Tag: THIS WEEK AT ZINGERMAN’S

Fried Chicken Mac & Cheese at the Roadhouse.

A perfect pairing comes together
In Secret #39, in Part 3, Managing Ourselves, I wrote a whole essay about creativity. It was a subject that, oddly, in all our many years in business, I’d given little thought to until, suddenly, during the economic collapse of 2009 and ’10, we started getting a bunch of requests for me to do a keynote talk on the subject. The curious thing is that, in all my years here, I’d never once taught anything about creativity. In truth, I was stumped. I felt like fleeing, but instead, I started studying. My creative inquiry into creativity eventually evolved into the 53-page essay, “Creating Creativity” which was published as Secret #39!

One of my big learnings in my study of the subject was that creativity is mostly about connections. Not necessarily who you know, but about putting things together in ways that they haven’t otherwise been combined. In my love for simple models that help me—and maybe you—get my mind around complex concepts without dishonoring the natural complexity of the world around us, I started to look at three kinds of creativity:

  1. “Creativity Forward” – The easiest example to share might be high-tech innovation. Back in 1982, Open Book Management would have an example as well.
  2. “Creativity Back” – We do a lot of this here in the ZCoB. It would include finding old, unused, or under-used ideas and putting them back to work. The Bakehouse’s fresh milling and the Creamery’s handmade Cream Cheese are two easy examples.
  3. “Creativity Sideways” – Here’s what I wrote about it in the essay:

    [Creativity sideways] generally seems to come in two forms. Often, it’s merely finding something that’s commonplace within its own culture but, when introduced into unfamiliar territory, is transformed into an attention-getting, creative act. … We do a lot of this sideways creative work at Zingerman’s. … The Hungarian foods we’re working on at the Bakehouse would certainly fit.

    The other sort of sideways shift of creativity comes when two already well-accepted ideas or ways of working are put together in a totally new way, resulting in an innovative approach or product. … The classic historical example is of Gutenberg using wine press technology to print books … using Emma Goldman’s ideas to help run a progressive 21st-century business.

It’s this last kind of creativity that I’m thinking about here. The story goes back about 15 years now. In one of those unintended moments of connection, I was standing by the buffet table at ZingTrain after folks had happily consumed a lunch catered by the Roadhouse. I can’t recall which seminar I was teaching that day, but I do remember that down near the far end of the table were two of those big foil pans used to hold hot food. One had held a whole bunch of the Roadhouse’s really well-known Mac & Cheese (made with the marvelous Mancini maccheroni and that Vermont-cheddar-based bechamel sauce). By the time I got there, the pan was pretty much empty—only a few lonely noodles and a little cheese were left around the edges.

The other pan, to its left, had held fried chicken. That was pretty much gone, too. All that was left were a bunch of those itty-bitty little crumbs of crust that fall off when the actual pieces of chicken have been consumed. Looking down at the almost-empty pans, I suddenly had this thought that the two—Mac & Cheese and fried chicken bits—would be a beautiful thing if you put them together. I tried a few bites right then and there by putting together the small bit of each that was left. It was terrific. It went on as a special the next day and we sold 20 orders in two hours. It hasn’t come off the menu since.

If you’ve never had Fried Chicken Mac & Cheese, let’s just say it’s pretty marvelous. Little bits of fried chicken cooked into, and sprinkled on top of, a plate of creamy Roadhouse Mac & Cheese. The pepperiness of the fried chicken bits—we use that wonderful, small-farmTellicherry black pepper we get through Épices de Cru—serves as the counterpoint to the creamy Mac & Cheese.  And it all melds marvelously with the moist bits of fried chicken. (I like the dish for breakfast, topped with an over-easy egg!) Fried Chicken Mac & Cheese may not be as monumental a connection as the printing press, but I have a feeling this one is here to stay!

The Fried Chicken Mac & Cheese was the long-time favorite (always with a side of hot sauce) of Roadhouse server Danny Patterson. Danny moved away at the start of the pandemic and sadly, passed away earlier this year. His loss is felt by many. I’ve chosen to remember him by his big smile, his laughter, and his joy every time a serving of this super tasty dish went out into the dining room!
 Make a reservation at the Roadhouse
P.S. Fried Chicken Mac & Cheese makes a marvelous carryout item too! Call to place an order to-go at 734-663-3663. The Roadhouse also caters this creative combo—email [email protected].

 Want more from Ari?

