casa dominick’s

 

Casa Dominick’s
friendly and welcoming
just relax and be social

Dominick’s opened in 1960 on Monroe Street in Ann Arbor across from the U-Mich Law Quad. Founded by Dominick DeVarti, a WWII veteran and engineer, the rustic outdoor cafe grew from a failing grocery store and coffee shop into an iconic hub for students, townies,  mathematicians, and the early Ann Arbor Film Festival.
 DeVarti built much of the sprawling, multi-level rustic space by hand, combining old houses with a breezeway bar and sun-drenched second-story balconies. He also opened other pizza spots, including a Ypsilanti location that he sold to Tom and Jim Monaghan. He taught them how to make pizza and asked them to change the name, which eventually became Domino’s Pizza.
 In the late 1970s, DeVarti salvaged stained glass from the dome of the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing before it was discarded, installing the historic pieces in the upper level.
Also in the late 1970s, mathematics PhD student Zevi Miller spent months working out complex group problems in the basement while nursing a single café mocha all day long until he solved it.
 The walls are lined with posters from early Ann Arbor Film Festivals and historical campus moments, including the 1971 “Free John Sinclair” concert.
The spot is famous for half-gallon mason jars of house-made sangria, (made for sharing and so good), pizza, submarines, pasta with homemade sauces, and very relaxed outdoor patio seating.
 In the 80s, Dominick’s son Rich took over, greeting regulars from his makeshift office inside the original 1920s house structure.
 Rich’s son, named after his grandfather Dominick, began working with him behind the service counter/bar, keeping the seasonal open-air tradition alive.  They close by 9 pm and are ready for business the next day at 11am, rain or shine.

 

 picture below is their office and meeting space

 

‘i think we should have more coffeehouses, more cafes, more ‘third places.’

more places where people can eat, get together, that’s not work, not home,
and where they can interact with people who are different from them.’
-eric weiner

‘i am a museum of everything i’ve ever loved.’ – author unknown

what a wonderful tiny museum

dedicated to the man

who ran all the big museums

—

Alexander Grant Ruthven (1882–1971) was a prominent zoologist, herpetologist, and the 7th President of the University of Michigan, serving for 22 years from 1929 until his retirement in 1951.

He earned his Ph.D. in zoology from the university in 1906, specializing in herpetology and became the chairman of the Zoology Department. He founded a new U.S. school of herpetology and described 16 new reptile species. Before becoming president he served as Director of University Museums (Museum of Natural History, and the Museums of Anthropology, Zoology, and Paleontology) and led many research and scientific expeditions. As president, he guided the university through the Great Depression and World War II. Upon retirement, he wanted to be called “Sandy,” live a relaxing life, and moved to northern Michigan. His name is preserved on campus buildings and institutions, and an Ann Arbor city park.

 

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‘how does one measure the success of a museum?’

– J. Paul Getty

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Tiny Ruthven Museum of Art, Burns Park, Ann Arbor, USA, October, 2026

 

 

 

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Source credits: Ann Arbor News, 1951, Wiki

a short play in 3 acts and 2 cats.

 

act 1

pete the cat decides he’d like to sit where olive is sitting

olive is pretending to be asleep

hoping pete the cat will get bored

go sit somewhere else

pete the cat develops a plan

olive is ignoring pete the cat

olive hangs one leg down

to show how deep in sleep she is

olive is in her special spot

that she now won’t move from

act 2

as pete the cat stands up

planning to relocate olive

one way or another

olive suddenly awakens

from her fake deep sleep

quickly swivels to face pete the cat

a spontaneous kung-fu battle ensues

act 3

pete the cat feels

even more emboldened

to make a major move

in a surprise attack

pete the cat takes flight

olive is ready

now taking up

even more of the coveted space

olive takes a stand

like a stone

refusing to budge

even if she has to

get dehydrated and starve to do so

she has not been to her buffet and water fountain

in 30 minutes

olive knows it is so worth it

pete the cat has other plans.

the end.

(a suspenseful dramatic ambiguous ending)

—

‘with theater you have to be ready for anything, ‘

-wilem dafoe (olive’s favorite theater quote)

—

‘there’s no real theatre without taking risks.’
-haris pasovic (pete the cat’s favorite theater quote)

‘ inspire young learners to become champions for their future and the world around them.’

 

on this beautiful fall day

our community and groups large and small

gathered together

in places all around town

for No Kings 4

in a non-partisan celebration 

of the importance of voting

some of the adults

brought their early voting ballots

marching together

with their families

to drop them into the ballot box

others got information

about the details, registration, and options

at the children’s table 

we made

pictures, signs, headbands, bracelets, crowns

ate a treat or two 

my very friendly next door table neighbor

was sharing the wonderful books

her mama had authored

about diversity, inclusion, and welcoming all kinds of children

what a sweet high energy firecracker

who be-jazzeled our faces with a jewel or two

never stopped moving or smiling

made such a beautiful sign

her active role in the community

has already begun.

—

‘children don’t vote but adults who do must stand up and vote for them.’

*Marian Wright Edelman

*Marian Wright Edelman (born 1939), is an American civil rights activist, children’ rights advocate, and lawyer who is the founder and president emerita of the Children’s Defense Fund. She influenced leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Hillary Clinton and was elected the first Black woman on the Yale board of trustees in 1971.

 

 

 

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vet’s park, ann arbor, mi, usa

go fast.

 

 

did the sign makers have a difference of opinion

about which city should be listed first?

did they agree to disagree

and just post both of them?

which to choose, which to choose?

quick, make a deciion

while going 77 mph

in a state where you don’t live

judging by the signs and options

i suppose either exit would work

eventually

though you might arrive

in a different order than you had hoped.

 

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‘direction is more important than speed. you can go fast in the wrong direction.’

-Redfoo

*Redfoo (born Stefan Kendal Gordy  in 1975) is an american singer, rapper, record producer, dj, and former tennis player. He is also the son of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr..

 

 

 

 

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photo credit: my dear friend, patti, hope you chose right the first time