Let me let you in on something of a culinary “secret.” While our reubens, artisan breads, Magic Brownies, fried chicken, and tteokbokki are what seem to get most of the press, there are some amazing foods we craft here that have yet to garner the kind of attention I’m convinced that, from a culinary standpoint, they well deserve. If I were to put together a list of 25 great Zingerman’s products, the Bakehouse’s Classic Cheesecake would be on it!
I was reminded anew at just how truly amazing it is last week when I took advantage of a friend’s offer to have a bite of their slice! Not being a big dessert eater, it’s easy for me to forget just how delicious this cheesecake really is. Creamy from the Creamery Farm cheese, bright from the bit of fresh citrus in the background, balanced by the really great crust made with Bakehouse graham crackers. Each cheesecake is loaded with real vanilla—the creamy white custard is flecked with tiny vanilla bean bits. So luscious, so lovely!
Cheesecake has been made in one form or another for thousands of years. In its most basic form, it’s a baked “cheese custard.” Ancient Greeks made flat cheesecakes as long ago as 2000 BC by mixing fresh cheese with honey and flour and baking them on stone griddles—there’s some evidence that it was served at the early Olympic games (in the same region that the Goutis olive oil we have at the Deli is made). In medieval Europe, cheesecakes were made with a pastry crust.
It began to appear in North American kitchens in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. American cream cheese was invented in 1872 in the town of Chester, New York, by one William Lawrence. By the end of the 19th century, cream cheese had gained great popularity. It became particularly popular in the Jewish immigrant community, served with bagels, of course, and integrated into delicious dishes like cheesecake!
One hundred and fifty years later, we all get to enjoy that lovely culinary legacy. The Bakehouse’s Classic Cheesecake is marvelous when it’s cold, right out of the fridge, but I like it better still if I allow it (like all good cheese) to come to room temperature first. It’s a great match for fresh berries, or you can serve it topped with some of your favorite jam (like the Florida Panhandle jellies) or one of the many artisan honeys we have on hand. It’s also impressively good with freshly ground black pepper. In the spirit of finding beauty in trying times, I will say that even a single bite of this great cake does that for me!
You can get this incredible cheesecake at the Bakehouse, Deli, Roadhouse, and online at Mail Order.
In 1982, Ari Weinzweig, along with his partner Paul Saginaw, founded Zingerman’s Delicatessen with a $20,000 bank loan, a Russian History degree from the University of Michigan, 4 years of experience washing dishes, cooking and managing in restaurant kitchens and chutzpah from his hometown of Chicago. They opened the doors with 2 employees and a small selection of specialty foods and exceptional sandwiches.
Today, Zingerman’s Delicatessen is a nationally renowned food icon and the Zingerman’s Community of Businesses has grown to 10 businesses with over 750 employees and over $55 million in annual revenue. Aside from the Delicatessen, these businesses include Zingerman’s Bakehouse, Coffee Company, Creamery, Roadhouse, Mail Order, ZingTrain, Candy Manufactory, Cornman Farms and a Korean restaurant that is scheduled to open in 2016. No two businesses in the Zingerman’s Community of Businesses are alike but they all share the same Vision and Guiding Principles and deliver “The Zingerman’s Experience” with passion and commitment.
Besides being the Co-Founding Partner and being actively engaged in some aspect of the day-to-day operations and governance of nearly every business in the Zingerman’s Community, Ari Weinzweig is also a prolific writer. His most recent publications are the first 4 of his 6 book series Zingerman’s Guide to Good Leading Series: A Lapsed Anarchist’s Approach to Building a Great Business (Part 1), Being a Better Leader (Part 2), Managing Ourselves (Part 3) and the newly-released Part 4, The Power of Beliefs in Business. Earlier books include the Zingerman’s Guides to Giving Great Service, Better Bacon, Good Eating, Good Olive Oil, Good Vinegar and Good Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Ari regularly travels across the country (and world) on behalf of ZingTrain, teaching organizations and businesses about Zingerman’s approach to business. He is a sought-after Keynote speaker, having delivered keynotes for Inc. 500, Microsoft Expo Spring Conference, Great Game of Business Gathering of Games, Positive Business Conference at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, American Society for Quality (ASQ), and the American Cheese Society. Most recently, Ari and Paul Saginaw were invited to address an audience of 50,000 for the University of Michigan 2015 Spring Commencement.
One of Zingerman’s Guiding Principles is being an active part of the community and in 1988, Zingerman’s was instrumental in the founding of Food Gatherers, a food rescue program that delivers over 5 million pounds of food each year to the hungry residents of Washtenaw county. Every year Zingerman’s donates 10% of its previous years profits to local community organizations and non-profits. Ari has served on the board of The Ark, the longest continuously operating folk music venue in America.
Over the decades, the Zingerman’s founding partners have consistently been the recipients of public recognition from a variety of diverse organizations. In April 1995, Ari and Paul were awarded the Jewish Federation of Washtenaw County’s first Humanitarian Award. In 2006, Ari was recognized as one of the “Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America” by the James Beard Foundation. In 2007, Ari and Paul were presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award from Bon Appetit magazine for their work in the food industry. Ari was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Cheese Society in 2014. And Ari’s book, Building a Great Business was on Inc. magazine’s list of Best Books for Business Leaders.
Notwithstanding the awards, being engaged on a daily basis in the work of 10 businesses and 21 partners, writing books on business and in-depth articles on food for the Zingerman’s newsletter, Ari finds time to be a voracious reader. He acquires and reads more books than he can find room for. Ari might soon find himself the owner of the largest collection of Anarchist books in Ann Arbor outside the Labadie collection at the University of Michigan library!
