The Jolly Pumpkin

January 13th 


This outing marks the first "official" meal of our project. We had originally planned to go to Eve, an upscale restaurant in Kerrytown after hearing it was closing that week. However, after calling for a reservation, none were to be had. So we checked Eve off our list as being impossible to eat at and set out for the Jolly Pumpkin. As part of our resolution, we decided to eat out with someone new each time, so Erika Peterson and Ashley Park were the very first to be invited! We love these girls and have not spent nearly enough time with them this year. It was the perfect double date because they are roommates and we are roommates!

Elisabeth and Erika

Atmosphere: 9.5. The feel of The Jolly Pumpkin is cozy and unique, a little like you just stepped into a Tim Burton Film. Just a little. It has the charm and warmth of a pub. 


Service: 10. No complaints here. Our waitress was helpful, informative and gave us just the right time to decide and order. In addition, our food came out super fast.


Food: 8.5. Our biggest disappointment was in the limited appetizer options- we ordered grilled flat bread with a variety of spreads. It wasn’t anything special, but it still tasted great. The menu was surprisingly standard (mostly consisting of salads, sandwiches and pizzas) but each dish had a unique spin and flavor and truly excelled at what it was. Elisabeth odered the prime steak salad- they essentially served her a cow with a side of lettuce. The steak was cooked to perfection, and the salad was basically an average steak dinner made into a salad (roasted potatoes, healthy serving of steak). Erika ordered the Tofu salad, which we commented tasted much better than any tofu we have ever attempted to prepare ourselves. I ordered the South Pacific pizza, topped with bacon, onions and pineapple. The flavor of this pizza was unlike anything I had ever tasted before. It blew my mind. Needless to say, we were are all very happy with our choices. 

      Ashley joined us for dessert, for which we ordered several of their items to share; the Pumpkin Whoopie Pie, the Vegan Chocolate Cake, and the Scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream made from coconut milk served with an almond shortbread cookie. Delish. 

Ashley and Chelsea

Pumpkin Whoopie Pie... one bite in.

Overall: 9. This is an experience you do NOT want to miss. The Jolly Pumpkin comes with our highest recommendation. It was a great time out at a reasonable price. *Added bonus- they use local suppliers for a large range of their food items. 


If you go (and really, you should go): 
http://www.jollypumpkin.com/annarbor/
311 South Main Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(734) 913-2730