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How to plan a dinner with the Roadhouse
We bring the Zingerman’s Roadhouse
experience to you! We’ll take
everything you love about the
Roadhouse–good food, amazing
service from staff you know and trust,
a casual and fun atmosphere–pack
it up and take it to where you are.
When you work with the Roadhouse,
you get more then good food. You
get the full Zingerman’s Roadhouse
experience!
Let us plan your New Mexico Green
Chile dinner, your Wisconsin Cheese
dinner or your backyard Southern
BBQ party, complete with an on-site
roaster, four different BBQ sauces
to choose from, your favorite wines
and beers from the South and staff
who can share the stories behind the
meal. The Roadhouse has spent years
traveling the country and discovering
traditional American foodways.
We would love to share the
experience with you!
Decide on a theme that is important
to you and your event.
Plan a meeting with Zingerman’s
Roadhouse Catering.
If you’re planning your wedding and
you met your fiancé on vacation in New
Orleans, bring back the moment you met
with a NOLA-themed dinner and share the
experience with your guests. Maybe your
favorite vacation spot is Maine, so let’s do a
traditional crab feast for all to enjoy.
Call us at 734.929.0331 or send us an email
at [email protected] to set a
date and time.
We make the menu!
You tell us your favorite foods and
memories from your experiences and Chef
Alex will make a menu you will be proud
to share. We will explore different wines,
beers and cocktails traditional to the
theme or region, rounding out the menu.
Invite your friends and family to an
experience they will never forget!
As you look through our catering menu,
if you aren’t seeing what you want to serve,
don’t hesitate to call us. We can create
the perfect meal for your occasion, from a
casual backyard American BBQ to a
five-course dinner and every cuisine
in between.
We look forward to being a part of your
special occasion!
Looking to book a private event?
See if one of our rooms would work for you!
Common Room seats 75 people
Patio seats 80 people,
holds 110 people standing
Common & Patio seats up to 155
Hot Hors d’Oeuvres
Vegetable Crudites
all prices below per 50 pieces
Cold Hors d’Oeuvres
Small (serves 15 to 25)
$45
Snacks
all prices per 50 pieces
all prices per pound; serves 15-20 people
Hush Puppies
$100
Medium (serves 30 to 50)
$90
Pimento Cheese Canapés (to serve 30-40)
$80
Virginia Peanuts
$21
Mini Corn Dogs
$100
Large (serves 50 to 75)
$150
Trio of Cornman Farms Bruschetta
$150
Spiced Cracklins
$25
BBQ Beef Canapés
$150
Sweet Potato Chips
$25
BBQ Meat Balls
$150
Goat Cheese & Wild Mushroom Canapés
$150
Fresh Tortilla Chips and Salsa
$30
Mini BBQ Sliders (pork, beef, or chicken)
$150
$175
Roasted Vegetable Skewers
$150
Fruit Platter
Fruit Skewers (with Pineapple Tree)
$175
Small (serves 15 to 20)
$45
Goat Cheese Tarts
$175
Medium (serves 30 to 50)
$90
Korean Short Ribs
$175
Large (serves 50 to 75)
$150
Mini Burgers
$175
BBQ Spare Ribs
(roasted tomato, roasted red pepper, basil pesto)
Roquefort & Pecan Balls
$200
Spinach Dip
$200
Cheeses
Bacon Wrapped BBQ Shrimp
$200
Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
$200
Hot Dips
Jerked Lamb Kabobs
$200
Baked Artichoke Dip
$350
Mini Crab Cakes
$200
Baked Crab Dip
NOLA BBQ Shrimp
$200
Artisan Cheese Fondue
Oysters Rockefeller
$200
Asian Shrimp Toast
$300
select from our list of Artisan Cheeses
each serves 40-50 people
Small (to serve 15-25)
$120
Medium (to serve 25-50)
$240
$350
Large (to serve 50-75)
$360
$250
Pimento Cheese Platter (to serve 30-40) $80
20% gratuity and 6% sales tax added to all parties hosted at the Roadhouse.
"Zingerman's is one of
the most important food
destinations in the country.”
—Travel + Leisure Magazine
—Jane and Michael Stern on The Splendid Table
The Roadhouse knows the importance of a good breakfast,
which is why our breakfast menu has only the best ingredients for your most important
meal of the day. We buy our eggs from our friends and neighbors in Homer, Michigan,
who have been delivering eggs from cage-free hens weekly since we opened in 2003.
