By Steve Bergsman

Wherever I travel in the United States, I usually take time out from whatever I'm doing to visit the university campus if there is one nearby. Whether it's Princeton, the University of Texas, Wake Forest or Iowa State, I'll drive around the campus then stop for lunch at whatever local greasy spoon is popular with the students.

I had visited the University of Michigan campus before, but I'd never taken the time to enjoy the city of Ann Arbor, so on a recent visit to Michigan I decided to have a look at the city. What I found is that besides being a college town, Ann Arbor is a fully realized city on its own with a host of things to do. It's like a smaller version of Philadelphia or Chicago with great restaurants, unusual shopping experiences, active theater, lively music venues and some fine museums.

In just a few days I saw two plays, shopped three bookshops, toured three museums, saw a Marshall Crenshaw/Bottle Rockets concert at The Ark, toured the University of Michigan football stadium, visited the nearby cities of Ypsilanti and Chelsea, and dined at a different restaurant every lunchtime and evening. On top of all that I took off one morning to kayak on the Huron River.

After visiting Ann Arbor, I needed a vacation — and I also needed to go on a diet because this hamlet has become a foodie town. Indeed, the three core blocks of Main Street are jam-packed with interesting eateries, many of which have outdoor patio seating for summer dining.

My favorite was Vellum, which served a superb pan-fried walleye (with hand-pressed onion broth, shallot, brandade and apple). My friends chose the brisket, fisherman's stew and rib-eye steak, and their meals were equally terrific. The head chef, R. Peter Roumanis, cut his teeth in the food world by working with Mario Batali at his New York restaurant, Del Posto.

I tried two Latin-fusion restaurants, the upscale Lena and the more casual Frita Batidos. Both were good, but I preferred the latter, mostly because of the Cuban influence. I could go and on about the conch fritters and crisped plantains, but I have a real a fondness for the basic Cuban sandwich and this one, called the "Inspired Cuban," was the best I ever had. It was made with lemongrass roast pork, thick-cut bacon, tasso ham, gruyere, cornichons and chipoltle mayo on Cuban bread. The restaurant also nailed the cortadito, an espresso drink that I usually only order in Miami.

As is my usual practice, I tried one of the cheaper eateries popular with college students, the venerable Blimpy Burger. I also tried Italian restaurants — the more traditional Gratzi, which made a very tasty orrechiette dish, and the higher-end Mani, where on Saturday evenings there is a line to get inside. I tried everything from the pasta to the pizza and understood its popularity.

And still I kept going, eating at Conor O'Neills Traditional Irish Pub, which offered a splendid beef and lamb shepherd's pie. The manager of the eatery, a rosy-cheeked woman from Dublin, regaled us with stories as we enjoyed a round of award-winning bread pudding.

Also on my itinerary were Cake Nouveau and Cupcake Station. Although they both made yummy, bite-sized cupcakes, I cast my vote for the latter, mostly because the chocolate dollop of pleasure reminded me of my childhood. Brandon Johns, the owner and chef of Grange Kitchen and Bar, told me that the goal of buying local meat and produce was easy for them since Michigan is second only to California in agricultural diversity. When local cherries aren't in season, the Cherry Republic on Main Street offers everything from cherry salsa to cherry wine.

One really can't talk about Ann Arbor's food scene without mentioning Zingerman's, sometimes referred to as "the empire" by other restaurateurs. What started out as a single Jewish deli has evolved into several enterprises. The first spinoff came in 1992 with the Bakehouse, and now there are eight others, including the Roadhouse Restaurant and Creamery. The original deli serves 25,000 Reuben sandwiches annually. Founders Paul Saginaw and Ari Weinzweig could have developed their company into a franchise operation, but they decided to invest their time, energy and capital into their home city.

Weinzweig has also written books on empowering employees, and their operation serves as an incubator for food professionals who move on to other pursuits. Ji Hye Kim, who wanted to serve Korean dishes from a food cart, was one of their proteges. One afternoon I ate at her food cart, San Street, at a tiny downtown location called Mark's Carts. I had a set of small wraps — pork, beef and tofu — but I could also have eaten at any of the other seven carts on the site or had a beer at the biergarten nearby.

Ann Arbor also has a number of local breweries. I tried Wolverine here, and at nearby Ypsilanti my favorite was Ypsi Gypsy.

WHEN YOU GO

Ann Arbor is an easy 30-minute drive from the Detroit Metro Airport.

I stayed south of downtown at the TownePlace Suites, but the Briarwood Circle area where the hotel was located boasted a number of other midrange hotels: www.marriott.com.

For help in planning a trip to Ann Arbor, contact the very helpful convention and visitors bureau: www.visitannarbor.org.

Steve Bergsman is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.