Swing's Coffee Roasters

My husband and I were addicted to Mighty Good Coffee – freshly roasted and delivered to our door the next day – in Ann Arbor. I loved Espresso #46 while my husband preferred the Black Diamond Dark Roast. Yes, we are two picky coffee drinkers with his and her coffee makers: mine an Italian moka and his a Cuisinart drip machine.

When we moved to Washington, D.C., I wasn’t convinced that we’d find freshly roasted coffee that we liked. Happily, I was proven wrong by Swing’s Coffee.

I stopped by the coffee house recently and was overwhelmed by the aroma of the coffee. It was almost hard to imagine that they weren’t roasting on-site. As a surprise for my husband’s birthday, I bought the darkest roast (French Roast) and the blend with the best name (Rock Creek, named after the creek and city park close to our apartment.) We’ve been brewing the coffee at home for the last week and we love the rich, nutty flavors. Even though I usually prefer an Italian caffe’ to American drip coffee, these two coffees are rich enough that I enjoy them almost as much as my usual espresso.

The historic M. E. Swing Co. began roasting coffee in 1916. Today, coffee drinkers can go to the roasting facility in Alexandria or their coffee house by the White House in the District (1702 G Street N.W.). Sure, Swing’s coffee costs more than Mighty Good’s, and won’t be delivered in town free of charge, but it is something to try and enjoy on special occasions. A continued happy birthday to my husband!

Bomber Restaurant, Ypsilanti, Michigan

We've landed in D.C. and I'm still thinking about Michigan...

By now you know how much I love breakfast. The Bomber Restaurant in Ypsilanti, Michigan, serves piled-high breakfasts. The interior is pure WWII and the dishes can only remind me of any NJ diner worth its salt (high compliment from a Jersey girl.)

It has been on Food TV and received accolades over the years. All I know is that this was one of my favorite breakfasts while living in Michigan over these last two years:

Sunrise Biscuit
Open faced biscuit, layered with sausage patties, choice of two eggs, American cheese, topped with country gravy. Served with a side of breakfast potatoes.

Sweet Dreams Pizza @ Silvio's Pizzeria in Ann Arbor, Michigan

Silvio’s Pizzeria in Ann Arbor, Michigan offers a dessert pizza. “Sweet Dreams” pizza is a stuffed pizza with nutella and pastry cream. Need I say more? The creamy filling inside the crunchy crust is perfect.

The restaurant, tucked away in the back of the first floor of a building on N. University, has recently been expanded. You can sit at the pizza-bar or at a table next to the wall of planted herbs.

You’ll love all of chef Silvio’s pizzas, from the sausage and rapini to the traditional Capricciosa. Whatever you do, be sure to save room for dessert.

PS: We are moving to Washington, D.C., this week. The blog will return on Friday. Keep your fingers crossed for a smooth move.

Argiero's Restaurant in Ann Arbor, Michigan

I really like Argiero’s Restaurant in the Kerrytown section of Ann Arbor. The food reminds me of the traditional, southern Italian food (or at least an Italian-American translation of it) I grew up eating in Northern New Jersey.

The menu isn’t fussy. You’ll find all of your favorites from Garlic Toast to Veal Picatta. I’ve enjoyed the fried calamari and Fettuccine al Fredo a few times. Close to the Farmer’s Market with outdoor seating, it is an easy-to-find, comfortable spot.

It isn’t without a little controversy, however. When we first noticed the neon sign, we wondered why no one had recommended it to us. Once I started asking around, I discovered that it is not a favorite. In fact, a friend tried it on my recommendation and declared the food “inedible.”

I am a particularly difficult eater, especially of Italian food. I want dishes to be done right and well. Perhaps I’m more lenient with this restaurant because it feels New Jersey-nostalgic to me. It is a family owned business that started in 1977 that reminds me of my father’s favorite family-owned restaurant under a highway bridge in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Still, I think Argiero’s offers solid, Italian-American food. I say, “andiamo!”

Friday = Decide on Weekend Brunch Place. How about the Northside Grill?

It is Friday, which means it is time to start thinking about where you’ll go for a weekend brunch. One of our favorite spots is the popular Northside Grill in Ann Arbor. Get there early because there is always a crowd waiting for a table.

Potato pancakes, which aren’t life changing at Sava, but Afternoon Delight prepares well, can be hard to find. Northside Grill has never let us down. Not only do they serve flavorful potato pancakes, they also make light omelets and lovely, dense biscuits and gravy.

They don’t need a website to be found by the locals. Visit them here: 1015 Broadway Street Ann Arbor, MI 48105

Sushi in Ann Arbor

Now that we’ve prepared sushi at home, I think we’ll mostly be eating it out. It was not our easiest cooking adventure, although we did enjoy the results with a glass of chilled Sake.

