A couple of years ago some of our staff was out in San Fransisco for a food show and stumbled across a charcuterie shop out there that was selling cones with artfully arranged meaty tidbits inside. They brought the idea back to Ann Arbor with them and thus was born the Zingerman’s Meat Cone! Combining food with art, it is particularly appropriate for this week in Ann Arbor as we welcome the Ann Arbor Art Fairs again this week. We take a paper cone (think paper drinking cone but with a hole in the bottom), and fill it with a few of our favorite meats and then hand it over to you! Generally we include a salami, a cured ham, one of our delicious pates, and then top it all off with a cornichon (sour french-style gherkin). We can work on a theme such as country of style (I’m kind of digging Italy today, but that’s bound to change), but my favorite meat cones to make are the folks who come to the counter and ask for “a meat cone, dealers choice”, and we’ll put together a cone with what we think is new/interesting/tasting fantastic in our meat selection at the moment. Perfect for one with a nice thick slice of bread and a bit of cheese for a meal, or for two to share as a snack or appetizer to one of our classic deli sandwiches. So come in for a meat cone today, and discover a new favorite in the meat case!

This lush brie-style cheese is handmade with care by Jeremy Little at Sweet Grass Dairy in Georgia. He uses grass-fed Jersey cows milk which makes a super creamy cheese with a lightly sweet taste. Mild and milky this is the soft cheese I tend to grab when someone asks me to bring cheese to a party and it’s always a crowd pleaser. So grab a baguette, some fresh fruit, and a round of Green Hill cheese for an instant appetizer plate or light lunch with friends!

Of all the bacons that we carry, I keep coming back to the Benton’s. This is a dry cured bacon, super smokey with a lingering salty sweetness. It adds new meaning to the concept of smokey bacon. With eggs in the morning, or mixed into your favorite recipe, this is a bacon that will have you coming back for more too.

I know, I know.. grilling season is almost over in Michigan. But this kielbasa is so good that I will be finding more ways to use it as soon as I have to put the grill away. Made with pork and chicken and then lightly smoked this sausage is king in my kitchen! As we head into fall, my favorite weeknight supper is 1 lb. of kielbasa, half a can of beer, and 10 oz of sauerkraut that I can dump into the slow cooker on my way to work and come home to delicious dinner.

We get a lot of nifty and exclusive thing in at the deli, and we’re always excited to share them with you, but this oil is going to blow your socks off! It all started, as most of our food stories here at Zingerman’s do, with a sample. This particular sample came to us from one of our longtime vendors, Daphne Zepos. Daphne and her company Essex Street Cheese sell us our very fantastic Comte cheese from France, and most recently she has helped us create a mastery course for cheesemongers (for more information click here). But instead of cheese, this was a sample of the olive oil that her sister and brother-in-law produce on their small farm on the Greek island of Zakynthos. Amalia Zepou and her husband Stathis Potamitis own a farm that was established in the 1830s and grows two varietals that they use for this oil, the Koroneiki olive and the Dopia olive. They grow their olives organically and then press within mere hours of the olive being harvested by hand. To top it all off, Amalia and Stathis leave this oil unfiltered to maximize the rich flavors.A very small production, they only press about 1000 liters (thats around 264 gallons for those folks that don’t think in metric) a year! We convinced them to part with 200 liters so that we could share this great oil with you. With a big flavor that rolls around your mouth like waves hitting the island shores, this rich, buttery oil starts with ripe fruit flavors and floral undertones and gradually fades into a pleasant bitterness. You’re left with just a hint of pepper that will stay with you. Supplies are limited, so if you want a bottle of this totally exclusive olive oil, come pick one up today. Drizzle some over fresh pasta with crumbles of feta, fresh tomatoes, and sauteed shrimp with garlic for an evening stay-cation on your own personal Greek Island! Or for a purist approach, grab a loaf of bread (my favorite is Paesano) and dip away.

A creamy goose liver pate with Sauternes wine is the perfect late summer treat! Light and smooth liver with hints of citrus make a refreshing combination that will leave you raving for days. If you’ve been scared to try pate before, this is one that will convert you to the delicious side! My favorite thing to do is take a baguette, a good mustard, goose mousse, and some sliced cornichon and build a sandwich that is best enjoyed outdoors in the sunshine!