At Michigan Sea Grant, we enjoy finding opportunities to spend time with each other outside of the office. Sometimes, the Ann Arbor staff members accomplish this over lunch at one of downtown Tree Town’s many delectable eateries.
Last week, we decided to try something new: the Avalon Cafe and Kitchen, which had recently opened a few blocks down from our office. The original Avalon outpost, located in Detroit’s Cass Corridor, focuses on bread and pastries. The Ann Arbor location expands on that theme to include coffee drinks and entrees.
Todd Marsee, our resident graphic designer and gastronome extraordinaire, found a tasty surprise on the menu:
“I love a good reuben, so I was excited to see an unusual twist to the reuben sandwich: a rainbow trout reuben! Since our waiter had already explained Avalon’s commitment to local ingredients, I wondered if they’d sourced their rainbow trout from Henrietta Farms — a Michigan-based aquaculture farm. When the waiter returned, he confirmed my hunch.
This reuben turned out to be a great choice! As described on the menu, it’s a cornmeal-crusted rainbow trout patty on a pumpernickel roll topped with Swiss cheese, Russian dressing, and root vegetable-apple slaw. I’d definitely order it again!”
What do you think of this spin on a reuben sandwich? What are some other sandwiches that deserve a “fishy” twist?
Freshwater Feasts 