Meet Sean Crenny, Director of Wine for The Pulpo Group and the true soul of our cellars. With more than a decade of experience in both New York City and Michigan, Sean brings a rare combination of deep expertise, hospitality-driven service, and a storyteller’s passion to the wine programs at Sava’s, Aventura, and The Dixboro Project.
A former sommelier at Per Se and TAK Room within the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group, Sean honed his craft in the art of world-class service and thoughtful pairings before bringing his talents to Michigan in 2020. As Beverage Director at Coeur in Ferndale, his innovative program earned national recognition.
Today, Sean leads The Pulpo Group’s wine programs with a philosophy that blends tradition and innovation, champions sustainability, and celebrates both local and international producers. His mission is to make every glass approachable, engaging, and unforgettable.
A Moment for Connection
It’s hard to disagree with the sentiment that “we are more connected, yet disconnected, than ever before.” Yes, we can reach almost anyone at a moment’s notice. Yes, we can see what people are doing (even track their location!) at any given point on social media. But with all this connectivity, are we truly present? Do we really know how someone is, how their day went, how life—the joys and the challenges—feels in this moment? Some things need to be shared not in character limits, but in person. They need to be shared in true conversation, shared together.
And it’s undeniable that food and drink are a unifying force that brings people together. In this Food & Drink issue of Ann Arbor City Lifestyle, we explore the many ways our community uses them as a means to connect.
You’ve likely seen the setting of the Dixboro Project—a restaurant concept like few others in the country. But we went deeper, chatting with Executive Chef Garrett Lipar and Executive Pastry Chef Jin Capobianco to uncover the history, artistry, and communal spirit behind the dishes they serve. The comfort in every bite keeps us all coming back for more.
We then travel to one of Momentum Construction + Design’s newest projects, aptly titled “The Golf Lounge,” which transformed an unfinished basement into a refined, multi-level wine lounge and golf simulator. A place to gather, relax, entertain, and simply enjoy. It’s the kind of space that makes you want to linger, glass in hand, enjoying good company.
Next, we visit the award-winning Mindo Chocolate Makers, leading the artisanal “chocolate revolution” from Ecuador to Ann Arbor. This family-run business is on a mission to highlight the overlooked history of chocolate and the health benefits of true bean-to-bar creations.
Finally, we feature Will Brinkerhoff, a chef trained at Chez Panisse who creates memorable farm-to-table experiences across Michigan. His events bring family and friends together to celebrate life’s greatest moments.
If it’s undeniable that food has the power to connect, it’s equally undeniable that our community is creating countless opportunities to uniquely enjoy it and come together. Here’s to a month of true connection—with our families, our community, and one another.
MARIA KARPIEL, PUBLISHER @ANNARBORCITYLIFESTYLE
October 2025
PUBLISHER
Maria Karpiel | maria.karpiel@citylifestyle.com
EDITOR
Rebecca Voigt | rebecca.voigt@citylifestyle.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Christopher Ankney, Will Brinkerhoff, Will Walker Orr, Don Seaman
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Stacy Anderson, Kerry Black Photography Interiors, Marta Perez, Nicole St. John
Corporate Team
CEO Steven Schowengerdt
COO Matthew Perry
CRO Jamie Pentz
VP OF OPERATIONS Janeane Thompson
VP OF SALES Andrew Leaders
AD DESIGNER Jenna Crawford
LAYOUT DESIGNER Lillian Gibbs
QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Hannah Leimkuhler
Proverbs 3:5-6
inside the issue
Bet ween Memory and Invention
The
Momentum
Mindo
city scene
Ann Arbor City Lifestyle celebrated the businesses and people that build, grow and define Ann Arbor at a launch event held on August 6 at The Dixboro Project. 1: Ann Arbor City Lifestyle covers on display. 2: The launch party was hosted at The Dixboro Project. 3: Gary Rochman and Liora Rosen of Rochman Design-Build. 4: Hilary Gustafson of
Literati and Steph Dolan. 5: Jake Johnson of Johnson Brothers Construction. 6: Josh and Amanda Barron of Esquire Interiors. 7: The launch event was all about celebrating community.
