross having been built between 1850 and 1880, today history feels alive.
Beginning in June, a Tuesday or Saturday in Depot Town optimally starts bright and early at the farmers market. From there, stroll up and down East Cross and nearby River Streets sampling coffee, thrifting and dropping in to one of the excellent options for fueling up.
One caveat: Our featured restaurants make it tough to leave hungry. For best results, plan multiple trips to Depot Town over the summer.
Depot Town Farmers Market
A fixture for decades, the Depot Town Farmers Market is operated by Growing Hope, a nonprofit organization dedicated to food justice, youth programming, supporting urban farming and food entrepreneurship.
Dayna Popkey is the market and nutrition manager; she’s been involved “since I was a teen, when I worked for the Ypsi Food Co-op.” She received her registered dietitian (RD) degree from nearby Eastern Michigan University. She feels that the accessibility of the Ypsi farmers market sets it apart.
“We have vendors who have been with us for decades, and don’t have high barriers to entry,” she says. And for shoppers, “Double Up Food Bucks will match what you spend on your EBT/Bridge card.”
Over the years, she’s seen Depot Town change and grow, “As much as things have shifted, the farmers have been constant. The market will always be there.”
A tip: “While we do accept credit cards, cash is king.” And as veteran farmers market shoppers know, bring your own bags.
The Spot: Depot Town Farmers Market, 100 Rice St., Ypsilanti; growinghope.net/programs/farmersmarkets/Ypsilanti
Don’t Miss: Norris Stephens, owner and operator of Good Medicine Farm in Milan, has been selling his greens, tomatoes, okra, and beans—picked at most a day before—at the market for years. Karpo Farms, a second-generation farm out of Tipton, sells peaches, apples and berries from its orchards.
Ypsilanti Food Co-op
Your inner flower child will take a deep, serene breath inside the door of this Depot Town institution. The Ypsilanti Food Co-op has been supplying organic foods since before the term was even common.
Manager Corinne Sikorski began working there as a teenager, when the Co-op opened in 1975. She’s effectively grown up right along with it.
“Early on, there was a lot of confusion,” she says. “People had a hard time getting their head around the natural food movement, and the idea that people would work together. We were seen as being kind of communist.”
Despite the initial pushback, the Co-op has survived and thrived, which Sikorski credits in large part to “our strong community and board. Of course, there are challenges, but we’re very committed to being a sustainable business.”
In addition to an incredible amount of foods available in bulk—from gorp to pasta to medicinals—the Co-op offers prepared foods made in-house and plenty of packaged items. And Sikorski takes particular pride in the bakery.
“Our main baker is completely self-taught and a true artisan; he just loves the science of sourdough.” Check the website to see what’s coming out of the oven that day.
The Spot: Ypsilanti Food Co-op, 312 N. River St., Ypsilanti; 734-483-1520; ypsifoodcoop.org
Don’t Miss: The in-house from-scratch carrot cake. Seriously. You need this.
Aubree’s Pizzeria & Grill
You may have picked up an Aubree’s Pizza, or sat down in the restaurant, at any of the eight locations in Southeast Michigan. This one in Depot Town is the original. It opened in 1972, as a small corner bar operated by Bill and Sandee French.
“I’ve lived in Ypsilanti all my life,” says Manager Rob Costa, “and the connection this company has with the community is true and heartfelt. I worked here almost 30 years ago and came back to work here four years ago after spending time at big restaurant companies, because I knew the family was sincere. They really care about the people that work for them, and the community.”
And though Bill passed away several years ago, Sandee still provides input on the menu, decor and day-to-day operations.
“She’s a great person. I love her, as does the rest of the team,” says Costa, describing the team as being made up of people “from all corners of the world and society, which we love. Our uniqueness fits here in Depot Town really well.”
The Spot: Aubree’s Depot Town, 39 E. Cross St., Ypsilanti; 734-483-8888; aubrees.com
Don’t Miss: The Ultimate Feta Bread; according to Rob, it’s cheesy, golden and “really hits the spot, especially teamed with our herbed cheese spread. Who can resist more cheese?”
Maiz
Brilliant colors of the Mexican flag warm up this big, high-ceilinged cantina, which levels up traditional Mexican and Tex-Mex specialities using fresh ingredients—local when possible—and from-scratch technique.
“We aim to be 100% from scratch,” says owner Jason Branham. He’s the first to point out that Maiz’s food is different from what diners may be expecting. “I figure we’re about a third authentic Mexican, a third Tex-Mex and a third what I call fusion, for lack of a better term.”
He’s particularly happy about the wide variety of vegetarian dishes.
“We’ve really concentrated on building out a large number of vegetarian options that don’t just sub beans for meat. We have cauliflower and fried avocado tacos, things you really are not going to find anyplace else.”
Branham and his wife, Dawn, are particularly thrilled to have established Maiz Gives: “We really focus on Ypsilanti-based organizations, educational, charitable.”