Sign up for Ari’s Top 5 e-newsletter and look forward to his weekly curated email—a roundup of 5 Zing things Ari is excited about this week—stuff you might not have heard of!

A taste of zingermans bakehouse babka at zingermans bakehouse.

A taste of Zingerman’s Bakehouse Babka could be just right

More and more over the years people bring or send a Zingerman’s gift—a taste of Tree Town, it’s a terrific way to convey their own commitment to high quality and an easy way to share some of their connection with the community here in the Ann Arbor area. Sour Cream Coffee Cake, which we’ve been making for over 35 years now, is probably the most popular way to do that. Magic Brownies, which we’ve been making for almost that long, are another favored choice. I’d like to propose a third option, something that might well make for a great taste of Zingerman’s and Ann Arbor: the Bakehouse’s Chocolate Babka. While it’s not well known in the Midwest, in New York, Babka has long been a big deal. I tend to be a bit skeptical about trends in Tinsel Town, but folks on the East Coast could well be onto something with their regular Babka-eating.

While Babka is pretty easy to pronounce, it’s not easy to make. Melissa Clark, writing in the New York Times, says that:

Baking a chocolate Babka is no casual undertaking. The Eastern European yeast-risen coffee cake has 14 steps and takes all day to make. But the results are worth every sugarcoated second – with a moist, deeply flavored brioche-like cake wrapped around a dark fudge filling, then topped with cocoa streusel crumbs.

If you’re from New York, the odds are reasonably high that you’re well familiar with Babka. If not, you’re in for a treat. Babka is traditional Jewish “sweet bread,” akin you could say to a light-textured coffee cake, or maybe a bit denser piece of Italian panettone. It starts with a rich, slow-rise yeasted dough made with lots of butter, real vanilla, and fresh egg yolks. That in turn is sprinkled with chocolate “crumble” and orange-syrup-soaked raisins, all of which get formed into a fine looking swirled loaf, and then baked off to a golden brown with a sensual cinnamon-sugar crust. The Bakehouse crew adds a good dose of dark chocolate on top and rolled into the middle as well. It’s already got a LOT of loyal fans, and it seems to be gaining more momentum all the time.

Babka’s history? Its roots are in Eastern Europe, very likely indigenous to Ukraine, where it would have been a part of an ancient fertility symbol used in the matriarchal system once in place in the region. The old forms of the Babka were likely much larger, somewhere from the size of a modern day panettone on up to some a few feet high. The original name was likely “baba,” meaning “grandmother”; with the “modern era’s” smaller sizes the name shifted to the diminutive, “Babka,” meaning “little grandmother.” Up until the 20th century, it’s unlikely that Babka would have had any chocolate in it, since chocolate came from the Western Hemisphere and became popular in Europe only late in the 19th century.

Earlier versions of Babka would likely have been closer to the Eve’s Apple Babka we make at the Bakehouse (a special bake coming in August). For those who want to return to the older, more true to traditional type offering, this is it. Still, I know, chocolate is likely to take the cake. Susana Trilling, author of the excellent cookbook, Seasons of the Heart, and creator and cooking teacher extraordinaire of the Oaxacan cooking school of the same name once wrote me to say that, “… bar none, Zingerman’s Bakehouse makes the BEST Babka I have ever eaten!! It was incredible.”

The Bakehouse’s Chocolate Babka will be available all summer on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
Bag A Babka At The Bakehouse
Ship This Sweet To Your Sis
P.S. If you want to try making Babka at home, the recipe will be in the Bakehouse’s forthcoming cookbook, Celebrate Every Day, due for release October 3rd. Pre-order here!

Want more from Ari?

Sign up for Ari’s Top 5 e-newsletter and look forward to his weekly curated email—a roundup of 5 Zing things Ari is excited about this week—stuff you might not have heard of!

 

peanuts overflowing from a checkered black and red tin on top and on the side of the peanut tin.

Peanuts Farmed and sun-cured as they were a century ago
Whether they’re in our heads, our homes, or our organizations, ecosystems in nature will almost always attract unto themselves. As permaculturist Toby Hemenway writes, “Life builds on life. … serendipities we never hoped for—a surprising new wildflower, a rare butterfly … will grace our lives almost daily.” Food writer Robin Kline lives in Iowa, but she is a long-time part of the Zingerman’s ecosystem. A couple of years ago, Robin turned me onto the work of Gareth Higgins—thanks to Robin, Gareth and I are now good friends.