Photography by Stacy Anderson.
Photography by Stacy Anderson.
8: Guests were treated to artisan chocolate bars from Mindo Chocolate Makers. 9: Molly Rowan and Tara Calligan of Michigan & State Theaters.
10: Noah and Helen Kaplan with Soojin Kwon. 11: Ryan Boyle and Dr. Megan Oxley of Michigan Progressive Health. 12: Publisher Maria Karpiel and editor Rebecca Voigt with some of the Founding Partners of Ann Arbor City Lifestyle. 13: Katie Holt and Crystle Partington of Ann Arbor Gardens. 14: Abbie Buhr and Rachel Ufer.
business monthly
Jacob Collier & Chris Thile Live with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra
Experience an evening of magic as two GRAMMY® Award-winning maestros— singer-songwriter, musician, composer, and producer Jacob Collier and virtuosic mandolinist, singer, and songwriter Chris Thile—come together to perform with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Suzie Collier, for a one-nightonly Ann Arbor exclusive. For tickets and more information, visit a2so.org.
Inspiration Meets Expertise at the BRAG Remodelers Home Tour
Momentum Construction + Design and Rochman Design-Build invite you inside their latest projects as part of the BRAG Remodelers Home Tour. Held September 27–28, the tour showcases 11 stunning homes, including Momentum’s inspired first-floor remodel and Rochman’s artful primary suite addition—where attendees discover design inspiration and connect with Ann Arbor’s premier remodelers. Tickets are $10 at homes or online at bragannarbor.com.
Pulpo Group x Maker’s Mark
In late July, a few members of the Dixboro House and The Pulpo Group team traveled down to Loretto, Ky., to visit Maker's Mark, where they talked sustainability, regenerative practices, farming, and of course blended their own barrel. Stay tuned for more information on the Dixboro House Private Select barrel arriving this fall. A very special thanks to Tina, Hannah, Amanda, and all of the folks at Maker's Mark who made this visit truly special. Learn more at thepulpogroup.com.
Photography by Marta Perez
BETWEEN MEMORY AND INVENTION
ARTICLE BY CHRISTOPHER ANKNEY | PHOTOGRAPHY
BY NICOLE ST. JOHN
Goose Feast with smoked goose, pommes pave, delicata squash rings, confit and spice glazed goose legs, sourdough bread pudding, applesauce, goose jus, and fruit cake with mascarpone mousse and candied nuts.
ROOTED IN HISTORY WHILE GROWING TOWARD THE FUTURE, THE DIXBORO PROJECT INSISTS ON THE CLASSICS DONE WITH CARE
Stepping through the doors of The Dixboro Project, it’s clear that every detail was planned with intention. The wide-plank floors, soft lighting, and elegant rusticity of the historic barn that was converted into the restaurant’s main seating area set the tone for a refined and inviting evening. Beautifully crafted cocktails are served in sparkling glassware, modern art adorns the walls, and the atmosphere is elevated but welcoming.
And then the food arrives, and it helps tell an even deeper, more layered story.
When the fried chicken lands at the table—golden, crisp and gleaming, along with a honey butter biscuit that can’t possibly taste as good as it looks but is somehow better—you realize this isn’t just comfort food dressed up. This is a carefully considered homage and the kind of dish that looks timeless but holds its own against the thoughtfully designed fine dining menus of today’s best restaurants.
That balance, between memory and invention, is the philosophy behind every dish at The Dixboro Project. “There’s a couple of points on a triangle that guide us,” says Executive Chef Garrett Lipar. “Americana; sustainability and local food systems; and respect for the classics. We want to build a restaurant that could stand for another 100 years.”
The restaurant itself sits on seven and a half acres in Dixboro Village, on land that has housed four different restaurants across the last century. It’s a property steeped in history: in the 1920s, The Farm Cupboard welcomed travelers and farmers, serving home cooked meals in cast-iron pans and biscuits made from scratch. A generation later, The Lord Fox turned the space into one of the area’s best-known fine dining restaurants.
