2008 March | Zingerman's Roadhouse

A Mess of Greens

Someone who just moved to town this year asked me when locals here start getting sick of the winter. I think it’s about that time for me —I’m ready for the markets and ready not to have to wear so many clothes when I’m out running. And I’m ready to get back to going the farmer’s markets. In the mean time, if I’m going to get a sense of good vegetable eating this time of year, a mess of greens …

Totally into Tea

by Erin Thoresen

Rishi is a company that sacrifices nothing for quality. They travel far and wide throughout the world’s tea-producing regions in search of the finest quality artisan teas. They work directly with the tea growers – no middlemen – to guarantee a better relationship between Rishi and the tea growers, bringing us a better product.

Rhode Island Coffee Milk

If you’re driven by trivia, you’ll want to know that this is the OFFICIAL drink of the state of Rhode Island. If you’re driven by flavor, you’ll just want to know that it tastes really good. If you’re driven by personal stories, you’ll want to know that coffee milk was invented by the uncle of Ann Arbor’s own Jan Longone, the woman behind the world class culinary collection housed at the Clements Library.

Brilliantly Crafted Bourbons

You may ask yourself “Why is there so much bourbon at the RH?” The answer is quite simple. Bourbon is the only great native spirit to the US. By law, bourbon whiskey has to be distilled from a base of at least 51% corn, along with a blend of barley, rye and/or wheat. The flavor will change from one brand to the next, depending on the grain blend being used. And all bourbon must, by law, come from Kentucky.

Vya Vermouths at the Roadhouse

I love when an ingredient I’ve always taken for granted and has never seemed particularly exciting turns up in a form that’s about fifty times better than I’d ever had it.

Which is exactly what’s happened for me in 2005 with Vya Vermouths. If you haven’t yet tried them and you have any interest in wines and aperitifs in particular, I really recommend that you come by and ask for a taste. For me at least, Vya has brought Vermouth to a whole new level.

When I asked Roadhouse bartender Bob Brunelli what he thought of Vya Vermouths, he said, “I like ‘em because they actually taste like wine.” Which is odd, but actually, oddly true. They do taste like wine. They do taste good. And they’re something you’d want to drink, as Vermouth was intended to be, on its own. Of course, he’s right, and of course, IT IS A WINE so that’s the point. Giri — who’s worked with wine around town for many years, said much the same thing: “It’s remarkably good. It’s very complex—it actually tastes like it has something to do with grapes, which is unfortunately rare in a vermouth.”