My belly has a lot of thanking to do.

Since starting Dish of the Week in June 2022, I have visited more than 80 restaurants across Washtenaw County. I’ve tried burgers, fries, pizza, Indian lamb, doughnuts, ice cream and tons more the last three years.

If there was a theme for the series in 2025, it was delicious debuts. Three of my five most memorable experiences came at new restaurants.

Here are my personal five favorite Dish of the Week stories from the past year.

Echelon’s debut

From the moment waiter Mike Gomez took my order, I knew I was in good hands at Echelon Kitchen and Bar .

Gomez made great suggestions to ease my wife and I into downtown Ann Arbor’s “fancy yet unpretentious” fine dining eatery.

The left side of the menu is salad and appetizers. My wife and I went with

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