Frugal Friday at Frita Batidos features rich, fragrant churro sundae
Mary Bilyeu, Contributor
Tom and I had a lovely date night recently, featuring a treat that he declared to be "the best dessert I've had in a very long time."
And where did we find this fabulousness to spotlight in today's Frugal Floozie Friday feature?
At Frita Batidos, a cheerful and casual Cuban-influenced eatery run by famed chef Eve Aronoff whose late, great restaurant eve was the site of one of my very favorite and most memorable meals.
The small but intensely bright white restaurant was nearly empty when we first arrived, though as we watched, more than a dozen people streamed in and filled the space only a few minutes later. We perused the menu, always a complicated matter with so many enticing dishes from sandwiches to salads to sweets.
But we'd already eaten our dinner and had come prepared for dessert. A batido, perhaps, which is a fruit-based milkshake? Rum-soaked pineapple? The highly recommended cinnamon-sugar plantains that Tom had eaten on a previous visit to Frita's?
Nope. All were excellent possibilities, but there was a clear winner among the choices: a churro sundae — fried pastry strips paired with rich ice cream for dunking.
Now, these were not just some plain ol' doughnuts — ha! The churros were still warm from the fryer, fragrant with a generous coating of cinnamon sugar and infused with the scent of orange. They were crisp upon first biting in, followed by a spongy interior cooked to airy perfection. The ice cream was a lovely complement, rich and creamy and perfect to dip the churros in, but the pastries were clearly the star of this show.
At $7, this amazingly luscious dessert clearly falls within the mandatory $5 per person Frugal Floozie Friday budget because the portion is so generous that it would be impossible to finish it without a loved one to share it with. You could really economize and share it among a group of four, but I don't recommend this strategy; then you'd only get one churro per person, and they're too fabulous to settle for such a measly portion!
Frita Batidos
117 W. Washington
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(734) 761-2882
Mary Bilyeu has won or placed in more than 60 cooking contests and writes about her adventures in the kitchen. She was thrilled to have her post about Scottish Oatmeal Shortbread named as one of the daily "Best of the Blogs" by the prestigious Food News Journal.
Go visit Mary's blog — Food Floozie — on which she enthuses and effuses over all things food-related. Her newest feature is Frugal Floozie Friday, seeking fun and food for $5 or less ... really! Feel free to email her with questions or comments or suggestions: yentamary@gmail.com.
The phrase "You Should Only Be Happy" (written in Hebrew on the stone pictured in this post) comes from Deuteronomy 16:15 and is a wish for all her readers as they cook along with her ... may you always be happy here.
Comments
Mary Bilyeu
Sat, Sep 3, 2011 : 4:09 p.m.
I adored the churros, which were just perfection! The atmosphere differs depending upon how many people are there at the time; it can be quiet and intimate if you tuck yourselves into a corner, as Tom and I did, or communal and festive at the picnic tables if it's busy. And the brightness definitely makes Frita's seem larger and more open, since the space is so small. I will happily go back, and can't wait to eat my way through the rest of the menu!
Macabre Sunset
Sat, Sep 3, 2011 : 7:30 a.m.
I agree. I enjoyed the food - it's something different and tasty. But the atmosphere is a little unpleasant. I don't much like the picnic bench seating - makes conversation difficult. And the flies... I thought I stepped into a Stephen King novel, you had to protect your food at all times. They leave some wet condiments out on the picnic tables, and the flies seem to like them very much - no idea what they were because there was no way I was going to investigate.
West of Main
Sat, Sep 3, 2011 : 3:51 p.m.
I'm with you guys: I dig the menu, but hate the aesthetic. Good thing I go to restaurants for food, not ambiance.
LA
Sat, Sep 3, 2011 : 1:18 p.m.
Totally agree! The food was awesome. But the atmosphere was horrible. No desire to go back. The picnic tables were dirty and wet, no one knew how to properly line up to order, the noise level was very hight, it was severely understaffed, and that glaring fluorescent lighting belongs only in a warehouse.
chipper
Fri, Sep 2, 2011 : 11:41 p.m.
As reported on annarbor.com, this restaurant didn't do well on its July Washtenaw County Health Dept. inspection (2 critical and 7 non-critical violations). I like their food, but it's important to me to know that it's safe to eat. I won't be going back there until their inspection report improves.
aamom
Fri, Sep 2, 2011 : 7:19 p.m.
Mary is talking about a churro sundae. She said this about the texture of the churros: They were crisp upon first biting in, followed by a spongy interior cooked to airy perfection. The ice cream was a lovely complement, rich and creamy and perfect to dip the churros in, but the pastries were clearly the star of this show. Why do you keep bringing up hot fudge sundaes when she is talking about something completely different? Stay on topic man! The beauty of a hot fudge sundae has no place here and the texture of the churros combined with melty ice cream for dipping sounds yummy.
Mary Bilyeu
Sat, Sep 3, 2011 : 4:12 p.m.
Oh, the creaminess was perfect with the churros! I really can't fully describe how luscious it all was ... :) You'll have to go and enjoy a sundae yourself!
Atticus F.
Fri, Sep 2, 2011 : 5:51 p.m.
I really hate it when you order an ice cream sunday and the ice cream is completely melted by the time it gets to you. Why not save everybody the frustration and just serve churros with milk on top.
Eve Aronoff
Fri, Sep 2, 2011 : 10:59 p.m.
PS Thank you Mary!!! SO happy you were happy! It is a staff favorite:) The fact that we separate the churros just slightly to make a little nest for the ice cream/cream is kind of under cover LITERALLY:) Okay - back to work for me!
Eve Aronoff
Fri, Sep 2, 2011 : 10:53 p.m.
Hello - this is Eve from Frita - We actually separate the churros for the sundae so it won't cause the ice cream to melt - but still allow for the contrast of hot to cool/creamy - Just fyi:) Maybe pic was taken after a few minutes (I like it melty but that is just me, so we did account for your concern in the presentation:)
Atticus F.
Fri, Sep 2, 2011 : 6:14 p.m.
The beauty of a hot fudge sunday is the texture of the fudge as it hits the cold ice cream. it starts to become chewy. It was never meant to be chocolate soup...If that were the case we would mix it all up, heat it on the stove, and serve it as a bowl of liquid with a cherry on top. Texture as it relates to cooking is lost on some folk who simply focus on taste alone when eating.
Mary Bilyeu
Fri, Sep 2, 2011 : 6:04 p.m.
Oh, the ice cream wasn't melted by a delay - it was melting because the churros were so fresh and warm that the ice cream simply couldn't have held up! Perhaps putting it into a cup might help, but the cream was actually lovely for dipping ... :)