Those who went to school in Ann Arbor five decades ago remember that there were really only three restaurants of importance. Drake’s Sandwich Shop and Old Heidelberg both are long-gone, but Krazy Jim’s Blimpy Burger — king of all sliders, where the motto is “Cheaper Than Food” — endures, now in a new location. And Ann Arbor now has a dining scene that is more robust and more diverse than many cities twice its size. Much of the impetus for the blossoming of taste buds is owed to Paul Saginaw and Ari Weinzweig, who opened Zingerman’s Deli in 1982. It was, and continues to be, the deli to end all delis, offering breads, meats, cheeses, and sandwiches that are among the best on earth. The deli led to a devoted bakery, a creamery, a coffee roaster, a grand all-American eatery named Zingerman’s Roadhouse, and a five-day event known as Camp Bacon. For breakfast beyond the Zingerman’s empire, Roadfood likes Angelo’s for its thick, hearty toast and Northside Grill for extraordinary pancakes and hash brown skillets.
Grilled Cheese From pressed-flat, wafer-thin, white-bread-and-Velveeta cooked on a lunch-counter flattop to effulgent bouquets of imported cheese melted between halves of an artisan bun, the best grilled cheese sandwiches have...
Steamy hot, soft and supple, perfumed by spice and smoke, infused with the dripping succulence of animal fat, pastrami is the most voluptuous of delicatessen meats. Great pastrami sandwiches...