If you decide to try it at home, I recommend watching these helpful Youtube videos:

Video on how to make sushi

Video on how to make hand-rolled sushi

In the Ann Arbor-area, you can buy almost everything you need at reasonable prices at this market :
Hua Xing Asia
2867 Washtenaw Avenue
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
(734) 528-3388

If you decide to eat out, we've fallen in love with these two restaurants in Ann Arbor, MI: Yotsuba and Godaiko.

Both are outside of the downtown area and worth the short drive. Godaiko, next to an enormous Asian food market, has a Tatami room where you can sit on the floor with friends while you feast. Yotsuba is a bit further out and seems more popular; I’d recommend reservations. We were taken by the fresh ingredients, kind service to those of us who had questions about the menu.

Culinary Historians of Ann Arbor Poetry Reading

The Culinary Historians of Ann Arbor are an active and well-known group located right in our backyard. I had the privilege of meeting food historian and author Jan Longone recently at Zingerman’s Special Algerian Jewish Dinner. She and Laura Gillis kindly invited me to read food-related poetry with poet Marvin A. Brandwin at their spring meeting on Sunday.

I left the reading famished! Marvin, Emeritus Psychology Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Universty of Michigan Health System, started the reading with beautiful, rhyming poetry about food and eating. Oats, Brooklyn ice cream from his childhood, madeleines, and other foods, from the everyday to highbrow, were described in detail. The rapt audience laughed along with his cheerful poems that were read with love. Look for his book A Smorgasbord of Verse: Easy to Digest Food Poems (Ann Arbor, MI: Charing Cross Press, 2009) in local bookstores.

Members of the group followed by reading food-related poems. Jan read a recipe in verse and noted that there are hundreds of recipe books written in verse, which I hadn’t known. Considering how hungry we all were after hearing rich descriptions of prized dishes, it was lucky that the evening ended with a long table of homemade cookies and brownies.

Thank you again to the Culinary Historians of Ann Arbor for such a lovely Sunday afternoon. If you are interested in learning more about Culinary Historians, I recommend the links list on the Culinary Historians of DC website.

If you are interested in reading samples of my poetry, please visit my writing blog. If your organization is interested in hosting a reading or workshop, I’m available to read poetry or lead a creative writing workshop.

Scotch Tasting in Ann Arbor, MI

Before meeting my husband, the thought of drinking scotch never crossed my mind. Since then, I've been trying various types when he orders them and have started to develop a taste for the drink. When I heard that the Stadium Market was having a Scotch Tasting at Bab’s Underground Lounge, I knew we had to go.

Bab’s Underground Lounge is a surprisingly large space, considering the tiny sign it has on Ashley Street. The tasting seminar happened on the lower level and was led by Cheryl Alagna, Master of Whisky. Complete with a video presentation, barley to taste, peat to smell and barrel pieces to handle, we learned about how scotch is made and why scotches taste different from each other.

We were encouraged to put a drop or two of water in the little plastic cups. This changed the taste of the scotch. Cheryl noted that “water is to whiskey what air is to wine.” She also cautioned that if we smelled the spirits first we’d, “nuke the flavor.” Her knowledge and sense of humor kept everyone engaged throughout the twenty minute presentation.

The key to tasting a spirit is to put a little under your tongue, warm it for a moment, breathe vapors out and then drink. This helps to keep your taste buds alive and ready to untangle the flavors.

Our favorite was the Lagavulin 16 which has a deep, smoky flavor and smooth finish. Cheryl described this flavor as a “peat bomb,” which is where the smoke flavor originates. It is an island whiskey and the water it is made with has both tannins and peat components.

On the second level, Stadium Market catered tables of treats, from deviled eggs to shrimp cocktail. I ate entirely too many eggs since they were delicious and something I don't tend to make at home. There were rows of scotch and a few other drinks, such as sipping rum, to taste. Everything was available for sale.

After we had tasting everything at least once (we had to confirm we’d decided on our favorite scotch!), we slowly walked home and collapsed into bed.

All in a day’s work.

Sava's Cafe in Ann Arbor, Michigan

I want Sava's Cafe on State Street in Ann Arbor to be my new favorite restaurant. With the high ceilings, spacious seating arrangement, and menu that includes fresh squeezed juices, potato pancakes and croissants with nutella, it is close.

But, it isn’t quite there yet.

