Pulled pork, real Monterey Jack, fluffy eggs & more!

One of the best things on the Roadhouse’s regular breakfast menu is this remarkably good Smothered Burrito!

What makes it so magical? The Smothered Burrito is another example of combining a series of super-high-quality ingredients into one amazing assemblage. When you take a bite … the burrito leads with the nice liveliness from the fresh cilantro. Then there’s a bit of spice from the Roadhouse’s Salsa Ranchero (chopped Bianco di Napoli tomatoes, cilantro, cumin, coriander, New Mexico fire-roasted green chiles, and minced onion) that’s ladled over top. You bite through the feathery light flour tortilla into the fluffy scrambled eggs, then find the great smoky softness of the pulled pork. Last but not least, there’s a generous bit of the milky mellow Monterey Jack from Vella Cheese in Sonoma (one of only two or three dairies in the country that still make REAL Monterey Jack the old-fashioned way). It all comes together in this blend of creamy, slightly spicy, super smooth, savory goodness.

The pulled pork, which has been terrific for 21 years now, became even better six weeks or so ago when head chef Bob Bennett made a connection with a farm about 90 minutes west of here to source a regular supply of Red Wattle hogs. An old heritage breed that’s particularly full flavored, the Red Wattle had become so deeply endangered around the turn of the century that Slow Food put it on their Ark of Taste, “a living catalog of delicious and distinctive foods facing extinction.” Happily, a half dozen or so farms are raising them and the population has risen to roughly 3000. In the burrito, the pulled pork is particularly terrific—Eastern North Carolina-style, whole hog, smoked for about 15 hours over oak logs, dressed with a vinegar sauce that’s based on that amazing barrel-aged cider vinegar I wrote about last month from Gingras up in Quebec!

One of the Smothered Burrito’s biggest fans is nationally known poet, Ken Mikolowski. Given the overlay of two of his passions—poetry and this smoked pork-stuffed burrito—a few years ago I asked him for a poem. Here is what he composed:

“Roadhouse Burrito”
tasty when eaten
with relish

The Smothered Burrito is on the breakfast menu, Monday through Friday. It’s also the Friday morning Blue Plate special at a particularly special price!

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Roadhouse Chef Bob Bennett reflects on his Zingerman’s career

Within sniffing distance of the eight-foot oak-wood pit smoker and earshot of the sizzling stainless steel flat-top grill, Chef Bob Bennett from Zingerman’s Roadhouse sat down with me for a chat. We reminisced about the start of his Zingerman’s career at the turn of the century, struggled to narrow down Roadhouse menu favorites, and reflected on the special community we’re a part of. Read on to experience a few morsels of his earnest and heartfelt approach to cooking and working. And don’t miss those menu picks! It was a tough job (as Bob says “Like picking from my children!”), but he pulled through for you.
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Sara: We’ll call this an icebreaker. How many pairs of socks do you have and what’s your favorite pair?
Bob: [Laughs] I do have a lot of socks. I probably have a dozen pairs that I rotate through the most. Hedley & Bennett (Editor’s note: no relation!) makes a soft, super cozy sock that I wear pretty much exclusively. They’re made for people who are on their feet all day, and they stand out with their patterns, which I enjoy in a sock. My favorite is a color block and polka dot pattern called “Wake Up and Fight.”

Sara: What first brought you to Zingerman’s in 2001 when you joined the Deli?
Bob: I was working my first restaurant job in downtown Ann Arbor and one of my friends was working part-time there and part-time at the Deli. He was like, “Hey, I think you could do really well on the sandwich line.” I felt like I could use a change so I went on a trial shift. I was at the Deli for two and a half years. At the time I was going to Eastern Michigan University studying psychology. A degree I thought I was probably never going to use, but maybe I use a lot working in a restaurant. It gave me more tools to be helpful, be a better listener, and have more empathy. After moving over to the Roadhouse, I decided I was going to stay in cooking and go to culinary school at Washtenaw Community College.

Sara: In just a few words, what do you love about the Roadhouse?
Bob: For myself, it always comes back to the people. The relationships we’ve made with those that we work with, our customers that come in, and our vendors. That brings me a lot of joy and makes me feel pretty good about what we’re doing.

