IMG_5253.JPG

Tacos at Chela's Restaurant and Taqueria in Ann Arbor, one of Michigan's Best.

(John Gonzalez/MLive.com)

ANN ARBOR, MI -- I was in town recently for a baseball tournament at the University of Michigan, so I knew what I had to do:

Take our team's parents to Chela's Restaurant and Taqueria, which finished No. 2 in our statewide search for Michigan's Best Taco.

"We get calls and questions all the time asking, "What taco was the best?'" said manager Enrique Aquino.

"I say, "All of them!'"

Chela's manager Enrique Aquino was happy to greet MLive's John Gonzalez and his friends.

He's right. We enjoyed every taco (I had chorizo and fish), as well as the pork tamales, elotes and homemade guacamole. We all left stuffed. The players on our Flames Baseball club all went to Mark's Midtown Coney Island, and loved it. And on another day, they all went to Satchel's BBQ.

Both of those places were on our searches for Michigan's Best BBQ and Coney Dog.

As we made our way eating through Ann Arbor, and in the evening sampling the beer at Wolverine State Brewing and Arbor Brewing Company, I started to think: I should put together a list of all our searches for those who are on the road and need a quick guide.

That's when I received an email from Michigan native Edwin Dickelman, who asked if I could send him all of my Top 10 lists.

He is planning a family trip back to his home state and was working on his itinerary. On his last trip he went to a West Michigan Whitecaps game and took on the Fifth Third Burger, just like "Man vs. Food."



I told him I would.

"Thank you!" he wrote back. "Truth be told, I was born in Jackson, but moved when I was 10. However, I never forgot summers in Canada fishing, Houghton Lake, Frankenmuth, Cascade Falls sledding, ice fishing derbies in Chelsea....so, I try to take my kids on Michigan adventures."

"We reside in Brooklyn, NY, working for over 10 years in NYC. NYC has become so 'corporate' these days...with little 'real' Americana feel left."

So, I hope this helps you Edwin.

You can find complete coverage on our site at mlive.com/michigansbest.



Michigan's Best Top 10 Lists



Coney Dogs

BBQ

Ice Cream Parlor

Haunted House

Breakfast

Burger

Brewery

Pizza

Doughnut

Taco

I would love to hear about your experiences or any new places you discover. Please use the comments section below or follow me on Social Media.

In September we will announce our next search. Stay tuned.

John Gonzalez is a statewide entertainment writer for MLive.com. Email him at gonzo@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.