In addition to our regular menu, we feature a Sandwich of the Month at the Deli. We thought you might enjoy a look back at all 12 from 2016. We’ll be unveiling our first Sandwich of the Month for 2017 on January 1, so keep a lookout!

January
We started the year off with the Balsamic Tuna Melt in honor of our annual Balsamic Blowout.The real star of this tuna melt was our house balsamic vinaigrette made with six-year aged balsamic vinegar from La Vecchia Dispensa. To make a real splash, we combined with Oregon line-caught Albacore tuna, farmhouse cheddar and fresh pea shoots on a paesano roll. Talk about a good catch!

February
CC’s Cordon Bleu was our crazy take on the classic Cordon Bleu. We took it beyond traditional flavors with cornflake encrusted fried chicken and pepper-coated ham by adding in spicy dijon mustard and (since we’re midwesterners) a little ranch dressing. We put our best fromage forward with a softened swiss cheese. All of this was served between two slices of grilled onion rye bread from Zingerman’s Bakehouse.

March
Mr. Rose’s Hamonious Woodland was an aromatic, rosemary-crusted ham paired with tangy, nutty cheddar cheese. We went all out with classic fixings, like leaf lettuce, tomato slices, red onion, mayo, oil and vinegar and served it on warm, grilled sesame semolina.

April
We’re soy pumped about The Brinery’s fantastic fermentation creations that we created NY’s Tempyay for April! Marinated tempeh was sliced, grilled, and stacked between our house-made bbq sauce, melty cheddar cheese and coleslaw. We served it on grilled sourdough.

May
Jeri Dreams of Deli was inspired by Sandwich Line advanced meat slicer pioneer Mike’s deep love of pastrami sandwiches. He designed this flavor combination and named it in honor of his co-worker, fellow Meat Deputy, Jeremiah. The pastrami and swiss provided a deep, robust base of flavor while Marcia’s Munchies’ spicy pickles lent some punch, combined with a bit of fresh crunch from the lettuce. It was surrounded with a creamy combo of dijon mustard and mayo. On grilled rye, it was what sandwich dreams are made of.

June
Hotsteppin’ out of retirement for one month only, Stan’s Canadian Hotfoot featured Wagshal’s Montréal-style smoked meat brisket. It’s what some have coined “Jewish Bacon”—the beef is whole, prime briskets, smoked for so long that it becomes tender and juicy, nearly melting into the bread. We paired it with our hot hot hot mustard, roasted New Mexico green chilies, and swiss cheese. We served it on our warm, double-baked rye bread from Zingerman’s Bakehouse.

July
Grandpa K’s Fowl-Mouthed Ranch Hand was a first-rate quartet of bright, summertime flavors favored by the most colorful, hard-working sandwich cooks! Grilled chicken breast was combined with house-made ranch dressing, garlicky hummus, cucumber and exemplar chickpea-based tabbouleh salad made from scratch, all on rustic Italian bread.

August
The Morgamatron transformed the hum-drum ham and cheese pairing of days gone by into a bold, yet refreshing, sandwich experience. Swiss and scallion cream cheese enveloped rosemary ham, tomatoes and the crunchy sweet duo of sunflower sprouts on ultra-soft challah bread.

September
September’s Sandwich of the Month was the greatest, tastiest, most intense, most confident turkey sandwich ever. The Super Z was a sandwich of illogical extremes, but undeniably awesome, like its namesake: roasted turkey breast, applewood-smoked bacon, Vermont cheddar, coleslaw, hot mustard and roasted piquillo peppers on toasted sourdough.

October
Designed out of a fondness for satisfyingly simple sandwiches, John’s Big Kid PBJ raised the bar on a classic pairing through really great ingredients…and the fact that it’s grilled in butter! Koeze Cream Nut Natural Peanut Butter and Esch Road Foods mixed berry preserves are layered atop grilled challah to create the epitome of extravagance!

November
Mikey B’s Big White House featured garlicky roast beef paired with provolone cheese—the two teamed up with a whole slew of classic ingredients we crave: leaf lettuce, tomato, red onion, regular mustard and mayo on toasted Bakehouse white bread. Simple, fantastic ingredients, piled high to satisfy!

