Zingerman's Deli

I am once again avoiding actual work by blogging. But it's ok because they are handing out free sugar at Starbucks, so I'm in for the long haul.

I escaped dreary Cleveland for the Great White North yesterday (and by that I mean Michigan), meeting Jacob and our friend Sam in Ann Arbor to go to the London Philharmonic concert that night. It's only a three hour drive but the minute I saw the first sign for Chicago the sky was somehow a lighter gray, and a dusting of snow covered the brown, corn-less fields. It was so nice to get a taste of what December weather should be.

I got in around lunchtime and we decided on Zingerman's Deli for lunch. I had no idea this was way more than just a sandwich shop. When we walked in we were greeted by a wall of cheese on one side and stacks of bagels on the other.

All the cheese are made in Michigan and the bagels and sandwich breads are made in-house. Behind the cheeses was a wall of smoked meats: links of smoked sausages, ham hocks, slabs of bacon, and lox.

A whole shelf just for mustard...

Fancy kitchen tools...

Jars of tea and spices...

A whole wall of oils and vinegars...

I didn't know so much awesome could be packed into such a small place. They had olive oil samples on one shelf where you could dip crusty cubes of bread into several different kinds. And so, so much bacon.

The sandwich menu was organized by meat-type to help you make your decision. Everyone working there was extremely helpful and offered us lots of free samples. I settled on a pressed Cuban sandwich with pulled pork and pickles. Jacob got a corned beef reuben (pictured above). And Sam got pastrami with scallion cream cheese.

We went "Next Door" to sit down and eat and discovered a room full of chocolate, gelato, and a coffee bar serving Zingerman's roasted coffee. They seem to have a monopoly on all the products served there. Quite the business.

And quite delicious too!

Bucheron

I've always been a sucker for goat cheese and I eat it on just about anything: salad, baguette, sandwiches, in scrambled eggs, BY ITSELF, etc. I recently stumbled upon my new favorite cheese, bucheron, which is an aged goat cheese. The center has all the mild bite of a soft goat cheese but with a drier almost crumbly texture, while the rind mimics the gooey-ness (at room temperature) and smokiness of a brie rind. Bucheron is a more complex goat cheese meant to be enjoyed on its own. I always serve cheese with Carr's crackers and a warm baguette. It also goes well with the occasional dried cranberry for garnish.

As for wine pairings, I am NO expert. Someday I hope to be but for now I will just pretend. Bucheron, and goat cheese in general, is slightly acidic or tart so I imagine an oaky Chardonnay would contrast nicely. I don't know much about other varieties of white wine, to be completely honest. Last time I had bucheron, I served it with Hey Mambo Chardonnay. Read more about Hey Mambo and its affordable trendy wines with funky names here.