He came here to speak at the Roadhouse last fall and will be back again to do more events in early December (details to come). A few months after Robin told me about Gareth, she emailed to tell me about some newly available single-origin peanuts from Virginia. I wasn’t really on the lookout for a new source. We’ve long been happy with the high-quality peanuts we’ve been buying for decades now. That all changed when I tasted the new ones—they were so darned delicious! I’m not normally a big peanut eater, but I found myself reaching back in the can over and over again to have a few more! A year down the road, those amazing peanuts are debuting this week at the Roadhouse! The flavor, and the story behind them, have absolutely enhanced the energy in my internal ecosystem. I forecast they will have a similarly positive impact on yours!

The nuts come to us from the folks at Hubs, the third generation of the Hubbard family’s firm in Farmville, Virginia. Back in the mid-’50s, Dot Hubbard developed what’s evolved over the years into “the specialty peanut market.” She took the extra time to hand-select the largest peanuts from each local farm’s delivery and then dip them in hot water before blister-frying them in her kitchen. She and her husband, H.J., began shipping their peanuts by mail. Nearly 70 years later the company is run by their grandson, Marshall Rabil. Marshall has been working hard in recent years to take the company to new heights and he, like me, has an affinity for small, specialty experiments. I’m thrilled that Robin Kline cared enough to steer me so effectively to this one.

Since these single-origin peanuts epitomize our philosophical approach to food, we debuted them at the event for “A Taste of Zingerman’s Food Philosophy.” They’re completely in line with our definition of quality (see the piece I wrote a few weeks ago on the subject here). They’re remarkably full-flavored—they have loads of complexity, balance, and finish. And they’re very traditional—this is the way high-quality peanuts would have tasted 100 years ago! They’re grown by Elisha Barnes, a fourth-generation farmer in Virginia. Barnes is beyond passionate about his peanut growing, and his connection to community, history, and the land. He’s been into it since he was a child: “The first time I got hooked on farming I was six years old.” Through farming and his upbringing, Barnes has developed a life philosophy that fits well with our own: “My father taught us how to treat people and how to be honest. He taught us integrity.” Both his passion and his principles are reflected in the excellence of the peanuts!

While Elisha Barnes’ farm isn’t certified organic, he uses no chemicals on the land. He harvests the peanuts using a 100-year-old picker, equipment he has had to modify regularly to make it work with his 50-year-old tractor. The peanuts are made particularly special because Barnes still uses the old way of curing them which is known as “shocking.” Just-dug nuts, left on the vine as they grew, are wrapped about around five-foot-high poles to sun-dry out in the field (think corn shocks). They’re left to cure for about six weeks before they’re brought in, cleaned, and brought to Hubs to get that patented blistering, roasting, and salting.

A hundred years ago, pretty much every peanut farmer worked this way. Today Elisha Barnes is the only one still doing it. It makes a big difference in the flavor. Barnes says, “It creates the sweetest, highest germination rate peanut there is. You see, [flash] drying takes out part of the germination quality, and it takes out the sweetness. It takes part of the quality out of the peanut. But I want to keep that.” In the spirit of a holistic internal ecosystem, Barnes says,

Tilling the soil, it teaches a spiritual lesson. Do your part, invest in the land and the land will give you an increase. We are a fourth-generation farm. My father, my grandfather, my great-grandfather all farmed peanuts. I am right now the only farmer anywhere around that actively shocks peanuts like this. … It’s rewarding. It’s an honor. Who would’ve ever thought that the son of a sharecropper would be standing on the land that he now owns and farming peanuts the way that my father and his father did. That speaks volumes for me.

I am indebted to Hubs for coming on board with me and allowing me to be able to raise this and allow it to be financially beneficial so that I can continue to do this growing. Hubs hopes the single-sourced specialty peanut will remind people of their roots. It has already given one farmer exactly what he needs! My daughter says that I’m a dinosaur that refuses to die. The chapters of my life will close with me farming the way I want to farm.Aside from all the work on growing peanuts, supporting Elisha Barnes in this way is also a small step toward helping to restore Black farmers to the land.

Today, in 2023, Black farmers account for only 10 percent of what Black farmers owned and worked a century ago. Barnes says, “Southampton County, at the turn of the century, was primarily Black-owned.” Today Barnes is one of only a few Black farmers left working local lands. A couple years ago, Barnes and his oldest brother bought back his father’s 52-acre spread in Courtland. He says proudly, “This past year, I raised peanuts on the family farm for the first time in 30 years.”