CONTINUED >
The Dixboro Project honors both legacies in their own fried chicken, which has become a cornerstone of today’s menu.
“We couldn’t find the original recipe from The Farm Cupboard,” Lipar says. “So we looked at old cookbooks and records from the same time period and adapted it to the flavors available locally.”
Today’s version is made with locally raised chicken that’s brined, broken down into parts, and fried to a distinctive crispness. It’s served with those mind-blowingly good honey butter biscuits from Executive Pastry Chef Jin Capobianco, and a rotating array of pickled and fermented vegetables grown on-site or by nearby farmers.
“What we love about it is that it’s communal,” Lipar says. “Almost every large table orders it to share. It resonates across generations.”
If the chicken anchors the savory menu, the Baked Alaska is its sweet counterpoint. Once a showstopping table-side performance at The Lord Fox, today it has been reimagined by Chef Capobianco for modern diners.
Her version is individually plated, striking to look at yet nimble enough for a restaurant that serves dozens every day. “It starts with a strawberry semifreddo base,” Capobianco explains. “Then I pipe a Swiss meringue around it. I like to use toasted sugar in my meringue to cut the sweetness and bring out a nutty caramelization. We finish it with rhubarb jam, fresh macerated strawberries, and edible flowers.”
It’s still flamed just before arriving at the table, a nod to tradition, but the flavors and nostalgia are all there.
The philosophy extends even to something as simple as the restaurant’s hamburger. It’s one of the best-selling items on the menu, made with Michigan Wagyu from Stone Fall Farms, served on a potato sesame seed roll baked fresh daily.
“If a burger or a pizza or a salad is delicious,” Lipar says, “it doesn’t need to be over-explained. It just needs to be excellent.”
Just as the property’s earliest restaurants relied on nearby farms, The Dixboro Project continues that tradition today. On-site, a production garden provides herbs and a small amount of other vegetables. But it’s partnerships with local farmers that shape the menu seasonally—eggs from Webbed Foot Farms, mushrooms from Stoney Creek, beef from Stone Fall Farms, berries from the west side of Michigan. This network of relationships grounds the menu in place, turning every dish into both a reflection of the land and a collaboration with the people who tend it.
And then there’s the bakery, featuring croissants that have developed a following of their own, and a chocolate cake guests now order whole or by the slice. The Dixboro Project insists on the classics done with care. “Trends come and go,” Capobianco said. “But if we can connect people to something timeless, that’s the kind of food people never forget.”
At first glance, the menu at The Dixboro Project reads like fine dining. It has farm-to-table sourcing, beautifully composed plates, and heritage recipes reimagined for a modern palate. But the team isn’t chasing ego-driven artistry. It’s seeking something more human—connection.
“All food should be comforting,” Lipar says. “We want food that connects with people. That’s what brings them back.”
Learn more at thedixboroproject.com
This page, from top to bottom: Executive Chef Garrett Lipar.
The Dixboro Project chickens (photo by Rachael Austin).
Stone Fruit Gateaux with cream cheese biscuit, peach jam, cherries and plums.
Opposite page: Executive Chef Garrett Lipar and Executive Pastry Chef Jin Capobianco
“TRENDS COME AND GO. BUT IF WE CAN CONNECT PEOPLE TO SOMETHING TIMELESS, THAT’S THE KIND OF FOOD PEOPLE NEVER FORGET.”
— EXECUTIVE PASTRY CHEF JIN CAPOBIANCO
Momentum Construction + Design is Ann Arbor's steward of detail-driven, client-based home remodeling
ARTICLE BY WILLIAM WALKER ORR
Construction, Craftsmanship & Design
Kerry Black Photography Interiors
Stepping down the floating stairs, you’re greeted by a dark, moody interior, with ambient light casting across your shoulders as you gaze around the mysterious haven. As you step further in, subtle delights catch your eye: soft, cozy banquettes; architectural light fixtures; and an elegant, floor-to-ceiling wine cellar. This isn’t some luxury hotel lounge, however—it’s a basement reimagined by Momentum Construction + Design with a level of craft and sophistication that feels both unexpected and extraordinary.