December
Mr. White’s Lavish Pizza Sandwich was a strata of deliciousness. Bacon, mozzarella, tomato sauce and oven roasted balsamic onions on grilled rustic Italian bread. A true masterpiece of ooey-gooey proportions! We ended the year with a seriously flavorful bang.

Here’s to a new year of fantastic sandwiches!!

Welcome to Cooking with Grace! This is where Grace Singleton, a managing partner at the Deli, shares her delectable home cooking with us. This week, she brings us a quick, easy and delicious breakfast that anyone can make at home.

“I was craving something different for breakfast and wanted something really flavorful and simple to make in the morning,” says Grace. “I’m usually moving pretty fast in the morning without a lot of extra time.” What Grace came up with is a fantastic upgrade to everyday toast that takes just minutes to prepare.

Grace picked Zingerman’s Bakehouse Pane Nero for this dish because she loves the bread’s texture, especially when it’s toasted. “It’s lovely,” she says. “Dense and crumbly with bits of crispiness on the edges, but it still stays moist in the center.”

Next, she spread on the Creamery’s Fresh Goat Cream Cheese, which is a little tart and creamy. She like this as a topping because it melts into warm toast nicely, and it offsets the nuttiness of the bread really well.

The last (and best!) step is to drizzle a little honey over the top. This time around, she used Moonshine Trading Company’s Northwestern Fireweed Honey, a light, delicate variety with a fine, spreadable texture. It’s been called “the champagne of honey.” However, Grace believes in finding the right honey for you, so she suggests coming to the Deli to try a few (we’ll give you a taste from any jar that catches your eye!) and deciding which one you like best.

Here’s to a good breakfast! Enjoy.

It’s sweet, it’s buttery, it’s swirled with cinnamon sugar, and it’s back—but just for a very limited time. For the uninitiated, Somodi Kálacs is a delicious yeasted traditional Hungarian Easter bread that we learned how to make in a village in Transylvania during our trip there back in 2012. We’ve loved it ever since, and offer it as a special bake three times a year. One of those times is finally here!

It’s available starting this Friday, October 21 through Sunday, October 23. Its got a lot of devotees, so we recommend ordering in advance to make sure you don’t miss out. Somodi Kálacs are available at the Bakehouse (734) 761-2095 and the Deli  (734) 663-3354.

Enjoy it while you can!

We had lots of fun at our 31st Annual Paella Party! A big crowd came out on a gorgeous sunny Sunday to learn a little about the Spanish specialty and, of course, eat some.

Per tradition, our presentation included a cooking demonstration. This year, Zingerman’s Deli’s Head Chef Rodger took Rebecca and Meredith, the two winners of our Paella Pro Contest, under his wing to teach them the finer points of preparing the dish.

When asked why she entered the contest, Meredith, who was an exchange student in Spain while in high school, said her love fondness for Spanish cooking was her motivation. “I knew that if it was going to b made at Zingerman’s, it was going to be authentic and good!” she explained. “I’m always looking for new meals to add to my cooking repertoire—especially those that get family gathered around the table and eating together.”

Rebecca, who entered in hopes of escaping her cooking rut, enjoyed the experience “It was so much fun learning from Chef Roger. I could really tell how much he cares about and loves what he is doing. I had such a great time learning about paella and left with a renewed passion for cooking,” she said.

Hopefully, some of these delicious photos will inspire you to try to make your own paella in your home kitchen. We’re already looking forward to our 32nd Annual Paella Party!

Make burning rice a thing of the past – become an assistant chef at Zingerman’s 31st Annual Paella Party! Learn how to cook authentic Paella step by step with the Deli’s head chef, Rodger Bowser. You will get to eat or take home your own Paella creation and a Paella Party t-shirt to commemorate the day.

The event is October 9th from 11-2pm. The presentation begins at noon and the show is free to attend for everyone!