Sara: You have been with the Roadhouse since before its doors opened in 2003, even helping paint the walls. If those walls could talk, what would they say?
Bob: They would say this place has grown a lot! It’s an interesting question that I have never even thought about. The changes from that summer before we opened to almost 21 years later. The different things we’ve added, like a patio, a gluten-free fryer, in-house butchering, and so on. And then there’s looking back on all the folks that have come through our front door, the different things we’re able to do for people, and being part of their memories.

Sara: What is different about the Roadhouse today than when it opened 21 years ago?
Bob: We certainly know our identity, what we know about food, what we know about ourselves, what we want to put forward, and how to uplift the community around us. We’ve done a really good job over the years of building our culture and creating connections. Working in the kitchen can be stressful but we know how to have a good time. Also, people know they can step back and ask for help and they will be supported. So I think we’ve done a good job of building that identity for ourselves.

Sara: What’s different about you 21 years later?
Bob: I talk sometimes. [Laughs] Not having a whole lot of experience with food going into working here, I was super nervous. When I first started I had never cooked a hamburger or a steak. I grew up on Hamburger Helper and hot dogs with boxed mac and cheese. But I had a willingness to come in early, stay late, and learn. I knew I could work hard and I just wanted to get better at what I was doing. Now, I feel more confident and experienced which enables me to talk to guests in the dining room and be a leader in the kitchen.

Sara: How has working at Zingerman’s impacted your career and your life?
Bob: Since I’ve worked here over half my life, and nearly all of my culinary career, I would say it’s had a huge impact! I tell people it’s like the unicorn job. I don’t think there’s anywhere else like it out there. We bring our staff in and really support them in a lot of ways. And we are always pushing each other to learn more about what we’re doing. I went to culinary school, but realistically I learned more working here. From reading countless cookbooks to visiting BBQ joints in Charleston and chicken spots in Nashville to receiving a Zingerman’s staff scholarship to study cooking in Oaxaca, Mexico. There are all these different opportunities for those who want to step in and take advantage of them. Getting to work around top-notch service providers and people who know a lot about food has always made me want to learn more. Next up on my list is touring part of the Texas barbecue circuit and hopefully, sneak into a kitchen or two.

Sara: How would you describe the Roadhouse to those who have not been?
Bob: I would say we try to make people feel at home. It’s comfortable and lends itself to a lot of different occasions. Whether you’re just going out for some oysters and wine with friends, a burger and a beer after work, or celebrating an anniversary, birthday, or bar mitzvah! It’s also a place where you really can’t go wrong on the menu. There are so many options for so many folks.

Sara: The neon sign out front states “Really good American food.” What does that mean to you?
Bob: It could mean a whole lot of different things, but at our core, it’s traditional Southern foodways. We focus on grits and greens and fried chicken and whole hog barbecue. We’re a scratch kitchen, so we’re butchering whole sides of beef in-house and frying chicken to order. We’re also recognizing the diversity of where we are in the world, being thoughtful about honoring the folks we’re bringing to the table, whether it’s a small farmer and a local crop or chefs who came before us and traditional recipes. I think we try putting food and tradition out there in a respectful way.

Sara: What makes traditional barbecue?
Bob: There’s a lot of things that define it. I grew up knowing barbecue as burgers on a gas grill. Traditional barbecue is a long process that takes serious work. Usually, it’s six to eight hours. You use local wood, so each region has its own flavor twist. Each one’s a little bit different. I think it’s honoring the whole animal, like our whole hog barbecue where we’re using snout to tail. There’s a lot of skill that goes into traditional barbecue in terms of getting the fire right, especially in the elements, and knowing just when to pull the smoked meat off the pit. As you look through history, barbecue was a centerpiece of church events, political events, and other community events that brought people together. It becomes this gathering point. Traditional barbecue is a kind of storytelling, the ingredients and techniques are passed on from person to person, generation to generation. We first learned from pitmaster Ed Mitchell from North Carolina here at the Roadhouse. And we’ve been practicing and refining it ever since.

