56 E. CROSS ST. DEPOT TOWN, YPSILANTI MI 734.483.5230
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"September: it was the most beautiful of words, he'd always felt, evoking orange-flowers, swallows & regret."
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A Bird In The Hand Makes Us Happy As a Lark...
A few weeks ago, a bird accidentally (we're assuming) flew into the Sidetrack. Manager Matt, who at one time must have been accidentally bitten by a radioactive spider (we're assuming), sprung into action, jumped on a chair, onto the backbar, and then onto the open space above the Sidetrack kitchen where he safely caught the bird and placed it in a small box.
The Crampton Family of Canton, Sidetrack regulars and admitted animal lovers, witnessed it all, identified the bird as a domesticated Zebra Finch, and offered to take the bird home to care for.
As this was a much more pleasant situation than the last time we gave a customer the bird, we agreed.
Last week, we received a letter from the Cranston's thanking the caring Sidetrack staff, and to give us the latest on the rescued Finch.
"When we got home, our daughter named the bird Frenchie. We recently bought a companion Finch for Frenchie which our daughter appropriatly named Sidetrack". The Crampton's also sent along the photo below of the 2 Zebra Finches in their cage.
Though songbirds, Sidetrack and Frenchie spend most of their day tweeting each other. |
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Fat Tire in Michigan!
Sidetrack to carry the infamous Amber
 If you haven't heard of Fat Tire Amber Ale from New Belgium Brewing Company you either live under a rock or need new beer drinking buddies. Although widely popular, this lauded brew has not been available in the Mitten State... until now. The Sidetrack is excited to announce that we will be carrying Fat Tire Amber in bottles, and will be anxiously awaiting it's draught debut later this fall.
Not only does New Belgium make some killer brews, they are also an incredible environmentally consciouss operation. With everything from green commuting incentives for the employees, to their energy efficient brew kettle, New Belgium has taken their commitment to sustainability to a whole new level! |
DOLLAR DOLLAR BEERS, Y'ALL!
Labor Day Dollar Beer Sale!
 We are cleaning out our coolers to make room for a new line-up of bottled beers which means it is time for another DOLLAR BEER SALE! Starting on Labor Day we will be selling to-go six packs of assorted DOLLAR BEERS. Come down and choose your brews while the pickins are good! If you are on the fence about our DOLLAR BEER SALE, just think of some of the other things you can buy for $1... -half of an ATM fee -a bottle of Aqua Net Hairspray -a multicolored rubberband ball -10 gumballs from candy machine in Ypsilanti City Hall -a taxi ride from Frenchie's to The Sidetrack A BOTTLE OF EXCELLENT BEER FOR $1 IS AN AH-MAZING DEAL, huh??!?! (one six pack per customer, per visit. to-go only!) |
Welcome Back Students!
Sidetrack Scholarship @ EMU
The end of summer brings the students back to town and we couldn't be more excited for their return. For those students who are majoring in Hotel and Restaurant Management at Eastern Michigan University, Fall 2012 marks the first semester they will be able to apply for the brand new Sidetrack Scholarship for Service Industry and Entrepreneurial Excellence. The scholarship was established by Linda and Jessica French, the sole proprietors of The Sidetrack, who seek to provide support for students working on a degree in hospitality management and encourage not only academic excellence, but entrepreneurial ambition as well. Want to know more about the Hotel and Restaurant Management Program at EMU? CLICK HERE! |
Play On, Piano Players
Depot Town To Host Street Pianos!
In the coming weeks you will see pianos popping up all around town. While they may be beautiful, these pianos are not to be idly admired. No, these pianos are for playing! Come on out and stroke the ivories on the streets of Ypsilanti! |
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Bed Race CHAMPIONS 2012!
Sidetrack crew is great in bed!
 We want to congratulate the Sidetrack staff who came out to compete in the 2012 Ypsi Bed Race. Not only did they show up on time, they brought their A game and took home the title. Way to go, crew! Check out the video below to witness the stunning victory for yourself-
 | | Ypsilanti Bed Race |
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YES WE CAN[ned beer]
The New Face of Canned Beer
 If you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, maybe we should stop judging a beer by its bottle... or lack thereof. Microbreweries all over the country are currently producing some pretty tasty brews in cans! Not only are cans convenient for the times when glass containers are not permitted or practical, but can are also an environmentally friendly option as well. As it turns out, cans are the only 100% recyclable packing option available AND nearly 25% off all aluminum cans are recycled. Not bad! The Sidetrack will now be carrying a bevy of canned brews for your enjoyment in-house or elsewhere... Keep your eyes peeled for: -Pick Axe Blonde and Widowmaker Black Ale, from Keweenaw Brewery in Houghton, MI -Brooklyn Brewery IPA, Brooklyn NY -Youngs Double Chocolate Stout, UK (DID YOU KNOW THAT ALL CANNED AND BOTTLED BEER IS AVAILABLE FOR CARRY-OUT?! IT'S TRUE!) |
A Reason to Laugh
 What is the worst thing about a nosy pepper? -It's Jalapeno business
What did the runaway burger say to the cop? -I relish the fact that you've mustard the strength to ketchup to me.