While the menu is indeed NJ-diner-ish (the ultimate compliment for a breakfast spot), the food isn’t always hot or what you'd expect from the menu listing. The first time I went, I tried the potato pancakes and was surprised by their pink hue. They didn’t taste right, either. The waitress told me that they were seasoned with ketchup. Ketchup? Being allergic to the corn syrup in most commercial ketchups, I was surprised and displeased that I’d eaten some of it, since it wasn’t described in that way on the menu. Very kindly and apologetically, the waitress took away the dish. I ordered a toasted croissant spread with nutella which reminded me of Italy (another high compliment.)

Not wanting to give up on the inviting space, I returned a week later and tried one of their creative egg and hash concoctions. With a Mexican twist, it came with chorizo sausage, guacamole and sour cream. The combination of flavors, topped with an egg on top, was delicious, although not as hot as it could have been. My husband had a crepe, which was light and sweet.

Locally minded, they serve Mighty Good Coffee, which can’t be beat, and Knight’s burgers. I look forward to trying lunch or dinner there.



Thanks to the Ann Arbor Chronicle for linking to this review!

Sushi @ Home and in Ann Arbor, MI

Now that we’ve prepared sushi at home, I think we’ll mostly be eating it out. It was not our easiest cooking adventure, although we did enjoy the results with a glass of chilled Saki.

If you decide to try it at home, I recommend watching these helpful Youtube videos:
Video on how to make sushi
Video on how to make handroll sushi
In the Ann Arbor area, you can buy almost everything you need at reasonable prices at the Hua Xing Asia Market.

The rice requires a bit more attention than other rice, as it needs to be properly cooled and mixed with rice vinegar. Carefully follow the instructions on your sushi rice package.

On recommendations from friends, we tried and fell in love with these two restaurants in the Ann Arbor area: Yotsuba and Godaiko. Both are outside of the downtown area and worth the short drive. Godaiko, next to an enormous Asian food market, has a Tatami room where you can sit on the floor with friends while you feast. Yotsuba is a bit further out and seems more popular; I’d recommend reservations. We were taken by the fresh ingredients, kind service to those of us who had questions about the menu and inventive sushi rolls.

Carlyle Grill in Ann Arbor, MI

I’ve been on the hunt for good, fresh ravioli in Ann Arbor. Carlyle Grill’s mushroom ravioli were recommended to me. So, I obediently went to the restaurant and ordered them. The ravioli were alright, but not as delicious as they’d been described. The creamy sauce and the filling were too heavy for the lighter dough and enormous plate.

We started with the fried calamari. Besides good ravioli, I regularly crave fried calamari. This restaurant has transformed the dish into something unique. The calamari is tossed with lemon cream, capers & artichoke hearts. It sounded interesting, but we didn’t enjoy it as much as we would have enjoyed it the traditional manner with marinara on the side. The creamy sauce on the crisp surface of the calamari made the calamari turn mushy. There were also some cucumbers mixed in which didn’t quite match the other flavors.

My husband’s steak with French fries was the hit of the evening. The steak was perfectly cooked and the fries were crispy on the outside. I stole some of his dinner before packing up most of my dinner to take home.

Like a lot of the independently owned restaurants on the outskirts of Ann Arbor, Carlyle Grill is built to look like a chain restaurant. It was comfortable enough, although a bit loud since it attracted a number of families with children.

If you decide to try it, be sure to check the website as they offer some discounts. It is located in the same shopping center as the Quality 16 movie theater and combines a discount with the theater.



Where have you had good ravioli in Ann Arbor?

Pilar's Tamales in Ann Arbor, MI

Where I lived in northern New Jersey, you could eat almost anything cooked by someone who grew up in that country, or the culture, of the dish. I remember one student at a university where I taught bringing the class fresh empanadas that her grandmother made just for us (and her niece’s grade? Maybe, but they were delicious.) My parents brought me to an annual Cuban pig roast in the summers. In particular, there was no lack of fabulous Latin American food.

Here in Ann Arbor, Michigan, of course, there’s less. After a positive article in the local Edible magazine and driving by its colorful exterior, my husband and I ate lunch at Pilar’s Tamales recently.

As you can see from the photos, we ordered entirely too much: mixed plate of tamales (beef, pork and beans with cheese), one pork tamale, pork papusa and fried plantains. We shared an imported Coca-Cola made with real sugar instead of corn syrup. Needless to say, we were stuffed. As the menu describes, menu, almost everything is made there and they use many natural ingredients.

It is a small space that seems designed to mostly serve take-out. Since we were the only ones there, we comfortably ate at the counter. Everything was delicious and we enjoyed eating something not only authentic, but less common for this town. We look forward to going back and trying the other dishes.

Ann Arbor Cooks! Knife Skills Class

I’ve wanted to take a knife skills class for years. Ok, that sounds creepy, but it’s true.