Sara: What is unique about Roadhouse barbecue?
Bob: We’re outside barbecuing, rain or shine, sleet or snow, like 362 days a year. Being able to barbecue in the elements is one of the hardest things to do. Whether it’s raining or it’s hot, each adds variability to how we’re smoking and cooking things. I think our barbecue continues to evolve and grow. We were probably one of the first and still one of the only places in Michigan that does whole hog barbecue. We just brought in a new hog, a heritage breed called the red waddle. It was almost extinct in the ’90s, but we linked up with a 4th generation farmer named Matt Bailey out in Schoolcraft, Michigan who raises them. It’s one of the best barbecue hogs I’ve ever had. We’re gonna start doing Texas barbecue, which is beef brisket that doesn’t have sauce. It is just meat on display. I’m excited about what we’re bringing to the table.

Sara: Red Rage, North Carolina, or South Carolina barbecue sauce?
Bob: Red Rage. I love our other sauces just as much, but that’s what I put on more things because it’s just really good.

Sara: Macaroni and cheese or grits?
Bob: Like picking my favorite child! [Long pause] I would say grits, just because I feel like with the mac and cheese I almost need a certain time of day to really enjoy it, one where I can sit down for a few minutes afterward. Grits I can eat at any time of the day. I like everything about good grits. We get our heirloom grits from the great folks at Anson Mills in North Carolina. I like the creaminess that comes out and how well it melds with the corn flavor when you cook them well. I like the simplicity of their grits and how well they go with and stand up to so many different flavors. 

Sara: Sweet potato fries or mashed potatoes?
Bob: Sweet potato fries for sure. I love our mashed potatoes, but the sweet potato fries with the spicy mayo? I always tell people they are our secret weapon. They’re awesome.

Sara: Pit-smoked chicken or fried chicken?
Bob: Fried chicken, for sure. When we were growing up, my family didn’t do much cooking for family gatherings, but we ate a whole lot of fast food fried chicken. Ours is 200 times better in my book, so it’s one of my favorites. I can’t really get enough of it.

Sara: What do you think makes Roadhouse fried chicken so good?
Bob: Our attention to the details. There’s really good chicken coming in our back door. Bringing in fresh, high-quality products is always a good starting point. Then it’s marinated for 24 hours. I think that the spice on it is pretty good. That seasoned, crispy, crunchy outside. We make it to order, and you can see the person making it. That’s just a cool thing in my mind and adds a whole lot to it.

Sara: Donut sundae or brownie sundae?
Bob: [Said with zero hesitation] A donut sundae, for sure. The donuts by themselves are something fresh out of the fryer. But when you top it with some Creamery gelato, fresh whipped cream, and bourbon caramel sauce? It’s an event.

Sara: If you were to recommend three items to a Roadhouse first-timer, what would they be?
Bob: 1. Whole hog barbecue. Whether that’s the plate or the sandwich. This continues to be one of my favorite things that we do.
2. North Carolina shrimp. Whether it’s a shrimp burger or shrimp po boy. They are just outstanding, probably the best shrimp I’ve ever had. They’re caught the right way. I don’t think anyone is really getting them outside of North Carolina. They’re delicious.
3. Ribeye steak. My favorite cut. Ours is butchered in-house. We break down two whole steers a week. For about 16 years we’ve worked with a company called E. R. Boliantz. They coordinate with Northern Ohio farmers to bring us Black Angus steers. They are treated well, and the meat is super consistent with a really nice flavor. The steak is aged and cooked over oak. They’re pretty awesome.

Sara: Your sides with that steak?
Bob: Bacon-braised greens. They blew me away when I started here and still do. Braised greens were not on my radar growing up or even in my young adulthood. They are awesome. I go with the grits second, which I still love and I could eat any time. You never know if you’re gonna have room for that third one. I would probably go with the pimento mac and cheese.