In the spirit of what I wrote last week about Charles White, Elisha Barnes says of his commitment to these traditional techniques of farming, “Maybe just maybe I’ll inspire somebody to take just a little bit of this old history and keep it alive.” I’m pretty confident his hope will be fulfilled many times over in the coming years. Swing by the Roadhouse soon and enjoy some of these amazing peanuts soon! Flavor is big, but supplies are limited!

P.S. For more on the painful history of what has happened to Black farmers in the U.S. check out Leah Penniman’s work at Soul Fire Farm in this talk, her book Farming While Black, and Pete Daniels’ book, Dispossession.

Want more from Ari?

Sign up for Ari’s Top 5 e-newsletter and look forward to his weekly curated email—a roundup of 5 Zing things Ari is excited about this week—stuff you might not have heard of!

May Events at Zingerman’s

Deli Sundae social

1st Annual Sundae Social at Zingerman’s Deli

FREE to attend.
Gelato sundae = $6.99

We’re throwing a Sundae Social on the Deli Patio on Tuesday, May 24th, 4-7pm, and we hope you and your friends will join us! Our Next Door sweet treat experts will help you make a custom designed sundae featuring gelato from Zingerman’s Creamery, delicious sauces like Coop’s hot fudge or Béquet caramel sauce, and fabulous toppings like chocolate sprinkles or peanut brittle from Zingerman’s Candy Manufactory. Our party fun will also include craft activities and games for kids of all ages. Reservations are not required, but if you purchase your sundaes in advance online or in person at the Deli, you will be entered in a drawing for an 18% off Kids Discount Card. Make sure to bring your sweet tooth!

Reserve your seat here

Picnic with Cheese! at Zingerman’s Creamery

Just in time for your Memorial Day celebrations, we’re giving a preview of some of the best picnic fare from our shop! We’ll be grilling up some tasty links from Corridor Sausage, making a potato salad with cheese and bacon, and some cheesy deviled eggs. We’ll finish the evening with a refreshing sorbet, and send you home with all of the recipes that we use as well as some helpful information about our featured products!

Reserve your seat here

Camp Bacon® Begins!

ZingTrain Speaker Series: John U. Bacon

John U. Bacon will talk about his latest New York Times bestseller, Endzone: The Rise, Fall and Return of Michigan Football, and the lessons it holds for organizations of all stripes, including: Don’t treat your fans like customers, or they’ll behave that way; try to run your organization like a religion, more than a business (like Zingermans does); and remember that, boiled down, all organizations are built on relationships — within the organization, with your suppliers and your followers. Amazingly, Michigan’s constituents rose up, and self-corrected their beloved school in less than a year, and there are lessons in that, too.

Join us Wednesday, June 1st, 8am-930am, for this session with John U. Bacon. Do plan on being subject to loads of John’s incisive intelligence, superior storytelling and wry wit.

John U. Bacon is the author of seven books on sports and business, including Bo’s Lasting Lessons: The Legendary Coach Teaches the Timeless Fundamentals of Leadership, Three and Out: Rich Rodriguez and the Michigan Wolverines in the Crucible of College Football, and Fourth and Long: The Fight for the Soul of College Football — all national best sellers.

His most recent book, Endzone: The Rise, Fall, and Return of Michigan Football was released September 1, 2015 and debuted at number 6 on the New York Times Best Sellers list.

He freelances for The Wall Street Journal, Yahoo and others, appears often on TV, including HBO, ESPN, Fox Business, MSNBC, Al Jazeera and the Big Ten Network, and delivers weekly essays for Michigan Radio and occasionally NPR, which awarded him the PRNDI prize for nation’s best commentary in 2014. He is a popular public speaker, who teaches at Northwestern University and the University of Michigan, where the students awarded him the Golden Apple in 2009.

John is also a decent Spanish speaker, an average hockey player, and a poor piano player, but he still enjoys all three!

Reserve your seat here

Potlikker Film Festival at ZingTrain

The folks down at the Southern Foodways Alliance have done an incredible job capturing the stories behind some of our most beloved Southern food makers in a series of award-winning short documentaries by filmmaker Joe York. Join us Wednesday, June 1st, 630pm, as we watch a few new films produced in late 2015 and early 2016, all focusing on traditional, Southern foodways.

