The tartuffo pizza at Mani Osteria in Ann Arbor combines the sharpness of forest mushrooms, the richness of fontina cheese, the earthy flavors of black truffles and cascades of warm egg yolk.Sam Dodge | MLive.com

I miss Mark’s Carts.

The downtown food truck court closed in 2017, but I still have fond memories of lunches with coworkers and friends out on the picnic tables in the sunshine.

Food trucks are a great way to offer culinary variety and support small business owners, many of whom use trucks as a stepping stone to permanent locations.

But food truck season has already hit a bump in Ann Arbor. A weekly food truck series planned for West Keech Avenue by Allmendinger Park had to adjust because city officials say original plans were illegal.

Food trucks are barred from setting up in residential areas.

Our story by Jordyn Pair highlighted some impassioned responses from folks who already own food trucks or aspire to.

“Ann Arbor is a culinary hotspot,” said Adam Chong, a junior at University of Michigan who plans to create Dö, a food trailer that will serve Korean street food. “We love the restaurants here, and we want to add that legacy. We want to make room for new food entrepreneurs to add to the legacy that is Ann Arbor.”

While food trucks offer a certain kind of outdoor dining experience, there are many amazing brick and mortar restaurants in Ann Arbor, too.

This includes the legendary Mani Osteria which produces gourmet pizza options that caught the eye – and taste buds – of our own Sam Dodge this week.

Dodge picked the tartufo pizza and got deliciously descriptive with the experience.

“A new flavor dominates every bite in the tartufo,” Dodge writes. “One bite might be filled with the sharpness of forest mushrooms or the earthy fragrance and texture of black truffles. Another nibble might find the rich, buttery and creamy fontina cheese.”

Read about those stories and more below.

Food truck series on residential Ann Arbor street would have been illegal, officials say

With an enticing list of cuisines on its menu — including tacos, barbecue and other hand-held delicacies — a weekly food truck series near Ann Arbor’s Allmendinger Park was set to bring a variety of local businesses to the street of West Keech Avenue throughout the summer.

The catch? It would have been illegal.

Although Ann Arbor established guidance in 2019 that allows food trucks to set up on private property in non-residential and mixed-use areas, it bars them from parking in residential areas or in public rights-of-way such as streets.

Ann Arbor’s Best Food: Every bite of this Mani Osteria pizza is a flavor journey

Pizza breeds subjectivity in food lovers. When researching a pie to shove into my face, the options are endless -- delivery or dine-in, vegan or meatlover, extra doughy or gluten free. The list goes on and on.

This selection smorgasbord is particularly true in Ann Arbor, where you can throw a rock in any direction and hit a pizzeria. And, not only are there dozens of pizza places, there are countless combinations of toppings to choose.

Ann Arbor’s Best Cocktails: Whiskey sours are special at 327 Braun Court

As more bars and restaurants refine their menus to offer exotic, experimental new cocktails and new twists on classics, it’s sometimes comforting to fall back on a drink noted for its simplicity.

The whiskey sour served by The Bar at 327 Braun Court in Ann Arbor’s Kerrytown neighborhood fits that billing, even if it is made with the type of precision you’d expect from a cocktail with more varied, complex ingredients.

Man fatally shot in the head in Ypsilanti Township

An 18-year-old Ypsilanti Township man died after suffering a gunshot wound to the head Wednesday afternoon.

Police were called at 4:28 p.m. Wednesday, June 22, to the 1000 block of S. Harris Road in Ypsilanti Township for multiple reports of shots fired and a man down, according to the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office.

Sean Longoria, 18, later died from injuries suffered in the shooting.

‘Troubling questions’ raised about handling of Ann Arbor shooting case, judge says

A Michigan Supreme Court judge has called into question the handling of a Washtenaw County criminal case where a man went from being convicted of shooting a delivery driver to getting a new trial then having the case sent to peacemaking court.

The Michigan Supreme Court issued an order Friday, June 10, dismissing a pending appeal in the case against Jacob Langston-Porter LaBelle who was seeking bond after being granted a new trial.