Sara: I love the Roadhouse Just for Kids menu because there are so many options. What do your kids order?
Bob: I have an eleven-year-old son and a four-year-old daughter. She is still firmly in the mac and cheese stage. She’ll eat any pasta that’s in front of her. My son is just starting to be like, “I think I want a whole burger or a full basket of chicken.” He has always been a fried chicken leg guy, but now he is in love with scallops. He yells at me if he comes in and we don’t have them. He’s like “Who’s running this place?” [Both laughing]

Sara: Earlier you mentioned the Roadhouse being a place where people celebrate events and milestones. What type of event is the most frequently celebrated?
Bob: Judging from the amount of birthday desserts that I see leaving the kitchen, birthdays are definitely up there. (Editor’s note: Enjoy a free Donut Sundae on your birthday at the Roadhouse!) I think with the size of our restaurant and our capacity we’re uniquely suited for a lot of different celebrations, so we see engagements, wedding rehearsal dinners, anniversary parties. Only a handful of weddings.
Sara: Wait, what?!
Bob: I would say three or four. A couple of them even included the ceremony.

Sara: What do you think the Roadhouse’s role is in the Ann Arbor community?
Bob: I think our role is being that place that folks can rely on. Kind of that bellwether in a storm where people know come rain or shine that Monday through Sunday, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, we’re going to be open for them and we’re gonna have a meal for them. We have a warm place at the table for them. I think that’s our role. And regardless of where they’re from or what they like, they can find something for themselves on the menu. It can even be a place where our kids grow up. Lately, when we present our Welcome to the Roadhouse class to new staff members, some say, “This is the first restaurant I ever ate at so of course I’m working here.” Being that place for a lot of folks is pretty awesome.

Sara: I know you step out of the kitchen and spend some time in the dining room from time to time. What do you learn from talking to the customers?Bob: Usually Friday and Saturday nights I’m pretty much stationed in the dining room talking to folks at the chef’s counter and tables in the dining room. I think it’s a lot of fun getting to meet folks outside of the kitchen walls, hearing their stories, where they’re from, and what brought them in that night. Being able to just build those relationships with folks, I think that’s pretty cool. It’s a lot of fun to share new items on the menu and involve them in the process, asking them to taste it and tell me what they think. It’s a lot of fun for me and I think for them because I don’t think many folks expect that when they go out to eat.
Sara: Now that you say that, I’ve been offered samples at the Roadhouse many times. I can’t think of another restaurant that’s ever brought me a free sample.

Sara: How do you think having the Westside Farmers’ Market in your restaurant parking lot influences the restaurant and the menu?
Bob: I think it’s one of the cooler things that we do, having that direct connection to farmers. When we talk about our role in the community, of being a place where the community gathers, I don’t know if there’s a better place for that than a farmers market. Come through and buy produce straight from the farmers and also enjoy it at the Roadhouse. Being able to go out and get something from a farmer and put it on the menu that night is a pretty cool thing. And we get to build these long-lasting relationships with the folks out there. They’ll stop by at other times and say, “Hey, I had this row of green beans that I thought weren’t gonna grow anymore. Would you like them?” Which is an awesome thing for me personally and a cool thing for the restaurant.

Sara: What are you looking forward to in the fall that you will be putting on the menu?
Bob: In early fall it’s peppers. There are so many different things that we can do with those. We will probably have some form of panzanella salad using roasted squash and peppers. Then as we get further into autumn, it’s squash and carrot season, so we’ll really be bringing those to the forefront. One of the new farms we’ve been getting our lettuce greens from will have some spicy greens in the fall. There’s very little I’m not excited about.

Sara: What’s next for the Roadhouse?
Bob: One of the things in front of my mind is elevating the visibility of our barbecue program. I think we’re probably one of the best barbecue places in Michigan and I’d like to showcase that and bring it to more folks. Also, we’re looking at how we refresh ourselves—a dining room facelift, updating our training, and innovating the service that we’re giving to our staff and our guests. We will always look to improve on things.

Sara: What’s next for you?
Bob: I want to be here and continue to grow, both myself and the restaurant. I don’t imagine working anywhere else because I don’t think there’s anywhere else like this. I really enjoy the folks I get to work with and our vision for the future. I’d like to focus on what restaurant work looks like and different ways I think we can move forward and improve the quality of life for a lot of folks. Not just in this restaurant, but all restaurants.

