Last Friday, we had the pleasure of trying a few of Zingerman’s Deli original sandwiches. They traveled from their hometown of Ann Arbor, Michigan to give New York a taste and made the Olly Olly Food Hall in Chelsea their home for the weekend. We got #2, the classic Zingerman’s Rueben, and #13, Sherman’s Sure Choice, which is corned beef, Swiss Emmental cheese, coleslaw, and Russian dressing on Jewish Rye bread from Zingerman’s Bakehouse. The bread was thick and crusty in the best way. Not only were the sandwiches a hit, but the market they set up with Zingerman’s merch and goodies was not something to miss. Salty potato chips and a pickle are almost as good as a sandwich in my opinion.
We were also able to interview Rodger Mark Bowser, the chef and managing partner of Zingerman’s Deli. He talked us through how he fell in love with cooking through his farm-to-table upbringing and hanging out in his home kitchen.
Full name, age, where are you from?
Rodger Mark Bowser. I will be 48 this month. I'm from Michigan.
What is your title and where do you work?
Chef and Managing Partner at Zingerman's Deli. I work in the Deli kitchen, sandwich line, and help support purchasing logistics, merchandising, and marketing.
Was food a big part of your upbringing?
Food was a big part of my upbringing. Like many people who grew up in rural Michigan, we were a large family and had a huge garden and cooked at home a lot. I cooked a lot with my aunt feeding the family. She is a big part of what drew me into the kitchen.
What are your earliest memories of dining out?
Boring fast food, 80s diners and Big Boy. I didn’t get out much when I was young. I didn’t find out that I was allergic to crustaceans until I was 17. Probably didn’t eat my first avocado till around that time either.
If you could give a piece of advice to someone who wanted to pursue your career, what would it be?
My advice to someone who wants to pursue a career as a chef is to start cooking now. Visit your local farmers market or better yet, sign up for a CSA. Cooking with what is available will change the way you cook forever. I also recommend putting yourself in as many cooking situations as you can to learn to cook. You can learn a lot from the lunch ladies at school, summer camps, big city restaurants–every situation that you can possibly think of. You never know which part of it you are going to enjoy the most.
What's your favorite dish/drink on the Deli menu?
Pretty much any sandwich that is in front of me. But if you made me choose, I’d say that I’m not too original and would choose our #2 Zingerman’s Reuben. There is nothing like our corned beef! We’ve been continuously improving the recipe for 41 years! The Brinery Kraut is top-notch. For a drink, I’d grab a rhubarb-ade (if in season) or a Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray.
What is your favorite place to go out and eat at and what are you ordering?
My family and I really like going out for Korean BBQ. Guess who ends up cooking at the table? Maple Grill in Hemlock, Michigan is one of my favorite places in the state right now. It’s family-owned and they grow most of the things you find on the menu. The menu is seasonal and constantly rotating. The kind of thing you’d find in a bigger city, but this place is very unassuming, and not at all showy. Just really good fire-cooked food and beer. And for some reason, I am a sucker for a good patty melt. I have sampled them across the country.
What shoes are you rocking during service?
Well-broken-in Red Wing chukkas.