Our breads and bagels come from Zingerman’s Bakehouse and are delicious topped
with Zingerman’s Creamery Cream Cheese and Michigan farm butter. And no breakfast
is complete without Roadhouse Breakfast Sausage made in-house and a few slices of
Nueskes’ Applewood Smoked Bacon.
Zingerman’s Bakehouse Muffins
Croissants and Bagels
Zingerman’s Bakehouse Muffins
Croissants and Bagels
Zingerman’s Creamery Cream Cheese
Zingerman’s Creamery Cream Cheese
Michigan Farm Butter
Smoked Salmon Platter with cream cheese,
capers, onions, cucumbers and tomatoes
American Spoon Preserves
Michigan Farm Butter
American Spoon Preserves
Sliced Fresh Fruits
Bring your group to the Roadhouse, roll up your sleeves
and get to work on an all-American breakfast. We have a
private room with Wi-Fi and AV equipment to make presentations a breeze and you’ll find
plenty of free parking.
To Reserve: Call 734.929.0331
Coffee (serves 10)
$30/gallon
Sparkling or Spring Water
$1/each
Real Sugar Coke
$3.50/each
Sprecher Gourmet Sodas
$3.00/each
Fresh-Squeezed Lemonade
(serves 8)
$40/gallon
Fresh-Squeezed Orange Juice
(serves 8)
$40/gallon
Sliced Fresh Fruit
$3/per person
Assorted Muffins
$2.75/each
Croissants
$3.50/each
Coffeecake
small $14.95
large $29.95
Magic Brownies (4 pack)
$12.95
Assorted Cookies (6 pack)
$5.95
Roadhouse Donuts
$12/dozen
• Sliced Fresh Fruits
• Scrambled Local Eggs
• Applewood-Smoked Bacon
• Roadhouse Sausage
• Breakfast Potatoes
• Zingerman’s Bakehouse
Muffins and Croissants
• Sliced Fresh Fruits
• Corned Beef Hash
• Scrambled Local Eggs
• Zingerman’s Bakehouse
Coffeecakes
• Applewood-Smoked Bacon
• Cinnamon Raisin French Toast with
real Michigan maple syrup and
farm butter
• Michigan Farm Butter &
American Spoon Preserves
• Roadhouse Sausage
• Breakfast Potatoes
• Zingerman’s Bakehouse
Muffins and Croissants
• Smoked Salmon Platter with cream
cheese, capers, onions, cucumbers
and tomatoes
• Zingerman’s Bakehouse Bagels
• Zingerman’s Bakehouse
Coffeecakes
“These fried dough
masterpieces
are worth the trip.”
st
Named one of the be
donuts in the U.S.
!
by Saveur magazine
“… The real showstoppers are the house-made doughnuts, adapted by Roadhouse chef Alex Young from a traditional Dutch-American
recipe. Worlds apart from the standard sugar-flour-grease bombs of chain fame, Roadhouse doughnuts are full-flavored, with hints of
molasses, lemon zest and nutmeg in a rich buttermilk batter, deep fried but not greasy, and dusted with a dark brown muscovado
sugar. Everyone at our table (which included some hard-to-impress New Yorkers) was utterly bowled over.” —Ann Arbor Observer
American Breakfast
Scrambled local eggs with
red and green peppers and
topped with Vermont cheddar.
Served with handmade country
sausage, breakfast potatoes
and Zingerman’s Bakehouse
sourdough toast.
Grits and Eggs
Biscuits and Gravy
Smoked Kentucky sausage
gravy served over buttermilk
biscuits with scrambled
local eggs.
BBQ Brisket Hash
Stone ground grits topped
with two fried eggs*, Nueske’s
applewood-smoked bacon and
Cabot aged cheddar cheese.
Garnished with scallions and
served with toast.
Pit-smoked Cornman Farms
beef with potatoes, onions
and peppers served with
scrambled local eggs, Alex’s
Red Rage tomato BBQ sauce
and Zingerman’s Bakehouse
sourdough toast.
Cinnamon Raisin French
Toast
Smoked Salmon
and Bagel
Zingerman’s Bakehouse
Cinnamon Raisin bread griddled
in real vanilla batter served
with applewood-smoked bacon,
Michigan farm butter and Snow’s
Michigan maple syrup.
Smoked salmon, Zingerman’s
Creamery cream cheese, onion,
tomato, cucumber and capers
with a Zingerman’s Bakehouse
bagel of your choice.
