Adventures in Ann Arbor

After leaving Indianapolis we made our way to Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is no secret that I am a big time Wolverines fan. That is my squad. That is the only non-family thing that I actually love. So going to Ann Arbor is a pilgrimage for me if you will. I went a few years back, pre COVID, for a football game. That ruled. We also took my son there in 2019 during his Spring Break for a day trip while in Holland, Michigan. Ann Arbor is a great place to visit. It is a cool college town with like minded people. We all cheer for the Wolverines. The mood is more liberal there too, which is perfect for me.

One of the best things to do while in Ann Arbor is going to Zingermann's Deli. It is my favorite sandwich shop in the country. There is no better spot for a sandwich that I have found, anywhere in the country. The sandwiches are big, they are flavorful, they are worth the cost and they are simply perfect. I had their traditional Rueben. It comes with pastrami, cole slaw, swiss cheese and is on rye bread. It is as straightforward as they come and it is so, so delicious. I inhaled my lunch that day. I couldn't get enough of it. My wife had a Georgia Rueben, which had the same ingredients but they substitute the pastrami with turkey. She let me try some and it was very, very good. I enjoyed it quite a bit. My son had a sandwich that had roasted chicken and bbq sauce on it and that was great. Hell, my daughter's grilled cheese on rye was tasty. The whole place is simply the best. My wife and I each got a pickle, one that stated it had "extra garlic" in it. It was phenomenal. I couldn't get enough of it. I loved each bite. My daughter had real applesauce that even had a light red hue to it. It was fresh and delicious. I liked it quite a bit. Zingermann's Deli is a must stop when going to Ann Arbor.

After lunch we did some sightseeing. I took my son to the M Den to do some shopping. He was amazed at the amount of basketball jerseys they had. He was in heaven. He searched and searched and finally settled on an old school Juwan Howard jersey. It was dope. My daughter got some pom poms. My dad got a sticker and I settled on a lanyard. It is so awesome to walk into a store that is filled with the gear of your favorite team. It makes shopping fun. We had a good time at the M Den.

We walked downtown for a bit, but my wife, son, daughter and mom were getting tired so they headed back to the hotel. My dad and I had other intentions. We made our trip to the football stadium. I cannot go to Ann Arbor without going to Michigan Stadium, or The Big House. It is my church, if I believed in that stuff. It is my main reason, and thing I want to do when visiting Ann Arbor. My dad and I drove around the whole stadium and snapped a ton of pictures, or as my wife and mom said, too many. I love seeing the humongous block M everywhere. There is awesome Michigan artwork everywhere outside the stadium. The Crisler Center, where the Wolverines play basketball, is attached to Michigan Stadium. The player development center is right there too. But there is nothing like going to the very front of the stadium. You get to see the biggest block M. The entrance to the stadium is immaculate. The big screen in front has flashing images of all the different sports. You can read the fight song on one of the pillars inside the stadium. It is the absolute best. This was where I felt the most like a tourist and it was incredible. I simply cannot recommend The Big House enough.

Ann Arbor is pretty cool town. It is a must visit spot. It is one of the greatest places in the country without a doubt.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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My First Visit to Zingerman's

As part of my trip to Ann Arbor, my father and I decided that we were going to try a few local eats. I’ve heard and seen a lot of places while watching games for years on TV about 2 main spots. These 2 spots will take up my next 2 days. The first place I want to talk about was the deli we picked to go to on Friday night after we checked into the hotel.

My entire football watching life I have heard about the excellent Jewish deli, Zingerman’s. I’ve seen the sandwiches, I’ve seen the cook books, I’ve heard the announcers talk about it and I’ve seen the store front a bunch. But, I’ve never been there. We decided to change that last Friday. I kind of pushed my dad to go there. He was a bit hesitant, he’s not really a sandwich guy, but he relented.

We got there around dinner time, and I was immediately enthralled. The entrance to the deli looks like a store front. They have a ton of their stuff for sale. They had bags upon bags of mixed nuts, candy, bread, chips, anything you could ever want from a deli. I also noticed the fresh lox in the refrigerated section. This was when I knew this deli was going to rule. I tried to study the menu on the drive up, but that didn’t due justice. You have to go in their to truly appreciate the many, many varieties of meats and sandwiches you can get.

After looking over the menu for about 10 minutes, my dad and I made our decisions. I got a roast beef, they call it brisket, rightfully so, on a Jewish rye bread with slaw, cheese and horseradish. My dad got what they call a “Georgia Club”, which is a turkey sandwich on a toasted Jewish rye and it had all the fixings of a club sandwich. The first thing I noticed was the bread. It is, by far, the best bread I have ever tasted. It has a great, crunchy crust and the inside, the dough, is lush and perfectly chewy. It was the perfect bread for my sandwich. I was amazed. The brisket was juicy and crumbly and flaky and tremendous. The slaw was incredible. And the horseradish had just the right kick. The sandwich was also humongous, but I still took it down in about 15 minutes. My dad ate half his sandwich and then asked me if I wanted to try it. I did, of course, and it was just as amazing. The turkey wasn’t dry at all. It was quite moist. The club fixings were elevated because the ingredients were so fresh. And the toast on the bread gave it an extra crunch that was wonderful. I ended up taking three enormous bites of his sandwich, almost finishing off his second half.

It wasn’t only the sandwiches that were awesome. We both loved the chips. They were kettle cooked, in my best guess, and they were great. I got the bbq flavor and it was better than any other bbq chip I’ve ever had. We also both got sodas, the same flavor, and it was made in house as well. We both have their diet black cherry cola and it was perfect. They blended the flavors with the absolute correct balance. It was also refreshing, for a soda, and I loved it.

Just when I thought this meal couldn’t get any better, we made our way to their bakery. Again, you walk into another store front, right next to the deli, and there are endless sweet treat options. They had everything from scones to cookies to brownies to cakes and pie, and then some. We decided on cookies, I got a lemon sugar cookie and my dad had a chocolate chunk cookie. I also got a brownie with a caramel center. My cookie was awesome. It had a nice crunch on the outside and a gooey center. It reminded me of the bread. It also wasn’t overly sweet, which I appreciate. My dad said the same, but loved the big hunks of chocolate chips in his cookie. The brownie was out of this world. It was gooey and crunchy, like the bread and cookies. But, it was a little sweeter, which I want out of a brownie. It also had course sugar on the top, which I love. And the caramel center had me coming back for more. I said I was only going to eat half, but after hitting that caramel center, I finished the brownie in the next three bites. It was an excellent dessert.

This whole meal was totally worth it. Sure, Zingerman’s may be a bit pricey, but it’s worth it for someone who is visiting from out of town. I cannot recommend this place enough. It’s the best deli I’ve ever been too. This was a great start to a great trip. Zingerman’s rules. Seriously, they make the best sandwiches I’ve ever had. Seek this deli out.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Being a person who lost a lot of weight on Atkins, Ty does not visit many delis. Those indulgences are for cheat days and tourism. Oh, and he needs to test them all out in the name of good journalism.

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SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.