Momentum was launched by friends Adam Zylka and Drew Martin, who first met in 2007 through their wives and began collaborating on remodeling projects during the height of the recession. Brad Rowley, a college friend of Zylka’s who joined the company during the COVID-19 pandemic, likes to joke that Momentum was “founded in his basement.” The idea to join forces first took shape back in 2010 while Zylka and Martin were finishing one of their first big projects—Rowley’s basement.
Fifteen years later, that grassroots origin has expanded into one of Ann Arbor’s most trusted construction and design firms, with Zylka overseeing operations and Martin leading field production.
The company’s lead designer, Emily Bastion, first began working with Momentum through her own interior design company, with the team quickly becoming her preferred contractor. After years of collaboration on many shared projects, Bastion eventually shifted into a full-time role at Momentum. “I trusted them and liked working with them,” she says, “It felt very much like I was welcomed into the family. I think it was a really natural transition for me.”
Brad Rowley, Adam Zylka, Emily Bastion, and Drew Martin.
Photo by Stacy Anderson Photography.
“We don't want to be the
biggest company in Michigan or
even Ann Arbor. We want to be the best.”
— Adam Zylka
This familial sense extends not only to Momentum’s team, but also the interests of their clients, as the company’s meticulous approach to design can be felt everywhere from home architecture to personalized kitchen islands—with every detail religiously planned in advance.
“We take into account pretty much every single aspect of how [our clients] live in their home before we even dive into actual space planning,” Bastion says, explaining how she gathers information like daily habits and family size to establish an aesthetic, timeless vision that meets clients’ needs and exists comfortably within the present architecture of their home.
One recent design that highlights Momentum’s craftsmanship and dedication to their clients is the
aptly titled “Golf Lounge.” The project transformed an unfinished space in a client’s basement into an elegant multi-level wine lounge and golf simulator. Here, you’ll find a dark, atmospheric retreat fit with plush seating perfect for late game nights, intimate nooks for unwinding with a glass of wine after a long day, an enchanting 17-by-3 wine cellar, and tall, ergonomic bookshelves that—when pivoted—reveal the large, immersive screen that also doubles as a dodgeball simulator for the client’s children.
However, masterworks like these don’t just happen overnight. Months of planning go into every project, with the company actively working on six to 10 designs at a time while ensuring their full attention goes into every single facet without exception. At the same time, the leadership at Momentum Construction + Design isn’t looking to radically increase their overall scope. Instead, they value their current place in Ann Arbor’s construction landscape, serving as reliable stewards of detail-driven, client-based designs.
“We’re pretty intentional with our growth,” Zylka says. “We don’t want to be the biggest company in Michigan or even Ann Arbor. We want to be the best.”
Learn more at buildwithmomentum.com.
All photos
page by Marta Perez
From Ecuador to Ann Arbor
Mindo Chocolate Makers is leading an artisanal chocolate revolution
When Barbara Wilson and José Meza first stumbled across the Ecuadorian town of Mindo in the late 2000s, they weren’t interested in starting a new business—they were looking to enjoy their retirement after years of running a successful auto repair shop in Ann Arbor. Before long, however, they’d settled in the lush cloud forest village and immersed themselves in the intricate art of craft chocolate making, sending batches back to their relatives in Michigan that sparked a flurry of calls for more.
What began as an experiment blossomed into a hobby, and—soon after—a bold, international mission 16 years in the making: to restore chocolate back to its traditional, ambrosial roots. This is the origin of Mindo Chocolate Makers, the award-winning, woman-owned company that today is spearheading a “chocolate revolution.”
From the beginning, Mindo has always been a family-run business, with Wilson’s passion for food and Meza’s love of machinery working together to drive innovation at a time when there were less than 20 craft chocolate makers in the United States. Their daughter, Emily Meza-Wilson, even has childhood memories of helping her parents peel cacao beans by hand.