Popcorn and snacks served with alcohol available at a cash bar. Come with an appetite and be ready to fall in love with Southern Foodways!

Reserve your seat here

Bakin’ with Bacon at BAKE!

We’ll be using the power of bacon to flavor three amazing baked goods, all in honor of Zingerman’s Guide to Better Bacon (available at all Zingerman’s locations). You’ll make a similar version of our wildly popular peppered bacon farm bread, bacon cheddar scones found in the book, and sweet and salty bacon pecan sandy cookies. We’ll take you to hog heaven with a demonstration of our maple glazed bacon apple doughnuts. Try and contain yourself.

You’ll leave BAKE! with our recipes, the knowledge to recreate them at home, two loaves of bread, a dozen scones, three dozen cookies and great coupons.

*NOTE: This class runs runs both Thursday, June 2nd, or Friday, June 3rd. Select your session.

Reserve your seat here

The Annual Bacon Ball at Zingerman’s Roadhouse

Join the Roadhouse and Zingerman’s Camp Bacon on Thursday, June 2nd, 7pm, as we celebrate the pig with author Mark Essig, sharing stories from his new book “Lesser Beasts: A Snout-to-Tail History of the Humble Pig.” Mark and Chef Alex have created a menu featuring bacon throughout the courses, showing no part of the pig is to be taken for granted.

Reserve your seat here

Zingerman’s Camp Bacon Main Event at Cornman Farms

a fundraiser for the Southern Foodways Alliance, $120 is tax deductible

An all day event on Saturday, June 4th, 8am-4pm, filled with meaty speakers, lots of learning, a whole lot of laughing and, of course, all the bacon you can eat! Bacon lovers from around the globe trek to the Camp Bacon Main Event each to meet and eat and share their love for really good cured pork in a day filled with presentations by bacon producers, food experts, and a few fun surprise guests. This is the third year we’re hosting the Main Event at our verdant and relaxing Cornman Farms, and we expect it to be better than ever!

What an amazing line-up of interesting, engaging, insightful and funny speakers! And all the bacon you can eat!

– Adrian Miller, author of Soul Food, on “Presidential Pork”
– Mark Essig on “Lesser Beasts: A Snout-to-Tail History of the Humble Pig”
– Rolando Beremendi
– Ari Miller from 1732 Meats on “what’s a nice Jewish boy doing making bacon?”
– Eric Clayman from the Denver Bacon Company making Guanciale
– Chris Wilson from the Smithsonian Museum on “Pork and African American Culture”
– Chef Sherry Yard on “Baking with Bacon”
– Fred Bueltmann from New Holland Brewing on “Crafts Come Together Raising Bacon and Brewing Beer”
– Fidel Galano on “The mysteries and mastery of Cuban pork cooking”
– Steve Carre from Australia
– Susan Schwallie on “the national consumer statistics expert on the latest bacon related numbers from the marketplace”
– Special Guest Appearance by John U. Bacon on “Being Bacon—the Latest Chapter”

Reserve your seat here

Camp Bacon® Street Fair at the Sunday Artisan Market in Kerrytown

Come on down to the market – just a block down from the Deli! – on Sunday, June 5th, 11am-2pm,  to celebrate great pork with a three-hour street fair with an array of vendors selling, sampling and showcasing all things bacon—a great way to have lunch, sample new bacon fares, or just have some fun with bacon-based games for kids of all ages. Free admission but a donation to Washtenaw 4-H is suggested.

This year’s Street Fair vendor lineup includes:

– Zingerman’s Camp Bacon
– Zingerman’s Food Tours
– Zingerman’s Delicatessen
– Zingerman’s Candy
– Zingerman’s Creamery
– Zingerman’s Cornman Farms Flowers
– Zingerman’s Roadhouse on the Road
– Zingerman’s Coffee Company
– Plum Market
– The Brinery
– Nduja Artisans Salumeria
– Nueske’s Smoked Meats
– West Loop Salumi
– Manicaretti Imports
– Fortune Fish

Foodies & Fabric – A Modern Quilt Showdown at Zingerman’s Deli

The Deli is sew excited we’re on pins and needles to host an exhibition of handmade mini quilts brought to you by the Ann Arbor Modern Quilt Guild and Pink Castle Fabrics. Stop by anytime during business hours, Friday, June 3rd – Sunday, June 6th, to view and vote for your favorite quilted creation.

This event is FREE!

See you soon!