In Italy, I often found myself struggling with a piece of fruit while the Italians peeled and sliced their fruit with a few flashes of the knife left over from lunch. It was a mystery to me how they did it so quickly and never had to run for a Band-Aid.

After taking the Knife Skills class taught by Natalie Marble, Owner of Ann Arbor Cooks!, my husband and I are now qualified to return to the Old Country. We can julienne, batonnet, brunoise and dice with the best of them. Ok, I’m not sure if those are all really verbs, but we learned a lot.

Preparing dinners, we have been slicing with the right knives at home and even standing properly while we do it. We practiced enough in class that we started to not only learn, but also remember the lessons. Starting with a large platter of vegetables and ending with a chicken, we used a number of different knives and techniques.

We each had our own comfortable workspace and Natalie was not only generous with offering personal assistance, but she was also quite patient when someone, I won’t mention names, kept regressing to her old ways.

I won’t give away her secrets; you’ll have to sign up for the class. If you do, you might see us there. We are eyeing some of her future cooking classes.

Disclaimer: As a former vegetarian and generally squeamish person, I wanted to – really wanted to – cut the raw chicken. As I sunk my fingers into the meat, however, I was displeased by the activity. I’m sorry I’m not the kind of person who can do that, but I am glad that I married someone who enjoyed the challenge. He had the opportunity to try twice since I shared my chicken with him.

Reader Comments on Zingerman's (Part 2 of 2)

We’ll be returning to Zingerman’s for a Special Dinner Do-Over on April 13th. Will they be able to meet expectations? I asked readers to share their thoughts on Zingerman’s. Based on their experiences, it looks like it could go either way.

You can read Part 1 of the reader comments here.

If you would like to submit your thoughts on Zingerman’s, please use the Comments section below or email me (Chloemiller(at)gmail(dot)com.)





Going to Zingerman's is like going inside someone's crazy. But there is good food to be had until you can escape!

          - KC Trommer


I have tried to be excited about Zingermans, really I have.

Met for coffee and pastry a few times with friends when we first moved here from NYC -pretty good. Had a pastrami sandwich about a year ago - on stale dried out bread. No thank you!


I do like their sesame semolina very much, though, and will pay the price for it on special occasions. Had one near Roadhouse experience – walked in. It was very loud and very crowded, smelled like the boardwalk so we didn’t put our names on the 2 hour waitlist.


          - Laurie


Liz {my wife} is a Zingeraddict. I've also grown to love some of the more unique dishes, like "twigs and berries" and the trout salad.

          -Fabio Rojas



I agree about ZIngerman's being too pricey except as a treat. But I would like to add that it is a local treasure in terms of its support for wholesome, local food. I know that the folks of Locavorious use a Zingerman's kitchen facility. Instead of being cutthroat, Zingerman's appears quite supportive of other local food innovators.


          -Bonnie Bucqueroux


When I worked in Ann Arbor at the medical center I went there for lunch or after work for a sandwich MAYBE two times in 5 years. Much like Whole Foods being "Whole Paycheck", I referred to Zingerman's Deli as the "best $13 sandwich" in town. It is an iconic place though and I just took a visiting friend there (to deli and roadhouse) when we were in town for the Folk Festival. As MK said, I wouldn't head there for a sandwich typically, given the other great places around. I used to stop there occasionally (in the nine years since I worked in AA) when we were in town to pick up a specific thing like bacon, loaf of bread, cheese. In the last five years, the availability of Zingerman's products in Lansing has expanded greatly. There is daily fresh delivery of bread to the East Lansing Food Co-op and I can get quite a few of the Creamery Cheeses locally at ELFCO and the City Market. Nueske's bacon was another draw to Zingerman's, but I can even find that locally now. The one item I would head to the deli for that I can't get here anymore is the gelato. If you haven't tried the Burned Sugar Gelato, it is incredible. The E.L. Food Co-op carried it for awhile and I think Blaine and I were the only ones to buy it. By the pint it is pretty pricey and unless you had tried it before, you wouldn't know what to expect and want to make the investment in it.

When I was in town for the Folk Festival last month, I finally ate at the Roadhouse. We had to make early reservations because of the FFest crowds and ended up with the lunch menu. The prices were much less than I had anticipated on the dinner menu, which was a bonus. We had a great meal and excellent service and I thought I blogged on it, but I guess it is still "in the hopper" right now. I need to get to that. The brisket was great, grits incredible and pimento mac and cheese pretty tasty too.

