My sister Cheri and her husband Rechard have lived in Kalamazoo, Mich., for several years, and for at least a year or so we have been talking about visiting Ann Arbor together.  Last weekend we were celebrating two milestone birthdays and decided that Saturday would be a perfect occasion for the day trip. I’m a bit of a Big 10 football fan, and thought it would be neat to see Michigan Stadium (aka the Big House), and  my sister had been to a great Ann Arbor chocolate shop, and was ready for a return trip.  Then there is the landmark Zingerman’s Deli, which has one of the most famous cheese counters in the land, and last but not least, the Jolly Pumpkin Café & Brewery which was opened a few years ago by the outstanding Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales of nearby Dexter, Mich.

The line for brunch at Zingerman's

The drive from K-zoo takes about 90 minutes, and a couple minutes later we pulled up at the intersection or Main and Stadium, where a corner of the big field comes right out and kisses the sidewalk. Shivering, we took a few pictures of the backsides of the scoreboards, and jumped right back in the car and headed to Zingerman’s.

Even if you have done your homework, when you first walk into the deli at the corner of Detroit and Kingsley Streets you can’t help being surprised. It’s a tiny space that’s just crammed with 30 years’ worth of great food and tradition. Brightly-colored handmade signs, cheese, bread, whole hams and various accouterments fill every inch, and the rest of the space is elbow to the elbow with customers.  Glancing around you wonder how you could possibly eat here. We were a bit overwhelmed, but just for about 30 seconds. A staff member quickly helped as get our bearings:  Sandwiches and other ready-to-eat fare can be ordered at the deli counter, and after cashing out, you walk to the café building next door to find a table. Servers bring your food across the courtyard, and hunt you down.

The deli building is a historic site, so Zingerman’s expanded the business without changing the original building. While waiting to order we picked up one of Zingerman’s house cheeses (Bridgewater, a bloomy rind cows’ milk cheese with peppercorns), a fresh loaf of bread, and a frozen pork pot pie to go. Zingerman’s has several subsidiary businesses, with independent ownership from the ranks of employees. These include a small creamery, a coffee roaster, a bakery, and a roadhouse restaurant at the city’s edge.

Lunch was fantastic. I had the Ruben, Rechard had a pastrami sandwich, and Cheri went for a portabella and asparagus sandwich.  I can’t wait to come back again sometime on a summer day and eat outdoors. 

Jolly Pumpkin and Schakolad, are around the corner from one another, and in any other season than winter, it’s an easy walk from Zingerman’s .  Schakolad makes chocolate on site, and makes custom products to order.  We bought a small sampling of truffles and crèmes and took them with us to Jolly Pumpkin.

Storefront at the Cafe & Brewery

Having already eaten, we took three stools at the bar, prepared to drink away the rest of the afternoon. I’m usually not big on sampler flights of beer, but I am such a fan of Jolly Pumpkin and have had so few chances to try a number of them together, that I figured that was the way to go. Our bartender Nick couldn’t have been more helpful. I forgot to ask if he has earned a Cicerone certification, but he was an excellent guide and careful with the serving details.  Rechard went with a nice barrel-aged collaboration beer after tasting few different selections. I was all over the Bambic-Bam blend Nick was pouring.  Other beers in the flight included the straight Bam, a sorghum-based  Belgian-style pale, the collababier and a hand-pumped chocolate stout. I had a key lime truffle with the chocolate stout. Once I had tasted all of those, I chose a Bam for my first full beer.  I love session beers, and Bam always delivers a mouthful of surprises with a moderate level of alcohol. It never disappoints.

As we sat tasting and talking I glanced over toward the door and there stood my friend Mark from Chicago, a fellow Chicago Beer Society member.  Mark and his sister had popped in for dinner on their way from Chicago to Cleveland. We later shared a beer at the bar as Mark loaded up on bottles of Bambic to take home.

JP beer to go!

Seeing as I would be taking the train back to Chicago from Kalamazoo, I opted for a T-shirt. I should have asked Mark to smuggle some bottles back for me. Oh well, all the more reason to get back to Ann Arbor sooner rather than later.