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I feel like giving a hug and eating a fried chicken leg, and maybe hugging a fried chicken leg. Perhaps I need some warm Roadhouse bread and biscuits with butter and honey, too. How about you? Say hi to Bob for me if you dine at the chef’s counter. Enjoy the really good American food, really great service, and a side of community spirit and barbecue sauce. Try them all!

Sara Hudson
Zingerman’s Creative Services Director

An early evening belief in the beauty of bivalves

If you’re up for a bit of an ocean-based boost, between 2 and 6 pm, Monday through Friday, here you go. At Mail Order and the Deli, our annual Summer Sale will conclude at the end of this month. The Roadhouse though has a different, year-round special that opens eyes in an equal but very different way. That Happy Hour slot is when we have East Coast oysters on special for the very low price of just $2 a piece!

While the Roadhouse Happy Hour is still relatively new, oyster fossils have been found from as far back as something like 530 million years ago. Here in North America, First Nations people on both coasts were consuming great quantities of oysters long before Europeans arrived. On Manhattan Island, the Native people traded oysters to the Dutch; there are still massive, covered-over “middens” of oyster shells all over Manhattan. Mark Kurlansky’s excellent book The Big Oyster addresses this New York City history in great detail.

By the end of the 19th century, many natural oyster banks were already exhausted. Happily, over the last 20 years, there’s been a lot of work done to restore the quality of the watersheds and un-dam some of the waters, and the oysters have come back nicely. The folks at Foley Fish, from whom we have been buying these for over 20 years now, have been at the forefront of that ecological restoration work! All of these are raised sustainably and are carefully checked by Foley to maintain their 100-plus-year tradition of having incredibly high-quality fish and shellfish. One of the four will be available for a couple bucks per piece every Happy Hour day!

• Blue Point – While the “Blue Point” name is widely (mis-)used, authentic Blue Points of the sort we buy come only from the estuaries of Long Island. Ours are from one oyster farm in the aptly named Oyster Bay, named by the Dutch colonists back in 1615 due to its abundance of shellfish.
• Chebooktook – These come from New Brunswick in the Canadian Maritimes, north of Maine. Harvested in Bouctouche Bay, the Chebooktook oysters generally bring a softer salinity with a lovely sweet, nutty finish.
• Savage Blonde – From Prince Edward Island, Canada’s smallest province. These are harvested at the beautiful Savage Harbour on the far eastern end of the island, and have a wonderful meaty flavor.
• Wellfleet – Harvested, eaten, and enjoyed for many centuries from Wellfleet Bay about two-thirds of the way out on Cape Cod. Wellfleets are known for their sweet/salty flavor.

As with fresh fruit and vegetables, the flavor of any particular oyster will be different from week to week—more rain will make the merroir (the oceanic equivalent of terroir, i.e., the flavor that the soil imparts to what grows in it) less salty; less rain will increase the salinity. As a big oyster eater, I will say from first-hand experience all of these always taste great! It’s no accident that the Roadhouse rolls through a LOT of oysters each week.

If you love oysters, $2 high-end oysters in 2024 are a totally terrific way to break up your day! If you don’t love oysters, there are also other great offerings on the Happy Hour menu, as well as a plethora of drink specials. While the Happy Hour oyster offering will be different from week to week depending on what’s available, more often than not, it’s one of these four. All, I will say from firsthand eating experience, are fantastic!

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Just bask in being awesome. We’ll do the rest.

Whether you are tossing up your cap as you say goodbye to college, or you are accepting a diploma that honors your high school career, it’s your big day. We’ve put together packages offering the best of what the Roadhouse does, including our BBQ, fried chicken, and even a build-your-own-brownie-sundae bar! Need a cake? We will help you order one from Zingerman’s Bakehouse!

With our attentive and down-to-earth service, all you need to do is sit back, relax, and let us take care of the rest. You’ve worked hard, you deserve it! Contact us at 734.929.0331 or [email protected] to find out more.