I would return to the Roadhouse again, but honestly there are so many places I miss down there and so many new ones to try, I won't race back. I am going to be in AA for a week at the end of the school year for a mentorship/internship experience at the U. I will likely check Zingerman's schedule for classes or tastings, but won't fight my way through the crowd or make the financial commitment of a sandwich there.

          -Amy


I ate at Zingerman's Roadhouse this summer. I had the pork sandwich with South Carolina mustard BBQ sauce. The sauce was unique and made the meal.


          -Gregory Koger


We've been to all of the Zingerman's stores at one time or another. You have to understand that we live 3.5 hours away from Ann Arbor, and besides The Ark, Zingerman's is usually our destination. (We may throw in some gambling or spiritually-related event, but Zingerman's is our main destination.) We usually bring a cooler with us for the special cheeses, potato salad, and meats in the cases at the Deli and have at least one meal at the Roadhouse and usually split a sandwich at the Deli.
We visited all of the stores the last time we were there in April of '08 and received a Zingerman's road trip t-shirt at the end as a parting gift.

The service is outstanding. We chatted with one of our servers once about the steps they have to take to become a server. It's quite impressive to hear what they have to do. If there is any complaint, it's that they tend to hover, which I suspect they're trained to do. We're used to and enjoy the European way of table service: don't interrupt and don't hover, but DO pay attention to the customer to see when/if they need something.

The food has always been outstanding. At our ripe old age (mid-50s and early 60s) we've encountered several best-evers at the Roadhouse: meat loaf, mac 'n' cheese, ribs, for starters.

We met one of the owners at the Roadhouse when he came to our table delivering a lagniappe (Ari) and he was soon showing Bob around to look at his salt and pepper shaker collection after he found out that Bob was a collector. Nice guy and definitely involved in his day-to-day operations.

We had the Creamery to ourselves on that roadtrip t-shirt day & the person helping us out took his time with us. We ended up sampling just about every cheese in the entire store and of course brought a lot home, which is their goal. We just used some guanciale last night in a beef roast from that trip & it held up!

They're not cheap! The catalog is even more expensive... but we've sent gifts across the US from Z's and never had a problem. Apples to CA, olive oils to Oregon, gift baskets to VA and NJ.

My mouth is watering..... gotta get back soon!

          -Jan Patetta

Reader Comments on Zingerman’s (Part 1 of 2)

We’ll be returning to Zingerman’s for a Special Dinner Do-Over on April 13th. Will they be able to meet expectations? I asked readers to share their thoughts on Zingerman’s. Based on their experiences, it looks like it could go either way.

If you would like to submit your thoughts on Zingerman’s, please use the Comments section below or email me (Chloemiller(at)gmail(dot)com.)

PS: There were so many responses that I’ll be posting a handful everyday for the next few days.




The Roadhouse or the "deli?" Either way, I'd say underwhelmed, overcharged, and often patronized by staff who feel the need to share too much about the origins of the food or their recs on the food when I never asked!
          - Leslie Hinkson


I have only been once and that was the deli several years ago and the service was ok but they did not have the first 3 things we ordered for the kids (ordered off their menu) so we left, never to return.

          - Shayne Jovicevic


I love Zingerman’s. Don’t eat there often, but think the quality is impeccable.


Deli—best corned beef around (and don’t get the lean, if you need lean you shouldn’t be eating corned beef)
Deli—take friends from out of town and family a few times a year, but can’t afford to frequent too often


Bread—YUM….love it, trying to learn to make my own


Cheese—love the cheese, and it’s not that expensive, I make my own mozzarella and for $7 raw milk plus my time I get 2 balls, vs $10 for two of theirs (and their fresh mozz is the best I can find in town other than homemade)


Roadhouse---you gotta know how to order….I always get the kid sized burger and fries and it is plenty and YUM


They will always give you a taste of the sides, so fill up that way if you need more


I add and delete ingredients to get the perfect salad—and it is always delish


I do think they are pricey for things like fried chicken when that is all you get with fries--for the prices they charge they should include a vegetable (but again, ask for a taste and you’re set)


It’s pretty cool when Ari pours your water and busses your table…with a smile and nice chatter with the kids


Ok, now I’m hungry again!


          - Marnie Reid


We'll go to Zingerman's for a special treat. I don't tend to eat out much these days, but if I do, I want the food and service to be high quality, and I find that at both the deli and the Roadhouse for the most part. Yes, there have been off days, but if we ask them to fix something they always will. I don't like their coffee, but that's just personal preference rather than my thinking it's "bad".

I love what Zingerman's does for the community and I like many of their business practices. I also love the variety of foods I can learn about there, even if I can't afford them. They're great for ideas.

