The Jewish Deli Reformation

Eateries across the U.S. are injecting a little change in the traditional idea of a Jewish deli. In the past, as long as it was blessed by a rabbi, it was good to go. These days, it's different, looking for different ways to keep it fresh. One of those delis is Zingerman's.

Excerpt:

Ari Weinzweig of Zingerman's Deli in Ann Arbor, Mich., collaborated with the all-natural meat producer Niman Ranch on Niman's pastrami, which delis across the country (like Saul's in Berkeley) bring in-house, and then steam to their specifications. The pastrami at Zingerman's is made from Black Angus beef, by Sy Ginsberg of United Meat and Deli in Detroit.

"Doing handmade, traditional food is not easy; you have to keep moving forward, making it better," said Mr. Weinzweig, who opened Zingerman's in 1982 and has expanded it into an empire with a creamery (where cream cheese is made by hand) and bakery (where the rye bread for sandwiches is long risen and naturally leavened). "I would be embarrassed today to serve the rye bread we used in 1982."

Read the entire article here.