Corned Beef Hash
Corned beef hash, potatoes,
peppers and celery in a creamy
hash with poached local eggs
and Zingerman’s Bakehouse
toast.
Eggs Benedict
A pair of poached local
eggs served over slices of
smoked pork loin and grilled
Zingerman’s Bakehouse
sourdough. Topped with
hollandaise sauce.
Add a side of fruit for
$3 per person.
When you’re planning your wedding,
don’t forget about the day after!
A post-wedding brunch is a great
way to thank out of town guests
and send everyone home with a
full stomach.
Family coming in to town?
Or family leaving town?
Break bread with the ones you
love with a family-style feast
at the Roadhouse.
Calling all brides-to-be! Let the Roadhouse kick off your wedding
celebration by catering your bridal shower! We have a wide selection
of brunch meals, ranging from pastries and fruit to an omelet station.
Whatever your style, we will be sure to match!
“Thank you so much for everything you did to
make our wedding day so special. Your tireless
efforts truly made our day forever memorable. We
could not have been happier with the Zingerman’s
Experience, everything was truly remarkable.”
—Rob and Sara
Salads (choose two)
Roadhouse Garden Salad
New Potato-Dill Salad
Marinated Vegetable Salad
Grilled Corn and Green Chili
Pasta Salad
Mustard Slaw
Fresh Fruit Salad
Martelli Macaroni Salad
Classic Caesar Salad
Roasted Red Pepper and Mozzarella
Salad (add $2 per person, seasonal)
Entrées (choose two)
Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Cornman Farms’ Pulled Pork
Cornman Farms’ BBQ Beef
Ig Vella Macaroni and Cheese
Broiled Whitefish
Salsbury Steak
Farro Piccolo Risotto (V)
Roadhouse Macaroni and Cheese (V)
Grilled Carolina White Grits (V)
Sides (choose two)
Chocolate Pudding
Butterscotch Pudding
Vanilla Cheesecake
Zingerman’s Bakehouse Seasonal Pie
Vanilla Gelato
Seasonal Vegetables
Mashed Local Potatoes
Roasted Potatoes
Carolina Gold Rice
Anson Mills’ Soft White Grits
All buffets served with Zingerman’s Bakehouse
breads and Michigan farm butter.
20% gratuity and 6% sales tax added to all parties
hosted at the Roadhouse.
Dessert(choose one)
Donut or Brownie Sundae Bar
(add $3 per person)
How can you have
macaroni & cheese
that costs so much?
I heard that a lot when we first opened. I checked around and
in every halfway decent restaurant in town they were charging
pretty much the same prices we were for pasta. Finally the
obvious dawned on me – when people think “macaroni and
cheese” they think “low-end.” By contrast, when they think
“pasta” they think suave Italian cachet. Which made me realize
that this is really about a campaign for American culinary
self-esteem and self-acceptance. The truth is that not only is
the macaroni and cheese at the Roadhouse a really high-end
macaroni and cheese, it’s made with way better ingredients than
almost any restaurant anywhere is going to use. Martelli pasta,
Vermont cheddar, real cream, Dijon mustard and Cornman Farms
onions. Our macaroni and cheese has got all the comfort-food
appeal of the stuff you get out of a box, but it also stands toe to
toe with any “pasta” dish you can find.
Zingerman's Roadhouse
Mac and Cheese was
rated “America's Best
Comfort Food” by Alton
Brown on The Food
Network show
“America's Best”
$24/pers
Choose up to 3 items. Entrees include bread, butter, and dessert.
on
Pulled Pork Sandwich
Pit Smoked Spare Ribs
Grilled Carolina White Grits
Traditional whole hog barbeque made
with local hogs delivered direct from the
farm, pit-smoked for 14 hours, hand-pulled,
chopped and blended with your choice of
barbeque sauce, served on a Bakehouse
New Jersey Roll with twice-cooked French
fries. East North Carolina Vinegar BBQ
Sauce, Memphis Tomato BBQ Sauce, or
South Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce.
Pit smoked pork ribs, cooked for nine
hours. Served with Alex’s Red Rage Tomato
BBQ Sauce, mashed local potatoes and
yellow mustard slaw.
Organic grits from Anson Mills cooked,
cooled, cut and then heated on the woodfired grill. Topped with Cabot Cheddar,
caramelized onions, roasted red peppers,
roasted New Mexico green chiles,
and freshly-cut corn sautéed in cider
vinaigrette.