My faves: the dark chocolate or John Do Ya? (Gianduia) gelato, Apricot/cream cheese strudel, Chocolate chess pie, gingerbread coffee cake, the new Peace sandwich, just about any chicken sandwiches, their old pickles, breakfast at the Roadhouse, especially the grits and bits waffles, Roadhouse Monday night burger/salad special, Roadhouse fish (as a VERY special treat), any Roadhouse cheese boards, the Louis salad at the Roadhouse, Roadhouse fried chicken.

I love Zingerman's breads, but I make most of my own bread.

I'm a fan of Zingerman's bagels.

We, too, had a not-fabulous experience at a "special" dinner, but it was the recent Italian one at the deli. There were things that were wonderful and other things that weren't. I know if we'd complained, again, they would have offered us something. In the big scheme of things, it wasn't that important, it was more a matter of taste issues, and again, the things that were fabulous (the antipasto plate, the pasta and the spinach salad) were truly fabulous.

          - Jennifer Haines


We often go to the Roadhouse as our restaurant of choice. It's one of the very few places that my son with food allergies can order off the menu. Chef Alex has always been willing to make anything Nicholas wants without soy or dairy. I've been pretty impressed. I also LOVE their greens, just can't do them like that at home! Can't say I've had a bad meal there. My husband was suspicious of a $10 burger, but once he got to the cheese menu he cooled off a bit. Now he has no problem paying the $10.
We exclusively eat Zingerman's bread at home. Yes, pricey, but just can't imagine every going back to grocery store bread. We often get a cake for special occasions - to die for, the icing tastes like actual food instead of whatever most birthday cake frosting is made out of.


The deli isn't near anything I do regularly. I'm a huge sandwich fan, but if I want a really good one I tend to go to Morgan and York which is more convenient for me.


The collection of companies has always been very generous donating food for non-profits and Chef Alex even volunteered as a guest chef for a fundraiser I organized - he only charged us for the food.


          -Victoria Bennett


Love:

Mozzarella

Bridgewater cheese

All the other cheeses (ha!)

Bread, esp. baguettes & the cranberry-pecan & bostoks

The coffee-place serves cubano which impressed my hubby

All the people who work there seem super nice and really engaged in life, which is awesome. This makes it really enjoyable for me to shop there. (Usu. the creamery/bakehouse/coffeeroasters, not the shop in Kerrytown. That one's too crowded most of the time for me to find enjoyable.)

The theme meals at the Roadhouse. We went to the Irish one. It was wonderful.

Giving back to the community.

Don't love:

I'm not a sandwich fan so I don't choose to go to the deli much

I'm not a fan of the types of soups they usually make; I wish they made other kinds because soup is one of my favorite things & they'd do a fantastic job!

I'm not a fan of the American food on the Roadhouse menu so I tend not to go there either, though the one time I did it was good if spendy. (The things on my "love" list may be spendy too, in others' view; I find them worth it to me.)

          - Suzie Heiney


I really like it. I don't go there often but I can't say I go anywhere very often. I like to take some tomatoes from the garden, a garlic clove and some basil and then get a little jambon serrano, a baguette and I ask them for a little olive oil. We also order a ball of fresh mozzarella and put it on the sandwich with the garlic, basil, jambon serrano, olive oil and tomato (preferably a romano). Then we can go and have a picnic somewhere. Peel the garlic, rub on the baguette, drizzle on the olive oil and add slices of jambon, tomato and basil.


Just like Spain!


They really give a lot back to the community. They buy from local farmers, when possible. They donate frequently to various groups, etc. etc. etc. I'll admit, when I started going there in '84 or '83? it wasn't as expensive but I still love it and have regular cravings for #13 - Sherman's Sure Choice.


          - Jennifer Kangas


We've eaten at Zingerman's Roadhouse several times and loved it! Everything we've eaten has been delicious; for carnivore and vegetarian, appetizer lover, beer taster, wine with everything person, and desert lover, it has something you will come back for as often as you can. But it is pricey, very pricey, for some things, even though it ends up being worth the cost.

          - Christine Lord

Reprint: Zingerman’s Bacon Brunch

In the spirit of sharing Zingerman’s experiences, I’m reprinting this blog post from March 28, 2009. (Isn’t it sweet? It was so long ago that my husband was only my fiancé.)

That was one amazing bacon brunch.

The Buttermilk Biscuits with Chocolate-Bacon Gravy remains on the brunch menu, so you can try it for yourself. We’ve had it a few times and it is always stellar. With the recent publication of Zingerman’s Guide to Better Bacon, you can be assured that there will future bacon-related events.

