Even before you get to Selma café, you know it is going to be a unique experience. It is not located on a street downtown, but rather in a neighborhood. Being in someone’s house explains why Selma has such limited hours: breakfast is served exclusively Friday mornings from 6:30-10:00 AM.
Selma stands for the Soule-Eberwhite-Liberty-Madison Affiliation. Sunseed Farms can be found some weeks in the driveway, selling food and distributing to shareholders. Sunseed is just one of many local farms that provide ingredients for Selma breakfasts.
An impressive accumulation of name tags cover the blue walls of the waiting/laundry room. Lisa Gottlieb, who hosts Selma along with Jeff McCabe, greets all who enter with a smile. The tone of a warm, inclusive environment is already set.
As people enter, they are seated at one of a few large tables that take up all available space in the kitchen and dining room. The tables are crowded with friends and strangers sitting next to one other like one big family. People talk about everything from owning crop shares to bragging about their nephews. Everyone is bonded by their love of food, more specifically food grown locally and sustainably.
The menu changes week to week, along with the chefs. The introduction of different chefs each week facilitates the unique energy that radiates from Selma’s kitchen. There are no orders of “the usual”, but rather continual opportunity to experience something new. The one guarantee is that customers can always find at least one vegetarian and vegan option.
The chefs can be seen hard at work turning out orders– seating is even available in the kitchen, providing a front row view. However crucial and entertaining the chefs may be, they are not the sole contributor to Selma’s success. The prep work for the meals starts Thursday nights with volunteers coming to the house to help.
This whole production comes together into delicious meals such as squash pancakes with honey-pear compote and a side of local bacon or a vegan kale quiche all served with local Roos Roast coffee or local teas.
With the suggested donation of $12-15 money goes to pay for the food, and the remaining balance is donated to help build hoop-houses on local farms. The hoop-houses are structures that allow for food production throughout the winter, resulting in more profit and more food production for the farms.
All in all, Selma cafe provides a deep local experience, bringing together local farms and citizens of Ann Arbor.