BBQ Beef Sandwich
Pit-smoked then braised till it’s very tender,
served with Alex’s Red Rage Tomato BBQ
Sauce on a Zingerman’s Bakehouse ciabatta
roll and twice-cooked French fries.
Roadhouse Macaroni and Cheese
A Roadhouse favorite! Homemade cream
sauce and lots of 2-year old raw-milk
Vermont cheddar caramelized with the
Martelli family’s artisanal macaroni from
Tuscany (the best pasta in the world!).
20% gratuity and 6% sales tax added to all parties
hosted at the Roadhouse.
Broiled Whitefish
Great Lakes whitefish fillet served with
local mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach.
Hamburger
All grass-fed beef, dry aged, ground and
grilled over oak, served on a Bakehouse
onion roll with lettuce, onion and pickles.
Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Amish free-range chicken dipped in
buttermilk then deep fried served with
mashed local potatoes, real gravy and
yellow mustard slaw.
Chicken Caesar Salad
Whole-leaf baby romaine with really good
Caesar dressing, aged Wisconsin Parmesan
and salt and pepper croutons, topped with
a grilled Amish free-range chicken breast.
Pit Master’s Salad
Applewood smoked ham, pit-smoked
chicken, Maytag blue cheese, hard-cooked
eggs, greens and veggies with your choice
of homemade dressing.
Dessert Choices
Chocolate Pudding
Donut Sundae
(choose up to 2)
Brownie Sundae
Assorted Gelato
Zingerman’s Bakehouse
Seasonal Pies
Butterscotch Pudding
Vanilla Cheesecake
Assorted Sorbet
Named One of
Bon Appetit's
All buffets served with Zingerman’s Bakehouse breads and Michigan farm butter.
(Prepared for a minimum of 25 guests)
Salads
Sides
Entrées
Dessert
(choose up to three)
(choose up to three)
(choose two)
(choose two)
Roadhouse Garden Salad
Classic Caesar Salad
Spinach Salad with
Warm Bacon Dressing
Bibb and Blue Salad
with Dried Cherries
Grilled Corn and
Green Chile Pasta Salad
Mustard Slaw
Martelli Macaroni Salad
Fresh Fruit Salad
Roasted Red Pepper and
Mozzarella salad
Mashed Local Potatoes
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Roasted Potatoes
Scalloped Potatoes
Roasted Local Vegetables
Sautéed Spinach
Bacon-Braised Greens
Carolina Gold Rice
Roadhouse Macaroni and Cheese
Anson Mills Soft White Grits
Grilled Carolina White Grits (V)
Farro Piccolo Risotto (V)
Vegetable Strudel (V)
Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Cornman Farms’ Pulled Pork
Cornman Farms’ BBQ Beef
BBQ Turkey
Pit-Smoked Spare Ribs
Grilled Scottish Salmon
Broiled Whitefish
Chicken Rochambeau
Chicken Fiorentine
Smoked Pork Loin
Salisbury Steak
Chocolate Pudding
Butterscotch Pudding
Vanilla Cheesecake
Zingerman’s Bakehouse
Seasonal Pie
Donut or
Brownie Sundae Bar
(add $5 per person)
Add a Carving Station
Prime Rib $7/person
Pit-Smoked Turkey $5/person
$
We’ve been making fried chicken at the
Roadhouse since day one. As famed food
writer John T. Edge points out, “Fried chicken
is at once a totem of tradition and a lowestcommon-denominator lunch.” Though a lot
of folks grew up with the stuff, unfortunately,
even among the lucky few who have a great
recipe passed down through their family,
these days not many people are able to put
in the time to make it. So, we set out to make
something that both recalls great childhood
memories for a lot of people but takes that
taste to a whole new level.
“The pride of Ann Arbor is Zingerman’s Roadhouse,
where the rooftop vintage neon sign reads ‘Really
Good American Food.’ And that’s what you’ll get,
of every type, from New Mexican chiles to oysters
from Apalachicola, FL.”
—USA Today
“People just love
Zingerman’s Roadhouse for
that old-fashioned food fix.”