***

I am now a Zingerman’s convert. I resisted for a while (if you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know I generally avoid agreeing with crowds), but after eating bacon-enhanced food for two hours at today’s Bacon & Brunch with Ari Weinzweig, I’m in with Zingerman’s.

The brunch and Ari’s talk on bacon, was co-sponsored by the Ann Arbor Book Festival. In May, Ari will be on a panel with other foodie authors discussing his book, Guide to Better Bacon: Stories of pork bellies, hush puppies, rock’n’roll music and bacon fat mayonnaise.

The meal started out with Zingerman’s Bakehouse Bacon-Cheddar Scones and American Fried Bread. The bread was fried in, you guessed it, bacon fat. I have never eaten a more luscious piece of fried bread in my life. (My fiancé noticed a few people at the end looking in the baskets for more bread and snatching an extra piece or two.)

We were then treated to South Carlolina Gold Rice Grits and Bits Waffle and Hangtown Fry (eggs with bacon and oysters mixed in) with Bacon Hash. The hash was particularly smooth and bursting with flavor. The waffles had crispy bacon bits on top. The bacon fat, which was the base for most of what we ate this morning, absorbs the flavors of the other ingredients and allows them to blossom.

Don’t fret, vegetarians. There was a tofu bacon option for you.

Then we had a bacon tasting. Now, I might not have found a physician in Ann Arbor yet, but I’m sure she wouldn’t have approved of a plate of bacon. Still, this morning was like a bacon holiday, so who was I to resist?

I had no idea that there were so many different kinds of bacon. I know that my father likes thicker slices of bacon and I tend to buy the less smoky organic bacon at Trader Joe’s. Ari talked about customers who know about different kinds of cheeses and wines, but have a hard time describing their favorite bacon. He suggested buying a variety of types of bacon and serving them at home to guests. (Is it too late to change our wedding menu to include more bacon?)

My favorite was Benton’s. It is the second to the last one on the plate. It originates in eastern Tennessee and is dry cured and smoked over hickory.

We ended with Buttermilk Biscuits with Chocolate-Bacon Gravy. My goodness, these were delicious. While I tried to hold back and not finish each plate offered, I wanted to lick this plate clean. The sweet-savory flavors shut off all my other senses so I could focus on the striking taste. It reminded me of the sweet-sour combination of a sea salt caramel, only chocolate was involved.

Throughout the meal, Ari shared his expertise with bacon. He shared some personal stories along the way. Ari grew up in a Kosher household and remembers eating fairly unremarkable beef bacon as a child. Most of the food that he sells at Zingerman’s is something he discovered, rather than something he grew up with.

About bacon’s importance, Ari stressed, “bacon is to North American cooking what olive oil is to Mediterranean food.” According to his research, bacon has been big since the beginning in America. It crosses almost all ethnic and cultural (although not religious) lines. The Europeans brought bacon with them and even influenced the Native American cooking. In the South, he said, you will almost always find a jar of bacon fat by the stove (not refrigerated) and it would be eaten in all seasons.

Zingerman’s kindly shared recipes from the upcoming book. I know I can’t wait until the book comes out to read more.

***
Have you eaten at Zingerman’s? I’d love your thoughts on your experience.

Zingerman’s Roadhouse Weekly Staff Tasting

A Special Dinner do-over invitation *and* an invitation to a staff tasting of the weekly specials? I couldn’t resist.

Every week, the Zingerman’s Roadhouse chefs share their carefully crafted, themed weekly specials with the staff. They describe the ingredients and sometimes the origins of the ingredients. After tasting a bite of each dish, the staff can better describe them to customers.

This week’s specials revolved around fish: everything from fried smelt to oatmeal crusted skate wing. With the skate, the chef displayed how the customers will be able to very easily debone the fish with one motion.

Drinks weren’t forgotten. The coffee flavor of the week and a new wine offering were also available for tasting. Monthly wine tastings are available for the staff to learn more about the menu.

Always Italian-leaning, my favorite was the Grilled Fennel-Spiced Amberjack that was served with a risotto-crab cake. I’m not one for fennel, but the taste wasn’t overwhelming and the risotto was deliciously smooth and flavorful.

When you return to the Roadhouse, you can be assured that the staff is familiar with the offerings. Thanks to the ever-gracious Events Manager Joanie Mallory for the invitation!

Zingerman’s: Yes, No, or Maybe?

In the next month and a half, I will be posting periodically on Zingerman’s. One post will include YOUR thoughts. So share on, good eaters!

As my regular readers know, my husband and I recently had a disappointing Zingerman’s Roadhouse Special Dinner experience  and were invited for a do-over in April. Will this second dinner be able to meet our expectations? We’ll see.