Today, Meza-Wilson is Mindo’s CEO and supply chain director, managing operations from Ecuador while her sister, Alicia Meza, handles affairs in the U.S. over 3,000 miles
ARTICLE BY WILLIAM WALKER ORR
PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED
BY
MINDO CHOCOLATE MAKERS
away at their factory in Dexter, Mich. Beyond them, the pair also has numerous relatives involved in several different roles at the company. “It’s a huge passion project for us,” Meza-Wilson says. “We’re all very committed to the mission.”
When describing this broader mission, Meza-Wilson references a larger “chocolate revolution” emerging in the craft chocolate industry—one rooted in the overlooked history of chocolate. With the discovery by researchers in Ecuador of cacao in ancient ceremonial vessels, the history of chocolate dates back nearly 5,300 years. “Back then, it was a currency,” Meza-Wilson says. “You could trade a handful of cacao beans for an entire canoe. It was that sacred and special.”
Along with its education initiatives, Mindo also seeks to shift the cultural narrative on chocolate and promote its health benefits to a wider audience. “Chocolate is actually really good for you and has tons of health benefits,” Meza-Wilson says. “It’s filled with iron, zinc,
magnesium, and tons of amino acids for muscle recovery.”
However, not all chocolate is created equal, with many large chocolate companies utilizing subpar cacao beans to mass-produce chocolate stripped of its natural flavoring and loaded with sugar. For Mindo, this practice is anathema, with their team instead approaching every stage of the chocolate making process with a meticulous, artistic sensibility.
As Mindo’s supply chain director, Meza-Wilson spends much of her time in Ecuador working to ensure their
cacao suppliers have the highest fermentation standards possible. Additionally, because of severe droughts and deforestation in Africa—the world’s largest source of cacao—the price of beans skyrocketed in 2024, leading some Ecuadorian farmers to raze their own forests and begin growing a modified form of cacao whose taste Meza-Wilson describes as like “metal and gasoline.”
To combat these efforts, Meza-Wilson has begun incentivizing farmers to diversify their income by growing cacao and other crops, providing these vulnerable families with multiple income streams while also improving the company’s overall sustainability practices. “People usually think you either need to have something that’s sustainable or something that’s profitable,” she says. “But we’re here to change those systems so that we can build a better future for all of us.”
Visit Mindo’s Ann Arbor storefront for a taste of their awardwinning, bean-to-bar chocolate, or book a tour of their factory/ enroll in a chocolate making class at mindochocolate.com.
Jeff Garland Photography, Brian Robards Custom Homes Inc. with Marie Brazeau Interiors
Photo credit: Neil Weaver
It’s Pumpkin Bread Season
The Perfect Recipe For Some Autumn Comfort
Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil or canola oil
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 2 eggs
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a mixing bowl, add the flour, baking soda and baking powder, spices, and salt. Set aside.
3. Combine the oil, butter, and vanilla in a liquid measuring cup.
4. In a mixing bowl (with a paddle attachment), beat the pumpkin, sugar, and eggs until combined.
5. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the liquid ingredients. Let this process take about 1 to 2 minutes so the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
6. Using a spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet and slowly fold until the ingredients are blended.
7. Prepare a 10 x 5 loaf pan by buttering it really well and then adding a strip of parchment paper to the bottom and up the sides for easy removal.
8. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 1 hour. The bread will be fully risen in the center, like a loaf. Make sure it’s fully cooked and brown on the top otherwise it will fall in the middle once removed from the oven.
ARTICLE BY DON SEAMAN
events
OCTOBER 3RD
Serve It Forward Pickleball Mixer
Wolverine Pickleball | 7:00 PM
The Women’s Center of Southeastern Michigan is thrilled to invite you to “dink” for a cause October 3 at the 2025 Serve it Forward Pickleball Mixer at Wolverine Pickleball. Enjoy a night filled with pickleball, trivia, bingo, music, drinks, exclusive food from Miss Kim and Little Kim, and more as The Women’s Center celebrates its mission and raises awareness. Purchase tickets at womenscentersemi.org/pickleball.