The Roadhouse will be hosting our Indian Spice Special Dinner on April 18, at 7:00 pm. Spice Trekker Philippe de Vienne from Epices de Cru in Montreal, will be our special guest—and he also worked with Chef Alex Young to create a delicious Indian menu!

Within the past two months, I have been asked the following question at least five times: “What is your favorite type of Indian food?” The truth is, I love all kinds of Indian food. What I love about the question itself is its implication of how global cuisine has evolved over the decades for Americans. As our exposure to regional foodways has expanded, our food experiences have become bolstered by the array of flavors Indian cuisine offers.

Lavanya Ramanathan states in the Washington Post that “The ebb and flow of global influences is the only constant in American food….Our exposure to a world of foods has never been greater; our palates have never been more primed.”

Thinking outside the take-out box
The influence from waves of immigration on the availability of foods available to us is impressive. The idea that Indian cuisine is now an everyday consideration (like pizza) for dining out in America is progressive. The incline of the Indian population in America has been steady since the 1960s, since President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which lifted nationality quotas established by previous legislation around immigration. By the year 2000, the Asian-Indian population made up the fourth largest immigrant community in the United States, enriching our country with exceptional professional talents and really, really good food.

Indian food’s fast-growing popularity in the United States is often linked to the cuisine’s complexity and balance and how it appeals to the emboldened American palate. According to Indian-American Top Chef Master, Floyd Cardoz, “Our love for flavorful food surpasses that in any other country, and that is the reason why ethnic food is so popular in the U.S.” It’s easy for one to say “I love a good red curry” or “Tandoori really knocks my socks off”, yet understanding the nature of why Indian food is so wonderful is key to unlocking how delicious it can be as it develops in our menus and home kitchens.

Curry under a microscope?
So why do we love Indian food so much? According to Roberto A. Ferdman, in an article for the Washington Post,, scientists were able to nail down, on a molecular level, the compounds in Indian food and what makes them so special. Their research showed that in contrast to Western types of cuisine, Indian recipes use ingredients with flavor compounds that do not overlap. In other words: “…all those ingredients — and the spices especially—are all uniquely important because in any single dish, each one brings a unique flavor.”

Consider the onion versus the coconut. No similarities whatsoever. Yet throw them into a really good curry, and they are amazing together. The number of combinations in which the components of an Indian dish can be offered is astounding considering all the different ingredients and spices that can be found across the subcontinent of India. As Indian cuisine has traveled across the oceans over time, what keeps it intact?

Spices are nice…

However one might choose to rub them together in a recipe, spices appear to be the critical component in preserving Indian food’s integrity throughout its travel across the globe. Without these spices, we could not enjoy the Indian food we have come to love and incorporate into the American dining experience.

If anyone understands this concept, it’s the de Vienne family from Épices de Cru in Montreal. Whether it is cumin, masala, cayenne, coriander, allspice, or cardamom (just to name a few), the Spice Trekkers know how to place spices in a dish in such a way that each one shapes the flavor pattern with the rest of the ingredients. The truth is, we can find many of these spices on our shelves at home, but without guidance, the complexity of using them to cook an Indian dish could be daunting.

By traveling the world and spending time in different regions with growers, Philippe and Ethné de Vienne have developed a healthy understanding of those essential flavors that is worth its weight in…well, spices. Sharing their knowledge about these spices in the cookbooks they’ve written and the education they offer has contributed to an appreciation of Indian cuisine by making it more approachable for chefs and home cooks to recreate.

Let the flavors marry.

When asked about the momentum of Indian cuisine in American culture for Visi R. Tilak’s Wall Street Journal article in 2012, Suvir Saran, Indian American chef and author, said “I do think folks are more cognizant of Indian foo, and we are certainly coming of age. However we are not there yet….We are not wedding food yet.”

Five years later, Zingerman’s Roadhouse Catering is proud to offer an Indian menu for any event, including weddings, thanks to Philippe de Vienne from Épices de Cru. With his guidance, Chef Alex Young has refined the menu, and and we will offer it to our guests for the Indian Spice Special Dinner #207 at the Roadhouse. For a taste of progress, purchase your tickets to this incredible dinner today.