You know that trick about salting your salads to make them taste like they do in restaurants? We’re about to show our hand in how we get our sides tasting so darn good with the exact same vinegars you can find on our shelves — and hopefully give you some inspiration for using them in your home kitchen!
Gingras Cider Vinegar
Aged for over a year in French oak casks, this apple cider vinegar is made by the Gingras family in the Quebec province. It is complex and refined, not overly acidic with a crisp apple finish. It might very well be one of the humblest ingredients we have on hand. It gets very little attention and it’s almost never written about in articles, but its quality contributes quietly to the full flavor and delightfulness of any number of better known Deli recipes: Zingerman’s Potato Salad, Pork Pot Pies, and Snap Jack! Gingras makes their vinegars using old school natural conversion (known as the Orleans method, after the French city on the Loire River), then matured for over twenty-four months in French oak barrels. The vinegar is unpasteurized and unfiltered. Most importantly, it tastes terrifically like apples.
Our house balsamic vinegar, just like the favorites on our shelves, is made by La Vecchia Dispensa. The vintage is ideal for everyday salad eating and any dish that could benefit from a splash of bright sweetness. The balsamic we get from La Vecchia Dispensa is made by the Tintori family, using the same barrels that were made for current owner Simone Tintori’s grandmother. Aging vinegar for decades in these barrels creates an ongoing virtuous cycle in which the wood flavors the vinegar, the vinegar flavors the wood, and the complexity deepens for both over time. A well-made vessel can be used for as long as a century! Julie Weiss, one of our chefs in the Deli kitchen in charge of the preparation and seasonal rotation of our salad case, says this is her “absolute favorite balsamic she’s ever tasted.” She loves it on our caprese and Farr-Out salad! It’s a very balanced vinegar, “which is important when making salads,” Julie says, “because if the vinegar is too acidic, you can’t get the flavor right.”
A blend of 3 to 50 years old sherries makes this our favorite all around sherry for all of your cooking and salad needs. The house of Sanchez Romate was founded in 1781 by a well-known Jerez businessman and philanthropist, Don Juan Sánchez de la Torre. The Romate family came in later, by marriage. Its wine and vinegar have long been held in high regard—they have supplied prestigious folks, such as the British House of Lords, the Royal Family of Spain, and the Vatican. The family-owned firm has won numerous awards over the years for its sherry, vinegar, and Cardinal Mendoza brandy. It is made using the unique solera system that helps to make traditional sherry so special; a method of continuous blending (much like that done for traditional Balsamic) of younger vinegars with older ones. You can find Sanchez Romate in Julie’s Farr-Out Fall Salad, Spanish Sprouts, and Jeannie’s Citrus Salad.
A fantastically sweet and tart vinegar made from California Gravenstein apples. Use this with braised pork chops, coleslaw and vinaigrettes. Sometimes interchangeably used with Gingras but slightly sweeter, you can find this in a variety of seasonal case salads. It’s another one of Julie’s favorite vinegars in the kitchen. “Katz vinegars have a lower acidity,” Julie says, “so you can add a lot without the dish tasting sour.” Pairs very well with grains — like our Figs & Berries salad made with wheat berries, crunchy walnuts, goat cheese, and a house-made fig dressing.
Katz Trio Red Wine Vinegar
Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and Merlot are blended to create this “trio” with notes of sweet summer berries. You can find this in our catering brisket, ginger noodle salad, beluga lentil salad, beet and orange salad, and our kreplach!
One of the best white wine vinegars we’ve ever tasted! From Sante Bertoni – mad scientist and master vinegar maker – this is his quest to find the perfect balance between sweet and sour. Well, we think he found it, with pretty floral notes to boot. Taste some straight up. Really. Or find it in our Roasted Vegetable Cous Cous and Chicken Pesto Salad.
Mead-like sweetness with a sharp tangy bite. Good Food Award winner. One of Chef Wallo’s faves! Often found in our root veggie and other seasonal fall dishes.