They feel the community gives right back.
“Our customers are definitely the #1 reason we could stay alive during the pandemic,” he says. “We never shut down. We’re so humbled by the well of goodwill.”
The Spot: Maiz, 36 E. Cross St., Ypsilanti; 734-340- 6010; maizmexican.com
Don’t Miss: “Our baked avocado stuffed with pico, with cheese melted on it, is completely original, and people keep coming back for it.”
The Sidetrack Bar and Grill
It winds like a labyrinth, with seemingly endless nooks and crannies and stairs leading up to another floor. The patio—described on its website as “bigger, better, outsidier”—spills onto the street whenever outside dining’s possible. Sidetrack, occupying the historic corner building on East Cross and River, is huge.
The bar/restaurant has mastered a perfect ratio between beloved corner joint and just-divey- enough ambience. The walls overflow with a crazy, eclectic mix that includes taxidermy animals (multiple moose heads), old signs and clocks and chalkboards with the daily specials.
But the loyal clientele aren’t just coming for the atmosphere; serving all those appetites is an appropriately enormous menu. There are burgers and sliders—not just beef, but turkey and a full slate of vegetarian options. Comfort food abounds, like mac and cheese and pot roast, and, if you insist on being healthy, there are massive bowls of salad.
And, of course, there’s booze: Bounteous ale offerings on tap and bottled, a list of available pours that could likely stretch down the block, and signature cocktails.
Note that parking is limited. Frankly, you’ll appreciate having a few blocks to walk off some of the calories.
The Spot: The Sidetrack Bar and Grill, 56 E. Cross St., Ypsilanti; 734-483-1035; sidetrackbarandgrill.com
Don’t Miss: The Signature Burger continues to win raves since it was designated bucket-list-worthy by GQ magazine in 2006. And don’t miss a chance to try their beer-battered pickles.
Cultivate Coffee and Tap House
Just around the corner, heading south on North River Street, an entirely different experience awaits. Cultivate’s new and evolving outdoor space, inspired by European beer gardens, provides a bit of relaxing, energizing green in the heart of Ypsilanti.
Occupying the site of a former auto shop, Cultivate’s owners have experienced big changes as they’ve transformed their sizable concrete patch into an urban sanctuary, including new ownership under Sara Demerost, and, like everyone else, the pandemic. But their mission, to give back to the community and help end hunger, remains constant.
“We’re finally turning a corner as less restrictions help us usher in more people. Welcoming people from all segments of society remains a centerpiece to what we do,” says General Manager Ian Griffin.
Eventually, the beer garden will wrap around Cultivate’s building— which includes a raised bed for growing produce. And its coffee roasting operation, formerly in-house, has grown enough to move to a dedicated location in downtown Ypsi.
Griffin considers the warm, welcoming staff as “our greatest resource. I love how passionate they are about what they do. When you understand as a customer that they have that much enthusiasm about our products it’s exciting.”
The Spot: Cultivate Coffee House, 307 N. River St., Ypsilanti; 734-210-9365; cultivateypsi. com
Don’t Miss: “As someone who likes to try something new every time, I recommend asking your server what they are most recently excited about, because it’s always evolving. And we make great, super-clean cocktails.”
Hyperion Coffee
Tucked discreetly behind the Ypsi Food Co-op, Hyperion roasts, blends and packages its own line of global, fair trade coffees—and also is happy to make you an excellent cup to enjoy at a table outside or as you stroll the city.
Dan Kubera, Alex Merz and Eric Mullins opened Hyperion in 2015.
“From day one, we wanted to be intentional with who we source from, establish relationships with producers and be able to promote a value chain model that was sustainable for all parties involved,” says Mullins. “Our café, which opened in the roasting location a few years later, was a natural offshoot of that mission. It gave us the opportunity to directly access a community that wanted to have the same relationships with producers that we were seeking.”
The world is well-represented in the light-filled, high-ceilinged store, with beans from India, Colombia, Ethiopia, Honduras and Guatemala. There are also intriguing blends named for pagan deities, including Titan, Prometheus and Pluto. And the store offers everything you need to brew a perfect cup, with complete directions for its different recommended methods on its website. You may even want to consider a weekly or bi-weekly subscription.
The Spot: Hyperion Coffee, 306 N. River St., Suite D, Ypsilanti (behind the Co-op); 734-547-5329; hyperioncoffee.com
Don’t Miss: “Since we want to highlight our producing partners and intentional sourcing, we always recommend a regular black coffee and single-origin espresso. We offer a coffee of the week as both a drip coffee and a single-origin espresso.”
In each issue, this section spotlights one community in Southeast Michigan — featuring restaurants and food-related businesses we think our readers might enjoy. To recommend a neighborhood or area for an upcoming edibleWOW, please let us know at info@ediblewow.com.