A behind-the-scenes look into Zingerman’s artwork

I’m standing in a bright studio space on the second floor of an older building across from Zingerman’s Delicatessen. Tall windows facing Detroit St. bathe the room in light. To my left is the largest easel I have ever seen, covered with paint spatters and streaks; to my left is a poster in progress draped over a work table. The walls are covered with posters and artwork from Zingerman’s past, the shelves crowded with bottles of paint, brushes, and art supplies.

This is the Zingerman’s Deli sign shop, where all of the artwork used to communicate monthly specials, new products, events, and just about everything else is created. Nick Jaroch is the longest-serving painter in the shop, at seven-and-a-half years. Nick studied painting at Eastern Michigan University while working the Deli sandwich line. One day, while admiring the hand-made artwork at the Deli, he realized that it was all produced in-house. He made some inquiries, and was able to negotiate a work-study program in conjunction with his curriculum at EMU to work part-time in the sign shop. Soon after, the full-time sign painter left, and Nick stepped into the role.

The shop has two full-time painters, including Nick, and a part-time fill-in person. They produce between 20 and 30 pieces each month. “We make everything for the Deli. Posters, signs, banners – whatever they need,” says Nick. “We originally used a stiff illustration board, but it was pretty expensive and unforgiving if you made a mistake. Now we use Tyvek.” Yep, the same man-made material used by builders as a moisture barrier in new homes; by the U.S. Postal Service for their envelope mailers; and as protective clothing, among a multitude of other uses. Nick says they receive Tyvek in large, 60-inch wide rolls, and cut it to order for signs. It’s perfect for just about every use; long banners, posters, or unusual sign shapes. “It’s durable, water-resistant, doesn’t tear easily, and you can just wipe it clean,” says Nick.

Each full-size poster takes approximately 6-8 hours to complete, rendered in water-based acrylic paints, depending on the illustration complexity. Nick says he often sketches out designs on the Tyvek using chalk, and then fills in with colored pencil prior to painting. “It helps me get it just right.” Sometimes, if an illustration is very complex, or requires a precise reproduction (like a vendor logo) the artists will project an image and trace it. Nick shows me a recent sign featuring the State of Michigan seal as an example.

When I ask Nick what inspires him, he cites the influence of long-time Zingerman’s artists, Ian Nagy and Ryan Stiner (25 years, and 10 years of service, respectively). “Zingerman’s has a distinctive look and feel, due in large part to Ian and Ryan. When I started, I basically tried to do what they were doing with illustration. As time went on, I got the style down and I’m able to create artwork that matches their style – the Zingerman’s style.” Nick also says he’s a big fan of the traditional, hand-painted signs prevalent throughout most of the 20th century. “It was an art,” he says. “And it pretty much faded away in the later part of the century with the advent of the vinyl plotter,” a quick, inexpensive method that eliminated the need for experienced sign painters. “Something important was lost with the end of hand-painted signs.” He shows me a book, Sign Painters, by Faythe Levine and Sam Macon. The forward was written by well-known pop artist and Andy Warhol contemporary, Ed Ruscha, which is a testament to the widespread appeal of this lost art. “People connect with hand-drawn elements on a sign,” says Nick. He feels that it appeals to people on a very basic level, and that they respond positively.

And they do. Nick says the sign shop also receives special requests from Zingerman’s guests for custom posters. “We do posters for vendors, or Deli special events, but we also create special posters and banners for guest events like weddings, and parties. And we get requests from people who want to commemorate something, such as their time at the University, or an engagement, or just a special day.” Nick says he’s flattered that people would choose his art to remember a special moment. But the special requests are not the only way someone can own a piece of Zingerman’s. The Deli also offers a wide assortment of signs that once hung in the Deli for sale through their website.*

“I hope people enjoy our posters, says Nick. “This is something that makes Zingerman’s special and unique. We’re happy when someone buys a poster and wants to hang it in their house. That’s a pretty big honor.” When I ask him how he feels about his time at the Deli sign shop, he tells me, “As an artist, I am incredibly grateful. It’s a really fun environment, with great people and incredible food. That’s why I’ve been here so long. It’s just a very enjoyable job for me.”

*Note: Our entire archive of hand-painted posters is currently on sale. Get $50 off until July 23, 2017. Use code ARTFAIR at checkout. See the collection here.