Did you hear about the herb who was an all around great guy, did loads of charity work and was always there to help? -He was a Tarragon Of Virtue.
What did the llama say when inviting his date on a picnic?
-Alpaca Lunch!
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TRACK PACK GONE WILD
The TRACK PACK takes a trip to Cedar Point- a wild ride was had by all! |
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YOU CAN'T WIN IF YOU DON'T PLAY
-Guest Writer and Occasional Clairvoyant, Steve Gross
 On August 15th, we were going through some old jeans hoping to find a 10 or a 20 for gas, when we heard the announcement that somebody from Lapeer had won $320 million dollars in the Michigan Powerball Lottery. Or, as Mitt Romney calls it, petty cash. 320 million! After the Feds and the State take their cut, that's about 220 million dollars cash in hand. If the winner lived in Ypsi and the citywide tax had passed, that total would be a few hundred thou less. In Sidetracksylvanian currency, the total take is about 36,666,666 Burgers. The odds of this unidentified Chucklehead (respectfully and enviously) from Lapeer winning the lottery? You're more likely to get hit by an asteroid than you are to win the lottery. It's 200 times more likely that 2 golfers will get a hole in one on the same hole, on a scramble. These one sided, worse- than- lousy -odds prove that the lottery is really just a self imposed tax on those who are really bad at math. So who's the big winner? It seems as though this lottery winner from Lapeer is taking more time to come out than Anderson Cooper. And who can blame him, or her? A wise winner of millions of dollars can forever take care of themselves, their family, and their friends, they can support non profits meaningful to them, and more. And then there are some instant multi millionaires who, given enough time, self destruct. Michael Correll of Scotland claimed his 15 million dollar prize while wearing a tether for a drunk driving conviction. His first purchase was a 3 million dollar home next to an open field where he hosted his own demolition derbies. He and his friends trashed the house, left the field littered with wrecked cars, and spent the rest of his winnings on drugs, women, and parties. Similiarly, a West Virginia lottery winner was robbed of $545,000 in a strip club called The Pink Pony, he totalled his uninsured Corvette 427 convertible, and was sued by Caesar's Atlantic City for 1.5 million for bad checks written to cover gambling losses. Closer to home, it was a Belleville Michigan man who won Michigan's 1st Million Dollar Powerball. In 1978, he bought what was Ypsilanti's Casa Loma Restaurant across the street from Haab's, he renamed it The Grainery, and might have partied a little too much with the staff and customers. He was successfully sued by his ex wife for half of his winnings, and soon wound up in jail for selling drugs. The Feds closed the Grainery in 1982. Considering that experts say nearly 70% of big lottery winners squander away their money, the best bet for us is to just pull up to the bar, have a burger, a tall Newcastle, and pontificate about what we would do if we suddenly won millions of dollars.
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Lots To Do In Ypsilanti!
Thursdays in September- DEPOT TOWN CRUISE NIGHT:
Depot Town rocks on Thursday evenings during Cruise Nights. Hundreds of visitors stroll the length of Depot Town to check out the wonderful old cars parked along either side of E. Cross Street. It's also a perfect time to sit at one of the several sidewalk restaurants and people watch, with lots of family fun too- there is music & a hula hoop contest with prizes and ice cream for all who enter!
Tuesdays in September- DEPOT TOWN BIKE NIGHT:
Motorcycles line Cross Street in Ypsilanti's Depot Town every Tuesday (weather permitting) beginning in June and continuing through the end of October.
Check out 100 vintage & contemporary bikes, grab some grub, and stroll through Depot Town. Bikers arrive around 5:30, the event runs 'til 9. *OUR NEW PATIO ON CROSS STREET IS PERFECT FOR BIKE WATCHING!
September 23rd, 9:30 am. Riverside Park- ORPHAN CAR SHOW:
"Riverside Park fills with the sounds and smells of 300 automotive oddballs and eccentricities for this festival. Brands that have fallen by the wayside for myriad reasons are celebrated here, and several of the best automotive historians spend the day sharing their knowledge of these forgotten flivvers, which hail from around the globe and span most of the first automotive century." Come down to see the interesting cars and stop in for a brew and a burger !
Friday, September 28th, 6:60pm. Schmidt's Auction House, 5138 W. MI Ave- SCHMIDT'S FRIDAY NIGHTS: Continuing their series of auctions we call "Schmidt's Friday Nights" This is wonderful source to buy and sell reasonably priced antiques and collectibles. A monthly auction where anyone can sell or buy, with NO BUYER'S PREMIUM, no catalogs, no shipping the stuff across the country, no negotiating, no hassle, no headache, just lots of fun! |
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FREE FRIED PICKLE
MONDAY |
FABULOUSLY FREE FAMOUS FRIED PICKLE MONDAY HAS RETURNED FROM FURLOUGH! (say that five times fast!) On Mondays in September you can get a free order of fried pickles with this coupon and an entr�e. To avoid any confusion, we have made a handy guide to answer all questions.
What is NOT an entr�e: What is not this coupon:
a cup of soup your cell phone
a margarita ANYTHING OTHER THAN THIS COUPON
a basket of fries
your mom.
| | Offer Valid Mondays in September |
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