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It’s noon on Friday, and we’ve been on tour for three weeks now. You know when you wake up with that feeling in your stomach where you don’t know if you’re sick from drinking too much, or if it’s your empty stomach imploring you to feed it immediately? Well, that was the feeling I felt waking up in my Ann Arbor, MI hotel room. Since I hadn’t eaten in fourteen hours, I determined food was the best remedy. Several people from Michigan, along with friends of mine who attended the university told me about a little deli called Zingerman’s. Well naturally I checked it out with an incredibly empty stomach, and what I found was much more than a deli. I was introduced to an experience…
Upon our arrival, there was a line a block long filled with students, adults, and tourists. While waiting on line, an employee came out with a few cheese samples, which was a classy gesture, as he knew we were approximately thirty minutes away from receiving our meals. When we finally arrived at the front of the line, we were informed that Zingerman’s is a truly interactive experience, and that any customer is able to try anything in the store, from their huge selection of cheeses, to their $200 per pound ham. It was there when we met Paul Hannah, an employee of Zingerman’s who was making sure everything was in line with a few samples of mustard the store had on display. Paul kindly agreed to walk us through the entire store which consists of a deli, a cheese deck featuring several cheeses made at the Zingerman’s creamery, a bakery section hosting breads that are hand made at the Zingerman’s bakery located a few miles from the store, and the general store; with a fine selection of condiments, oils, and books about “Zing Train”, Zingerman’s brand of business; which will bring in over 85 million dollars in sales in one year alone.
With over one million people served per year, including Robert De Niro and Carlos Santana just a few weeks prior to our arrival, Hannah says, “Everyone is treated the same, and it’s been that way since Zingerman’s opened its doors in 1982. Whether you’re a famous celebrity or a college student, everyone waits on the line and no one is treated any differently than anyone else.” Paul had us taste a few of the mustards he had been displaying, as October was French month at Zingerman’s. Every month, they have a different theme, where they feature different products such as meats, dry goods, and cheeses from the host country.
Cheese was next on our tour, as Paul had a nice arrangement for us to try. We sampled a delicious Wisconsin Gouda, a Dunbarden Blue Cheese (also from Wisconsin), which was very light and my personal favorite, and an American Clothbound Cheddar. They make about a dozen cheeses at their local creamery, and bring in dozens of other quality cheeses to give the consumer as much variety as possible.
Next stop was the deli section to sample an array of meats. They feature nine hams off the bone, where most delis can’t even keep up with one! We were more than intrigued by the $200 per pound Iberico ham, a Spanish national treasure. I’ve never loved ham, but this was one of the most delicious slices of meat I’ve ever tasted. It was lean, rich in flavor, and if I had enough time to write about the maturation process these pigs go through to create meat like this, I could likely turn this review into a short novel. Their corned beef and pastrami got the Campus Socialite’s New York approval, as us New Yorkers take pride in our deli meats.
It was finally time to order, as Paul and another Zingerman’s employee, Sara Mays, assisted us through the difficult process of navigating a menu where every item sounds more appetizing than the last. After much debate and thought, we had decided on getting two sandwiches: the famous Number 2, and a Number 85. The Number 2 is a Reuben consisting of Zingerman’s corned beef, Switzerland cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian Dressing on grilled Jewish Rye Bread. The Number 85 was Zingerman’s own barbecue Amish chicken, nueske applewood smoked bacon, and coleslaw on grilled sourdough bread, served with a side of amazing beans made with applewood smoked bacon. The sandwiches came with two pickles; sour dill and a half sour dill. We also ordered a side of a baked knish, and they had Boylan’s sodas, the greatest sodas in the world, on fountain! I had never seen that before, and I knew I was in for a monster meal!
We sat outside in the picnic area, which is a lot that separates Zingerman’s from Zingerman’s Next Door. It consists of a few picnic tables, along with a tent filled with heaters in case the weather is substandard. It was a gorgeous October day, and we were just a few minutes away from our food being delivered by one of Zingerman’s courteous staff members. The Reuben has been my favorite sandwich for years now. I’ve had them at delis all across the country including the Carnegie Deli, Jerry’s Famous Deli, and Katz’s. The Number 2 from Zingerman’s was a serious sandwich, and I’m putting it at the top of my list as the best Reuben I’ve ever had! The corned beef was delicious, the cheese was melted perfectly, and it had the ideal balance of Russian dressing and sauerkraut. Each bite complimented the next, and I was wishing I didn’t have to split the sandwich with a good friend.
Next on my plate was my half of the Number 85. The pulled barbecue chicken was super tasty! You know how they say bacon makes anything taste better? Well this was absolutely true with the Number 85! I’m a huge coleslaw fan, and love it on nearly any sandwich, as I find it always adds a ton of flavor. The only problem with both sandwiches was they left me deathly full because they’re so huge! I barely had room to eat the knish and the pickles. I took a few bites of both, and wished I could have eaten more. The knish was too good! It needed zero condiments, where usually I find baked knishes a bit dry, and put either a sweet mustard or ketchup on them.
After our meal, Paul checked in with us, as he had a small treat to finish the meal off; CHOCOLATE COVERED BACON!! Don’t fret, chocolate covered bacon is delicious! Imagine eating a Hershey bar, but instead of almonds or any other nut on the inside, it has bacon! It’s official, you really can put anything on bacon, and it’ll still taste great. And if chocolate covered bacon doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, you can try one of the many flavors of Zingerman’s gelato, made at their very own creamery!
I’ve been to a lot of colleges, eaten at a ton of college delis, and Zingerman’s is by far the BEST deli I’ve ever eaten at in a college campus. It could be in the running for my favorite deli in the world, but in order to prove that assessment, I’ll need to take my travels back to Ann Arbor for round two at this fine establishment. I’ll be sure to let you know when I do.