—Hour Detroit, October 2012
Soup and Salad
(choose up to two)
• Roadhouse Garden Salad
• Classic Caesar Salad
• Warm Spinach
and Wild Mushroom Salad
• Bibb and Blue Salad
with Dried Cherries
• Arugula and Roasted Beets
with Goat Cheese
• Roasted Cornman Farms’
Peppers and Goat Cheese
• Cream of Mushroom Soup
• New England Clam Chowder
• Lobster Bisque
• Creole Matzoh Ball Soup
• Shrimp and Oyster Gumbo
• Beef Chuck Chili
• Butternut Squash Bisque
• Chicken Noodle
• Gazpacho seasonal
(Prepared for a minimum of 30 guests)
Entrée Choices
(choose up to three)
Dessert Choices
(choose up to 2)
Cornman Farms Pulled Pork
Traditional whole hog barbecue made with
local hogs delivered direct from the farm,
pit-smoked for 14 hours, hand-pulled,
chopped and blended with your choice of
BBQ sauce served with mashed local potatoes
and bacon-braised greens. East North
Carolina Vinegar BBQ Sauce, Memphis Tomato
BBQ Sauce, or South Carolina Mustard BBQ
Sauce.
Pit-Smoked Spare Ribs
Pit smoked pork ribs, cooked for nine hours.
Served with Alex’s Red Rage Tomato BBQ
Sauce, mashed local potatoes and yellow
mustard slaw.
Chocolate Pudding
Broiled Whitefish
Fresh from the Great Lakes, seasoned with
salt and pepper, broiled and served with
mashed local potatoes and sautéed spinach.
Assorted Gelato
White Turkey BBQ
Pulled pit-smoked turkey topped with white
BBQ sauce, served with mashed local potatoes
and bacon-braised greens.
Cornman Farms BBQ Beef
Cornman Farms beef, pit-smoked then braised
‘til it’s very tender, served with Alex’s Red
Rage Tomato BBQ Sauce and mashed local
potatoes and bacon-braised greens.
Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Amish free-range chicken dipped in
buttermilk then deep fried, served with
mashed local potatoes, real gravy and yellow
mustard slaw.
Smoked Pork Chop
Cornman Farms pork chop, grilled over oak,
served with mashed local potatoes, sautéed
spinach and housemade applesauce.
Prime Rib
Cornman Farms beef, aged for approximately
5 weeks and patiently roasted, served with
mashed local potatoes and sautéed spinach.
Grilled Carolina White Grits (V)
Organic grits from Anson Mills cooked,
cooled, cut and then heated on the woodfired grill. Topped with Cabot Cheddar,
caramelized onions, roasted red peppers,
roasted New Mexico green chilies, and
freshly-cut corn sautéed in cider vinaigrette.
Farro Piccolo Risotto (V)
description.
20% gratuity and 6% sales tax added to all parties
hosted at the Roadhouse.
Brownie Sundae
Butterscotch Pudding
Donut Sundae
Assorted Sorbet
Vanilla Cheesecake
Zingerman’s Bakehouse Seasonal Pie
Enjoy Roadhouse favorites! Family Style is great way to feed a crowd—grab a seat, order a beverage
and we start bringing out the food. No wondering what to order. You get to try it all!
Entrées
Appetizer
Appetizer
Appetizer
Mashed Local Potatoes
Sautéed Spinach
Roadhouse Macaroni and Cheese
Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Cornman Farms Pulled Pork
with Alex’s Red Rage Tomato BBQ
and South Carolina Mustard BBQ
Trio of Bruschetta
Ari’s Pimento Cheese
Trio of Bruschetta
Ari’s Pimento Cheese
Entrées
Entrées
Trio of Bruschetta
Artisan Cheese Board
Mini Maryland Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes
Mashed Local Potatoes
Sautéed Spinach
Roadhouse Macaroni and Cheese
Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Cornman Farms Pulled Pork
with Alex’s Red Rage Tomato BBQ
and South Carolina Mustard BBQ
Mashed Local Potatoes
Sautéed Spinach or
Roasted Local Vegetables
Roadhouse Macaroni and Cheese
Broiled Whitefish
Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Cornman Farms Pulled Pork
or Pit-Smoked Spare Ribs
with Alex’s Red Rage Tomato BBQ
and South Carolina Mustard BBQ
Dessert
Roadhouse Chocolate Pudding
Dessert Choices
Roadhouse Chocolate Pudding
Zingerman’s Creamery Gelato
Dessert Choices
Roadhouse Chocolate Pudding
Zingerman’s Creamery Gelato
Plated First Course
Roadhouse Garden Salad
Entrées
Mashed Local Potatoes
Sautéed Spinach or
Roasted Local Vegetables
Roadhouse Macaroni and Cheese
Broiled Whitefish
Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Cornman Farms Pulled Pork
or Pit-Smoked Spare Ribs
with Alex’s Red Rage Tomato BBQ
and South Carolina Mustard BBQ
Dessert
Roadhouse Brownie Sundae
Additional Items Available
• Roadhouse Corn Dogs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2/person
• Chili Cheddar Fries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2/person
• Pimento Bacon Macaroni
or Smoked Chicken Macaroni . . . . . . . . $2/person
(replaces Roadhouse Macaroni and Cheese)
• Cornman Farms Sirloin Steak . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$12/person
• Cornman Farms New York Steak . . . . . . . . . . . $16/person
• Cornman Farms Ribeye Steak . . . . . . . . . . . . . $18/person
• Plated Roadhouse Garden Salad . . . . . . . . . $4.75/person
Beverages, tax and gratuity are additional.
