Zingerman's is Not Just Another Michigan Roadside Attraction Serving Great American Food!

It's the 1952 Spartan trailer in the lot of Zingerman's Roadhouse, Ann Arbor, Michigan, that sets you to swerving off the street and into Zingerman's for some "really good American Food!".

I did just that, on a cold winter night.

There was a warm feeling when you walked through the doors.

The bar sits to the left, and there are little pieces of Americana decorating the walls and behind the bar.

This is one hopping place, serving up fun for diners and the community.

There are "blue plate specials" every day, with some selections being New Orleans Grillades & Grits, Mamma's Meatloaf and BBQ Sampler Plate. Match this with the weekly bar specials and you have a recipe for a good time.

When I bellied up to the bar, there was a "reserved" sign in front of four of the seats. This is pretty homey when you can do this. Jule's, the bartender, took my order and I waited for my Memphis Pulled Pork sandwich. When it arrived it was overflowing with pork and included a generous order of fries. A little cup of cole slaw was wedged between the buns and the fries.

The Memphis Pulled Pork was good, but it was not quite Memphis, but then nothing outside of Memphis seems to be. It was a good substitute for the real deal though.

While you're waiting for your grub, you can catch up with all the Zingerman's Roadhouse news by reading...the" Zingerman's Roadhouse News". It's an entertaining paper published by the restaurant on a quarterly basis. Inside is new on the practical guide to eating oysters, the story of how they went and sought out an old down south recipe for "roadhouse fried chicken" and an instructional on the history of bourbon. Zingerman's has a wide selection of bourbons.

Zingerman's Roadhouse is a gathering place for some eclectic Ann Arbor events. In February you can combine a book release on New Orlean's cuisine with a dinner, and Irish American dinner, sponsored by the Irish Dairy Board (who knew?), an Easter Brunch and a fundraiser highlighting Southern Jewish cooking and music.

There are weekly themes to cooking. The week i dined was Pennsylvania Dutch Cooking.

The menu is large and varied and ranges from a wide selection of starters to soup and salad to sandwiches and burgers. Fresh fish is a selection, as is real comfort food, macaroni & cheese.

Zingerman's is one of the first stops you can make rolling into Ann Arbor, Michigan, a university town just southwest of Detroit on Interstate 94.

You might make it your last stop in Ann Arbor for a great down home meal.

2501 Jackson Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48103. Phone: 734.663. 3663. or Zingerman's Roadhouse web site, www. zingermansoroadhouse.com.