If you are anywhere near Ann Arbor, Michigan don’t miss a stop at Zingerman’s Deli. It is a true deli experience! You shouldn’t be put off by the line out the front door. It only means you have come to the right place and by the way, they run it like a well-oiled machine so you won’t be waiting long. Aside from that, each step of the way is an experience in itself! You will travel through their vast array of displays, all done in a fun, bold style showcasing their exquisite selection of artisanal foods from all over the world. Everything there is hand-cut and sliced to order; nothing pre-wrapped, and you can really taste the quality.
However, one stop there isn’t enough so if you plan to be in the area for a while, I recommend that you visit them first so you can go back again. The hard part is that there are so many choices, you will be saddened that you can’t try them all! If you have access to a kitchen, plan to stock up on their fresh deli and pantry items. The selection is endless and you won’t find this quality or unique variety anywhere else.
The staff there is very helpful and informed us of the procedures for ordering our lunch as well as offering several useful tips. We settled on two types of sandwiches and two deli salads to share. We then proceeded to their soda bar (referred to as “pop” locally) and I was pleased to see a wonderful selection of Dr. Brown’s diet and regular soda’s on tap! Much more exciting and tasty than the standard coke and 7-up varieties that we are used to seeing. I opted for a diet Dr. Brown’s Black Cherry soda. It brought back fond memories and tasted even better than I remembered!
My sandwich choice was Jon & Amy’s Double Dip made with
Zingerman’s corned beef & pastrami, Switzerland Swiss & Wisconsin muenster cheeses, hot & regular mustards on pumpernickel & rye breads. The meats were wonderful and better than anything I could ever find in California. But the part that really sold me was their fresh baked rye and pumpernickel bread. Crispy on the outside and dense and wonderful on the inside. There’s nothing that compares to good Jewish bread in my opinion and Zingerman’s does it well!
Our other sandwich selection was the Raisin D’etre sandwich made with curried turkey salad (chunks of hand-cut turkey breast, toasted cashews, their housemade Indian spice mix, mayo, Fromage Franc) and Garden Works locally grown daikon radish sprouts on lightly toasted pecan raisin bread. It was scrumptious! A great combination of flavors and textures. As is Jewish deli tradition, each sandwich comes with a choice of an “old dill” or “new dill” pickle. This are how they are classified in the Detroit area and are barrel cured; the old (sours or ripe) longer than new (halves or green). On the east coast, the pickles are referred to as “sour” and “half-sour”, meaning the same thing. No matter what you call them, you really can’t enjoy a true deli sandwich without it’s accompanying dill pickle!
For our side salads, the choices were many but we narrowed it down to two that caught our eye. The “Great Kale Caper” featuring locally sourced baby kale, tomato, green onion, thyme, Bagoss (raw cow’s milk cheese), caper berries, garlic, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, salt & pepper. It was fresh, tart and had a wonderful mix of flavor that complimented our sandwich selections perfectly!
Cindy’s Summer Broccoli Salad was our other choice packed with broccoli, bacon, red onion, green onion, raisins, sunflower seeds, mayo, sugar, ginger, apple cider vinegar, salt & pepper. Crunchy, savory, sweet and yummy! A standard fare salad made better with their perfect blend of ingredients and dressing.
The best deli I’ve had in a long time. I only wish we had a Zingerman’s in my neighborhood as it is a long way to travel from California. So for all you lucky people near Ann Arbor, make sure to appreciate and enjoy the delicacy that you have!