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Go Whole Hog
with the Roadhouse
The Roadhouse loves cooking great BBQ and we’d love to bring the BBQ to you! We’ll pack up the portable pit piled
high with your choice of meats and travel to your house, place of business, park, farm or any place you’d like. We’ll
serve the meat straight from the pit right to your plate. All you have to do is invite your guests and enjoy great BBQ!
Price of whole hog below includes Alex’s Red Rage Tomato BBQ sauce. Additional sauces and sides also available.
½ a Whole Hog
feeds up to 75 people
$1875
Extra Large Whole Hog
feeds up to 250 people
$5250
Whole Hog
feeds up to 150 people
$3450
Other Meats Available:
Pit-Smoked Spare Ribs
Pit-Smoked Chicken or Turkey
Pit-Smoked BBQ Beef
Sides Available:
Macaroni and Cheese
BBQ Baked Beans
Yellow Mustard Slaw
Zingerman’s Bakehouse Buns
Potato Salad
Roadhouse Garden Salad
Sweet Potato Chips
Grilled Corn and Green Chile
Pasta Salad
Fresh Fruit Platter
$7.00/person
$5.00/person
$6.00/person
$5/person
$4/person
$3/person
$1/each
$3/person
$5/person
$2/person
$4/person
$3/person
Really Good
Locally Sourced Beef
As someone who’s eaten a lot of good food in
a lot of good places, I can tell you that the beef
Alex is sourcing from his own Cornman Farms
is really something special. It begins with how
the animals are raised. “We’re buying the steers
at about three months old, and then we grow
them for another 18 to 21 months,” Alex told me.
“How long we mature them depends on the exact
pasture. Each breed responds differently. But,
they are NEVER grain finished. It’s really the best
of all worlds. You’re getting a bit of marbling and
flavor from the grain without losing the omegathrees from the grass feeding. We feed ours a
tenth of the grain a feedlot cow would get, give
them lots of room to roam, and then mature
them longer.”
The dry aging is another piece of the work that
makes the beef so special. In a nutshell, it’s
much akin to what happens when we mature a
cheese—the fresh beef is allowed to breathe,
natural molds develop on the outside surface
that ripen it, moisture gradually leaves the
meat and the flavors intensify and grow more
complex. When the meat is ready, the molds are
trimmed away and the meat is ready to serve.
There’s a lot of good work left
to do but, as Alex says,
“if you have a good
recipe and you make
a good product
people will respond.
The community is
obviously hungry for
meat that they believe in.”
Join us at the Farm for your next event! Cornman Farms is an authentic
working farm with roots dating back to the mid-1800s. Fresh from a
loving restoration, the Farm is now raising vegetables and livestock for
Zingerman’s businesses and serves as a truly spectacular destination for
group tours, weddings and special events, corporate retreats and board
meetings. Cornman Farms’ event space features a historic barn and
farmhouse, education gardens and animal quarters, and space for tents or
lawn games. You can watch the chefs prepare an intimate farm-to-farm
table dinner in the exhibition kitchen in the Farmhouse, host a special
event in a tent under the stars, or dance the night away in the romantic
barn.
The lovely historic Barn at Cornman Farms is a perfect venue for cocktails,
dancing, wedding ceremonies, luncheons and more. With two floors, each
featuring a crackling fireplace, a gorgeous pergola and patio, an adjacent
bonfire location and views of the education gardens and farm grounds, the
Barn is an integral part of events at Cornman Farms.
The Farmhouse, located just a few steps from the Barn, is an ideal location
for cocktail hours, intimate dinners, and cooking demonstrations.
