Traverse City, Mich. – July 22, 2010 – The Traverse City National Writers Series will host Food Network star and award-winning chef Mario Batali on the Historic Front Lawn of the Village at Grand Traverse Commons on August 14 for a spectacular outdoor celebration of food, chefs and restaurants, beer and wine, music and the local culinary culture.

Batali, the zealous and stylish star of Food Network programs including Molto Mario and Ciao America, has become one of the most recognizable chefs in America. With a restaurant empire, several cookbooks, a line of food products, and ubiquitous appearances on television and in print, it is hard to discuss current culinary trends in the U.S. without citing the name of Mario Batali.

The author has published acclaimed cookbooks including “Simple Italian Food,” “Mario Batali Holiday Food,” “The Babbo Cookbook” and “Molto Italiano – 327 Simple Italian Recipes.” Batali was named Man of the Year in the chef category by GQ magazine in 1999, won the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef: New York City award in 2002 and was award Outstanding Chef of the Year by the James Beard Foundation in 2005. The famous orange-clogged chef splits his time with his family between New York City (where he owns and operates several Italian hotspots) and Michigan.

On August 14, Batali returns to his beloved summer community in Northern Michigan to participate in “An Evening with Mario Batali,” scheduled for 5-10 p.m. The event will feature dishes inspired by recipes in Batali’s cookbooks and prepared by chefs representing The Cook’s House and Epicure Catering, as well as world-famous mixologist Bridget Albert (who will create a signature Traverse City cocktail exclusively for the event), renowned magician and MC Billy Harris (of “Magic, Martinis and Mario” fame), and a live interview and interactive audience Q&A with Batali. The evening will close with music and dancing.

Guest host Paul Saginaw, co-owner and founding partner of Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor, will interview Batali on stage at the event and facilitate the audience Q&A. Called “the coolest small company in America” by Inc. magazine, Zingerman’s expanded from a single deli started by Saginaw and Ari Weinzweig in 1982 to a multi-business conglomerate centered on a unique operational model of strong commitment to community, great food and service, and a passion for entrepreneurship and people.

Tickets for “An Evening with Mario Batali” go on sale Friday, July 9 online at www.nationalwritersseries.org and www.porterhouseproductions.com. Tickets range from $35-$100 and include two full plates of Batali food entrees (10 recipes total), cash bar, gelato station, live entertainment, an interactive audience Q&A with Batali and access to all event activities. Signed copies of Batali’s cookbooks will be available for purchase at the event.

Net proceeds from TCNWS events, including “An Evening with Mario Batali,” support the National Writers Series and its scholarship fund, which benefits college-bound writing and arts students attending Grand Traverse regional schools. Scholarship winners will have their works published in the Midwest’s best literary review, The Dunes Review, and receive their awards at a special multi-day gala reading event, also featuring nationally prominent writers. The program is currently accepting scholarship applications from junior and senior high school students through July 28.

The National Writers Series, founded by New York Times best-selling author Doug Stanton, Traverse City attorney Grant Parsons and Northern Express writer Anne Stanton, is a year-round book festival in downtown Traverse City, Michigan. The Series is dedicated to bringing to life great conversations with America’s most celebrated writers. Past guests include legendary news anchor Tom Brokaw (“The Greatest Generation”), NYT best-selling author Mary Karr (“Lit”) and acclaimed memoirist Rhoda Janzen (“Mennonite in a Little Black Dress”).

For more information, visit www.nationalwritersseries.org.

• A sneak peek at Ari’s forthcoming book, Zingerman’s Guide to Good Leading

• The inside scoop on Zingerman’s “secret” Southside location

• Ari’s search for the Imperfect Burger

• Camp Bacon, Cake tips, Kerrygold and more!

Download:May Jun 2010 WEB

Join us for a Bacon Celebration like no other at Zingerman’s Camp Bacon on Saturday, June 19. We’re bringing together bacon lovers under one big tent at our Southside location for a day full of flavors, history and fun as we explore the best bacons we can find and learn the stories behind them.

• We’ll have Herb Eckhouse from La Quercia in IA, Allan Benton from Benton’s in TN and Nick Spencer from Spencer’s Jolly Posh British & Irish Foods in Chicago to discuss their work curing pork and Megan Dorsch from Nueske’s in WI will also join in the fun.
• James Beard award winning cookbook author Molly Stevens will provide a cooking demo
• Ari will lead a comparative tasting of great bacons (and maybe some not-so-great ones so you really CAN taste the difference)
• Jan Longone from the UM’s Longone Culinary Archive will speak on Bacon history

Plus, games, prizes, bacon poetry reading and more!

Registration for the day is $150 and includes breakfast, lunch, a Camp Bacon t-shirt and a signed hardcover copy of Ari’s Zingerman’s Guide to Better Bacon.

Online registration at www.zingermanscampbacon.com or call 888.636.8162 to sign up!

• An Interview with Zingerman’s Coffee Company managing partner Steve Mangigian

• Locally raised meat at Zingerman’s Roadhouse

• Easter and Passover specials

• Michael Pollan coming to Zingerman’s Roadhouse, April 11

Download the Zingerman’s Newsletter for March-April 2010

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No secrets: Businesses find it pays to open books to employees

Private businesses have traditionally operated from the top down — executives passing along only the information deemed “safe” for employee eyes.

But that’s not the case for the nine companies in Zingerman’s Community of Businesses in Ann Arbor.

Owners Ari Weinzweig and Paul Saginaw practice open-book management, the business practice of sharing financial and decision-making duties among all employees.

“Our employees really get a chance to participate in the business,” Weinzweig said. “They are learning how to manage money and how to run a business.”

It’s the employees who manage expenses, monitor operating margins and develop new products. This opens a new realm of business transparency, one that can eliminate the “us vs. them” mentality between management and employees.

Private companies are known to hide net profits and keep books closed to protect competitive advantage, said David Brophy, finance professor and director of the Center for Venture Capital and Private Equity Finance at the University of Michigan‘s Stephen M. Ross School of Business.

“I think it’s amazing that a company is willing to do this,” he said. “It shows they have tremendous confidence in their ability and have obviously learned the positive gains exceed the potential risk of revealing trade secrets.”

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Read the rest of the article here and, to learn more about ZingTrain and our Fun, Flavorful Finance Seminar, click here.

100% of the profits from the Deli’s #46 (that’s Stan’s Canadian Hotfoot for those of you keeping track) that are sold October 5 day will go straight to 826 Michigan to support/promote what they do. What do they do? We’ll let them tell you.

“826 Michigan is a nonprofit writing and tutoring center dedicated to helping students ages 6-18 with their creative and expository writing skills, one of seven such organizations across the country.   Each of our programs, in Washtenaw and surrounding counties, are free to all youth participants which is one of the many reasons this amazing event will be such an extraordinary benefit to our students.”

Oh, and the Tour de Bacon is going strong with free shirts [pdf] going out to anyone who visits each Zingerman’s retail location (Deli, Roadhouse, Creamery and Bakehouse) in a 24-hour period and gets their passport signed. Here’s a map [pdf] to help you get there.

Also, at the end of the month, we’re celebrating a visit from Sam Edwards from Surry, VA who will help us support the Southern Foodways Alliance with a special bacon dinner at Zingerman’s Roadhouse on July 28.

Can’t get to Ann Arbor to enjoy great bacon? Ship our favorite bacons right to you door!