Beer and bacon wed, with Zingerman’s Ari Weinzweig serving as rabbi
Peter Hoffman describes it perfectly: “It’s Russ and Daughters meets Dean & Deluca in a very, very serious way.” The owner of Savoy and Back Forty, like the thousands to have been blessed with a mail-order gift box or a visit to Ann Arbor, worships at the altar of Zingerman’s Delicatessen—a quirky, obsessively curated bakery and global fine food shop on the campus of the University of Michigan.
Since 1982, co-owner Ari Weinzweig (who’s rather Bourdainian, with a tall, lanky frame, stud earring and “lapsed anarchist” worldview) has been scouring the planet for the good stuff (Vermont for cheddar, Sicily for almonds, and so on). For the past several years, he’s set his sights on artisanal bacon—publishing a book in the process, “Zingerman’s Guide to Better Bacon.” At a walk-around tasting and book signing, Weinzweig, chef de cuisine Shanna Pacifico and Brooklyn Brewery paired five local brews with five bacon-centric dishes. Don’t tell your rabbi.
By Matt Rodbard; photos by Gabi Porter