May Events at Zingerman’s

Daphne Zepos event cheese

Cooking up Cajun at Zingerman’s Roadhouse

The Roadhouse welcomes back for the third year fisherman Jimmy Galle, owner of Gulfish, the source for the best and freshest seafood from the waters of Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. Delivering seafood around the country daily, Jimmy and his crews have a long-standing commitment to sourcing directly from day-boat fishermen, shrimpers and crabbers across the Gulf Coast, delivering directly to a restaurant’s kitchen door.

Jimmy is sending us the best the gulf has to offer and Chef Alex is excited to cook the classics of a traditional Cajun meal served down in Louisiana, focusing on the flavors of the fish and the rustic taste that is cajun cuisine. On Tuesday, May 17th, 7pm, we’ll be paying homage to Chef Paul Prudhomme, celebrity chef of New Orleans, who, sadly, passed away last year. He has been credited with popularizing cajun cuisine and was influential in the world of modern seasonal American cooking.

We can’t decide which course will be the most exciting to taste, but Alex’s Gumbo made with fresh-from-the-Gulf shrimp and oysters, along with pit-chicken and house-made andouille sausage, is definitely at the top of the list.

Seafood and Cajun lovers, this dinner is meant for you.

Reserve your seat here

ZingTrain Speaker Series: Sticky Situations

The thing is, it’s all just stuff happening in our heads until we try to tell someone about it. Which means communication is the key to pretty much everything, right?

But the thing is, communication is not easy. Effective communication is in fact, quite difficult. And people are not easy. A good number of people, in fact, find other people difficult.

So it turns out that the two components that are the key to our lives – people and what we say to each other – are in fact, highly likely to be difficult. So what do we do? We listen to Sarah Brabbs. She’s made it her business and her lifetime’s work to study relationships and communication.

JOIN us on Wednesday, May 18th, 8-930am, to hear Sarah tell us how to:

– BETTER UNDERSTAND & DEAL with difficult people around you – at work and at home!
– LEARN, PRACTICE & RETAIN more effective communication skills!
– FIND OUT what you can change if you are being a difficult person.

Sarah Brabbs has recently authored a book, So (People Say) You’re an Asshole: A Book for You, People Who Love You, & People Who Work with You. She’s gonna tell it like it is. Just sayin’.

Reserve your seat here

Cheese 101 at Zingerman’s Creamery

A delicious introduction to the world of cheese! Join us on Thursday, May 19th, 6pm, as we sample cheeses that represent each of the seven major styles of cheese, all hand-selected by our shop cheesemongers. We’ll talk about what makes each style unique, share tips for building a well rounded cheese board, and provide an overview of the basics of paring cheese with beer & wine. We’ll also have bread and pickled veggies to round out the sampling courses.

Reserve your seat here

Brewing Methods at Zingerman’s Coffee Company

Learn the keys to successful coffee brewing using a wide variety of brewing methods from filter drip to syphon pot. This tasting session on Sunday, May 22nd, 1pm, will explore a single coffee brewed 6 to 8 different ways, each producing a unique taste. A demonstration of the proper proportions and techniques for each method and a discussion of the merits and differences of each style will take place.

Reserve your seat here

1st Annual Sundae Social at Zingerman’s Deli

FREE to attend.
Gelato sundae = $6.99

We’re throwing a Sundae Social on the Deli Patio on Tuesday, May 24th, 4-7pm, and we hope you and your friends will join us! Our Next Door sweet treat experts will help you make a custom designed sundae featuring gelato from Zingerman’s Creamery, delicious sauces like Coop’s hot fudge or Béquet caramel sauce, and fabulous toppings like chocolate sprinkles or peanut brittle from Zingerman’s Candy Manufactory. Our party fun will also include craft activities and games for kids of all ages. Reservations are not required, but if you purchase your sundaes in advance online or in person at the Deli, you will be entered in a drawing for an 18% off Kids Discount Card. Make sure to bring your sweet tooth!

Reserve your seat here

Picnic with Cheese! at Zingerman’s Creamery

Just in time for your Memorial Day celebrations, we’re giving a preview of some of the best picnic fare from our shop! We’ll be grilling up some tasty links from Corridor Sausage, making a potato salad with cheese and bacon, and some cheesy deviled eggs. We’ll finish the evening with a refreshing sorbet, and send you home with all of the recipes that we use as well as some helpful information about our featured products!

Reserve your seat here

See you soon!

