Matt Rodbard: An Award-Winner with Great TASTE

And the Zingerman’s box that brings it to your doorstep

Here at Zingerman’s, we’re always inspired by people who turn their love of food into a lifelong conversation. Matt Rodbard is one of those people. Matt has more than two decades of experience working in television, magazines, book publishing, and online media. He’s a writer, editor, author, founding editor of the James Beard Award-winning digital magazine TASTE, and host of the podcast This Is TASTE. 

But before all of that, he was a Michigan kid learning about food from a certain deli in Ann Arbor. Matt says that Zingerman’s taught him to love quality and help inform his lifelong passion for outstanding food crafted with intention. And now, we’re incredibly honored that he’s curated a box with us, his “favorite food store in the world”! Here’s what you’ll find inside:

Better Than San Francisco Sourdough Bread from Zingerman’s Bakehouse: A classic sourdough loaf with a thin, crackly crust. It’s made with just four ingredients—organic wheat flour, water, sea salt, and the sourdough starter they’ve been caring for since 1992. (There is one “secret” ingredient, though… time! It takes 18 hours to make a loaf!)

Cabot Clothbound Cheese: Matt says, “I love this collaboration between Cabot and Jasper Hill and really respect Mateo and Andy Kehler. They’re buying wheels of clothbound cheddar from Cabot and aging them in their cheese caves in Vermont. That to me is the definition of craft and collaboration.”

Zingerman’s Pimento Cheese: Matt says, “There are a LOT of pimento cheese recipes floating around, and the Zingerman’s version hits all the right notes—great cheese, perfect texture, and not loaded with peppers. I dare you not to finish the container in one sitting.” Do as Matt does and use it in a grilled cheese sandwich!

Smoked Whitefish Spread: Matt says, “This spread reminds me of vacations ‘up north’ as a kid, and as a Jewish kid, this reminds me of great deli whitefish from Chicago. This one is from Traverse City and is such a great smoky and spreadable snack.”

Finocchiona Salami: Matt says, “This fennel salami from Illinois could be coming out of Northern Italy and represents Zingerman’s mining of American charcuterie sellers for the very best.” 

Black Magic Brownie & Magic Brownie from Zingerman’s Bakehouse: Matt says, “Not all brownies are created equally, and you are getting them with and without walnuts. The high extraction flour gives the brownies such a great texture—and yes, they are rich.”

It’s a spread that could just as easily anchor a dinner party as a solo night in with a great podcast episode queued up. Ready to dig in?

• Send the Matt Rodbard x Zingerman’s Box to someone who loves a great food story
• Listen to the This Is TASTE episode with co-founder Ari Weinzweig and marketer Brad Hedeman