You are welcome to email me at ChloeMiller(at)gmail(dot)com or post your thoughts below in the Comments section. You can write one line or write a guest blog about your experiences. It is up to you. I’d prefer to include your name, but I’ll use your initials, if you’d like.

Some things you could write about:

Zingerman’s Roadhouse

Zingerman’s Deli

Zingerman’s Creamery

Zingerman’s Bakehouse

Zingerman’s Coffee

Zingerman’s Catering

Zingerman’s Mail Order

Zingerman’s Bake Classes

Zingerman’s Zingtrain


For inspiration, here is my love letter to their chocolate bread.

If you’ve eaten at a Zingerman’s establishment, read their books, ordered their food, worked for them, lived next door, then you are qualified to share your thoughts!

The deadline for submissions is Friday, March 5th.

Zingerman’s Roadhouse Offers a Do-Over

Zingerman’s Roadhouse emailed me.

Taking a break from an all-you-can-eat-fish-fry in northern MI, I received the email in Gmail’s blue and grey. “A friend of Zingerman’s,” and apparently a friend of mine, read my critical post on their recent Mardi Gras dinner and forwarded it to them. They kindly accepted that it wasn’t their best dinner and didn’t make excuses.

They offered my husband and I a do-over. A chance for us to see what they can do right.

While we were at the Mardi Gras dinner, I had turned to my husband and whispered that we wouldn’t need eat here again. We checked the Ann Arbor empire off of our list of restaurants with nods of our heads.

But here we were being offered a do-over.

We ate some more fried cod and dipped our french fries in the garlic mayonnaise. The strange Olympic Winter Games on the television distracted us for a bit.

Finally, we decided. Why not? We’ll be attending their Algerian Jewish Dinner on April 13th paid for (full disclosure) by them.

The question is, will they be able to live up to our expectations? I’m curious about the menu for the Algerian Jewish Dinner, which isn’t posted yet, and the cultural history they hint at. We choose this dinner over the Beefsteak Dinner because it sounded like something that would be more of a challenge to prepare. The question is: Can Zingerman’s pull it off?

I’ll be posting various memories of Zingerman’s in the next month and a half, but I’d like to hear from you. What experiences have you had at Zingerman’s? Send me an email (ChloeMiller{at}gmail{dot}com) if you’d like to share memories from any of their locales (Roadhouse, Deli, Bakehouse, Creamery, Mail Order, Catering or Classes) as we wait for April 13th to roll around.

Zingerman's Mardi Gras Dinner

Zingerman’s offered a dinner on Fat Tuesday called “Creole & Acadian Carnival: A Mardi Gras Dinner.” My husband and I went with expectations that were only met half-way.

Am I allowed to live in Ann Arbor and critique the Zingerman’s Empire? Since we are moving this summer, I suppose I’m safe. Here it goes…

The email advertisement described a conversation about the differences between the two New Orleans’ cuisines and wine pairing suggestions. Instead, there was a brief talk that described a few differences, but didn’t identify all of the foods on the extensive menu. The wine discussion included a talk about the vineyard, but not how to pair which wines with which dishes. There was no discussion of the holiday that we were there to celebrate.

My favorite dish was the gumbo. The base of the soup had a complex flavor with a hint of spice. It was hot and dense with rice and fish. The red beans and rice serving was a close second with the rich pork taste infused into the red beans.

The side room where the dinner was held was packed, but under-staffed. It was like a mediocre wedding: we weren’t all served at the same time and some of the food was cold. For Zingerman’s prices and reputation, it was disappointing.

Fried foods should always be served hot. The coush-coush, a corn meal fritter which is meant to prepare the taste-buds for the upcoming dishes, was cold and hard. I was surprised that the dessert calas (a rice donut) also wasn’t hot. The beignet, however, was, and the taste carried through the heat. The crepe itself was dry and denser than a fresh crepe should taste.

My husband and I both drank the Sazerac cocktail, which is a New Orleans drink made from Jim Beam straight rye, Absente, and Peychaud’s bitters with simple syrup and lemon oil. It was delicious!

Here is the complete menu with a few explanations:

The Start
Boudin Blanc (white sausage with rice)
River Shrimp Canapes
Snails Bourguignon

Breads
Coush-Coush (corn meal fritter; the name means “cushion”)
French Bread

Soup
Crab, Oyster, Shrimp & Andouille Gumbo (topped with fried okra)

The Dinner
Crayfish Boil
Chicken Rochambeau
Shrimp and Bacon Stuffed Artichoke
Sole in Brown Butter
Ham Stuffed Mirliton (squash)
Red Beans and Rice

The Finish
Orange Crepes
Beignets (made from wheat flour) & Calas (made from rice)