May Events at Zingerman’s

Oysterversary Final color

Cooking up Cajun at Zingerman’s Roadhouse

The Roadhouse welcomes back for the third year fisherman Jimmy Galle, owner of Gulfish, the source for the best and freshest seafood from the waters of Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. Delivering seafood around the country daily, Jimmy and his crews have a long-standing commitment to sourcing directly from day-boat fishermen, shrimpers and crabbers across the Gulf Coast, delivering directly to a restaurant’s kitchen door.

Jimmy is sending us the best the gulf has to offer and Chef Alex is excited to cook the classics of a traditional Cajun meal served down in Louisiana, focusing on the flavors of the fish and the rustic taste that is cajun cuisine. On Tuesday, May 17th, 7pm, we’ll be paying homage to Chef Paul Prudhomme, celebrity chef of New Orleans, who, sadly, passed away last year. He has been credited with popularizing cajun cuisine and was influential in the world of modern seasonal American cooking.

We can’t decide which course will be the most exciting to taste, but Alex’s Gumbo made with fresh-from-the-Gulf shrimp and oysters, along with pit-chicken and house-made andouille sausage, is definitely at the top of the list.

Seafood and Cajun lovers, this dinner is meant for you.

Reserve your seat here

ZingTrain Speaker Series: Sticky Situations

The thing is, it’s all just stuff happening in our heads until we try to tell someone about it. Which means communication is the key to pretty much everything, right?

But the thing is, communication is not easy. Effective communication is in fact, quite difficult. And people are not easy. A good number of people, in fact, find other people difficult.

So it turns out that the two components that are the key to our lives – people and what we say to each other – are in fact, highly likely to be difficult. So what do we do? We listen to Sarah Brabbs. She’s made it her business and her lifetime’s work to study relationships and communication.

JOIN us on Wednesday, May 18th, 8-930am, to hear Sarah tell us how to:

– BETTER UNDERSTAND & DEAL with difficult people around you – at work and at home!
– LEARN, PRACTICE & RETAIN more effective communication skills!
– FIND OUT what you can change if you are being a difficult person.

Sarah Brabbs has recently authored a book, So (People Say) You’re an Asshole: A Book for You, People Who Love You, & People Who Work with You. She’s gonna tell it like it is. Just sayin’.

Reserve your seat here

Cheese 101 at Zingerman’s Creamery

A delicious introduction to the world of cheese! Join us on Thursday, May 19th, 6pm, as we sample cheeses that represent each of the seven major styles of cheese, all hand-selected by our shop cheesemongers. We’ll talk about what makes each style unique, share tips for building a well rounded cheese board, and provide an overview of the basics of paring cheese with beer & wine. We’ll also have bread and pickled veggies to round out the sampling courses.

Reserve your seat here

Brewing Methods at Zingerman’s Coffee Company

Learn the keys to successful coffee brewing using a wide variety of brewing methods from filter drip to syphon pot. This tasting session on Sunday, May 22nd, 1pm, will explore a single coffee brewed 6 to 8 different ways, each producing a unique taste. A demonstration of the proper proportions and techniques for each method and a discussion of the merits and differences of each style will take place.

Reserve your seat here

1st Annual Sundae Social at Zingerman’s Deli

FREE to attend.
Gelato sundae = $6.99

We’re throwing a Sundae Social on the Deli Patio on Tuesday, May 24th, 4-7pm, and we hope you and your friends will join us! Our Next Door sweet treat experts will help you make a custom designed sundae featuring gelato from Zingerman’s Creamery, delicious sauces like Coop’s hot fudge or Béquet caramel sauce, and fabulous toppings like chocolate sprinkles or peanut brittle from Zingerman’s Candy Manufactory. Our party fun will also include craft activities and games for kids of all ages. Reservations are not required, but if you purchase your sundaes in advance online or in person at the Deli, you will be entered in a drawing for an 18% off Kids Discount Card. Make sure to bring your sweet tooth!

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Picnic with Cheese! at Zingerman’s Creamery

FREE to attend.
Gelato sundae = $6.99

Just in time for your Memorial Day celebrations, we’re giving a preview of some of the best picnic fare from our shop! We’ll be grilling up some tasty links from Corridor Sausage, making a potato salad with cheese and bacon, and some cheesy deviled eggs. We’ll finish the evening with a refreshing sorbet, and send you home with all of the recipes that we use as well as some helpful information about our featured products!

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See you soon!