Developer buys Eastern Michigan University building in $12.6M deal to create STEM center

An Ann Arbor workspace developer will spend $12.6 million to buy and renovate the former College of Business building at Eastern Michigan University.

Michigan Innovation Headquarters, also known as MI-HQ, will purchase the Gary Owens Building from EMU for $2.6 million, with renovations expected to cost $10 million, company officials said.

MI-HQ, which develops properties to provide companies a collaborative space, said it plans to turn the 130,000-square-foot space into an “innovative shared workspace” for STEM companies.

Ypsilanti OKs agreements for 2 affordable housing projects, bringing 354 new units

Ypsilanti has undergone an experiment of sorts for months.

What would new projects made possible by millions in public support in the form of tax breaks and other incentives look like if developers had to sit across the table from residents and hammer out what the they would get in return?

A full picture likely won’t be clear for months, if not years, but Ypsilanti got the beginnings of an answer on Tuesday, June 21, with the approval of two community benefits agreements, contracts associated with a pair of planned new developments slated to bring a combined 354 new housing units to a city officials say faces a crisis of housing accessibility.

Man charged with murder for killing brother with pellet gun in Ypsilanti Township

An Ypsilanti Township man has been charged with murder after police said he fatally shot his brother with a pellet gun.

Steven Michael Harris, 29, was arraigned June 11 on one count of open murder for the death of his brother, 32-year-old Thomas Harris, court records show.

Police were called at about 10 p.m. Thursday, June 9, to a home in the 600 block of Dubie Avenue in Ypsilanti Township for a report of a shooting between two brothers, according to the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office.

Ann Arbor-area development would replace 3 existing houses with 64 townhomes

Three single-family homes surrounded by subdivisions and commercial space in a highly-developed area just outside Ann Arbor city limits could soon give way to a higher-density housing project.

Developers hope to build 64 townhome-style apartments on a roughly 5.5-acre site that will be created by joining three lots off Waters Road, just west of Oak Valley Drive, currently with the site of one home each, according to Pittsfield Township planning documents.

Gun testing facility draws fire in township north of Ann Arbor

A firearm optics testing facility is one step closer to becoming a reality despite concerns from neighbors in a township north of Ann Arbor.

The Northfield Township Planning Commission on June 15 granted site plan approval for Leapers Inc., a company proposing a private gun facility to professionally test and research precision firearm optics at 2960 Seven Mile Road.

Residents spoke out against the testing facility at the meeting, afraid it would generate too much noise and impact not only families, but horses in the area.

The Michigan Summer Beer Festival is back this year in Ypsilanti

Beer enthusiasts and novices alike can sample offerings from more than 100 Michigan breweries at the 23rd annual Michigan Summer Beer Festival.

The festival, hosted by the Michigan Brewers Guild, is set for 5 to 9 p.m., Friday, July 22, and 1 to 6 p.m., Saturday, July 23, at Riverside Park, 2 E. Cross St. in Ypsilanti.

Tickets, subject to availability, are $50 in advance and $60 at the gate on Friday and $55 in advance and $65 at the gate on Saturday.

Thanks for reading and I’ll be back next Friday with another set of headlines.

About “Hello, Ann Arbor”: Each week, we deliver the big headlines straight to your inbox via our Friday 3@3 Ann Arbor newsletter. Sign up for the newsletter here.

John Counts is the News Leader for MLive in Ann Arbor. He can be reached at johncounts@mlive.com.

Hello, Ann Arbor: High-density rezoning discussed for west side; Border-to-Border Trail updates

Hello, Ann Arbor: Help us explore local dining and drinks; CJ Carr chooses Notre Dame

Hello, Ann Arbor: That’s one funky duck; pilot with local ties is real ‘Top Gun’

Hello, Ann Arbor: Why the grass here is so shaggy; popular mountain bike loops get connected

Hello, Ann Arbor: Another tragic bridge-jumping death; prom at the Big House

Hello, Ann Arbor: Our liberal city is not immune to discrimination, lack of diversity

Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission.

Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (User Agreement updated 1/1/21. Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement updated 5/1/2021).

© 2022 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us). The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local.

Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site.