OCTOBER 7TH
The Gales of November Book Launch
Rackham Auditorium | 6:30 PM
Join Schuler Books and New York Times Best-Selling author John U. Bacon for the release of his latest book, The Gales of November. The definitive story of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, the book adds never-before-heard stories and original interviews to the history
Ann Arbor-based artist Veta McFall’s “1985 Series” will be on view for one day only at the HOMES Campus. Named for the artist’s birth year, the series of 100 abstract paintings “is a visual representation of the year-long Evolution of a Person,” McFall says. Bidding begins
thon, 10K, Kids Run, and more, participants will wind their way through the vibrant streets of downtown Ann Arbor and the panoramic
OCTOBER 16TH
Uncork a Cure for ALS
York | 6:00 PM
Active Against ALS invites you to the 3rd Annual Uncork a Cure for ALS, an evening of food, drink, entertainment, and an online auction. Admission includes food from Zingerman’s, wine tasting or beer, and music by Four Roses. To support the cause and purchase tickets, visit activeagainstals.org
OCTOBER 17TH & 18TH
Ballet BC
Power Center | 7:30 PM
Led by French choreographer and Nederlands Dans Theater veteran Medhi Walerski, Vancouver’s Ballet BC bring their meticulous performances, unmatched precision, innovation, and inspiring beauty to the Power Center for their UMS debut. For more information and tickets, visit ums.org
OCTOBER 20TH
Literati Eco Book Club: Playground by Richard Powers
Literati Bookstore | 6:30 PM
Join Literati and host, poet, and advocate Alison Swan for an in-person book club discussion of Playground by Richard Powers, a 2024 Economist, New Yorker, and Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year. Your $5 Eventbrite registration can be used as a credit at Literati. Learn more and register at literatibookstore.com/upcoming-events.
OCTOBER 24TH
Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics
First Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor | 6:30 PM & 8:45 PM
Spooky season is here! Just in time for Halloween, the Candlelight concert series brings the magic of live, multi-sensory musical experience to Ann Arbor. Guests 8 years old or older will be treated to an evening of Halloween-inspired music performed by the Listeso String Quartet under the gentle glow of candlelight. For tickets and more information, visit feverup.com/en/ann-arbor.
OCTOBER 26TH
Ann Arbor Trick or Treat Parade
Downtown Ann Arbor | 12:00 PM
Ann Arbor’s much-anticipated annual Costume Parade returns on Sunday, October 26. Kids of all ages are invited to join the parade, trick or treat at participating local businesses, and participate in spooktacular activities on Main Street. Learn more at mainstreetannarbor.org/halloween
ARTICLE BY WILL BRINKERHOFF
A Seat at the Table
GET TO KNOW THE CULINARY CREATIVE BEHIND DINNERS WITH WILL
Farm-to-Table Dinners
I host a number of five-course, farmto-table dinners around Michigan every year. I work with local farmers and ranchers to bring the best of the season to your table. The atmosphere is set for friends, new and old.
Shoulder Seasons
Everyone knows how to enjoy summer, but I have a particular focus on shoulder seasons—I love to explore the Huron River by canoe when the ice is just melting and the maple buds are swelling with spring goodness.
Keeping a Beautiful Kitchen
Keeping my space beautiful is an essential part of daily life that I learned while doing my cooking apprenticeship at Alice Waters’ restaurant, Chez Panisse. Fruit is always overflowing in bowls, ripe for the picking.
Table Arrangements
Every week, I cover my house in flowers. In the summer, I pick them from my flower garden, and in the winter, I use dried flowers to supplement fresh ones from University Flower Shop.
Throwing Parties
I don’t wait for an occasion to celebrate—I invent them. A Valentine’s Day arts and crafts party? Sold. A Tuesday night pasta making dinner? All my friends will be there.