Additionally, the Farmhouse features suites for bridal parties, families and
guests of honor. For larger groups, a spectacular 400 square-foot tent can
be rented for use on the beautifully landscaped grounds of the Farm, set up
adjacent to both the Barn and Farmhouse.
For a custom quote and available dates
give us a call at 734.329.5302
Our Farm in Dexter
Cornman Farms started out as a small garden plot in Roadhouse
Chef Alex Young’s backyard where he planted a few tomatoes and
other plants as a way to relax after a busy day at the restaurant.
As he tells it, “what got me hooked was when one day I had hand
dug some ‘grabbling’ potatoes (early potatoes stolen by reaching
your hands into the hill) that I brought in and put on a dinner
special. That night some regular diners were at the Roadhouse
and I was explaining to them the special that they’d ordered
and really, really enjoyed. What I learned was that the rewards
that many of us become chefs for, which is the gratitude and joy
you receive when someone really enjoys your food, was greatly
increased by having labored so hard to grow the food as well as
dig it up, and then get to prepare it. It definitely gave me
goose bumps.”
A few years down the road and Alex’s farm vision is becoming
reality. The Youngs have become a full-fledged farming family.
Alex’s wife Kelly manages the livestock herds which have grown
to include goats, pigs, cattle, chickens and sheep. His son Ethan
divides his days between the Roadhouse kitchen where he cooks
and the farm where he does whatever needs to be done. Their
daughter Lucy is a regular winner in the Washtenaw County 4H
competitions and their littlest Emma spends her nights with dad
planning the cooking show they’re going to create together.
It’s a far cry from Alex’s old life as an Executive Chef for an
international hotel chain which had him jetting around the world
opening restaurants and not spending enough time at home
with his young family. Building Zingerman’s Roadhouse was Alex
making the choice to settle down. At Cornman Farms, he and his
family are planting roots, both literal and figurative.
The produce at Cornman Farms is managed by longtime
Roadhouse cook Mark Baerwolf. Many of our crops start with
seeds from Seed Savers and the Slow Food Ark of Taste,
organizations dedicated to preserving heirloom varietals that
have fallen out of favor with commercial farmers because they
might be hard to grow, hard to ship or maybe produce smaller
yields. As Mark says, “we grow what we grow because it tastes
great. That’s the only criterion for us.”
6 Reasons
TO HOST YOUR NEXT EVENT AT
1. Cornman is an
Many of the animals on the farm are also listed on the Ark of
Taste, and we are dedicated to preserving these heritage breeds.
Our hogs came from the famed founder of Niman Ranch Pork,
Paul Willis, who delivered the last 10 animals on his farm after
he decided to retire after a long career of sustainable, humane
animal husbandry. Our goats provide milk in our state-of-theart goat milking parlor. Our cattle are grown to two years on
rich pasture (hay in the winter and fed a small amount of grain
regularly). They are NEVER grain finished. “It’s really the best of
all worlds,” says Alex. “You’re getting a bit of marbling and flavor
from the grain without ever sending them to a feedlot, and you
don’t lose the omega-threes they get from the grass feeding.”
The Youngs have slowly expanded the farm and, as it turns out,
part of their plot is a piece of land first owned by Kelly’s
ancestors (Kelly is a Dexter native). “We didn’t discover that
connection until we bought the land,” she says. So, while you’re
enjoying an event on the farm, you can be sure that the land is
well tended and the animals well cared for. It’s not just a pastoral
backdrop for our beautiful event space. It’s a real working farm
and reminder of our connection to the land that provides
our food.
authentic working farm
that provides produce
and meats for the
renowned Zingerman’s
Roadhouse.
2. Our beautifully-restored Barn and Farmhouse date from the
mid-1800s and provide
a real link to Michigan’s
history.
3. We can host
everything from an
intimate gathering to a
party for 450.
4. Cornman is a true
family farm founded and managed by
Roadhouse Chef
and James Beard
Award-winner
Alex Young.
5. Your event at
Cornman can feature
food grown right on
site for a true
farm-to-fork event.
6. Though we’re
rooted in Michigan
history, we offer
every amenity along
with famed
Zingerman’s service
to guarantee that
your event will be a
once-in-a-lifetime
treat.
Give us a call at 734.929.0331 or send an email
to [email protected].
©2014 DSE Inc.
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©2014 Dancing Sandwich Enterpirses, Inc.