The CulinaryWoman Newsletter, 7/25/21

Adjusting to restaurants’ adjustments

Last week, Ann Arbor got a new bubble tea and coffee spot. Or more accurately, another new bubble tea and coffee spot. It seems like every commercial block near the University of Michigan campus has at least one.

I was ready for a beverage break late in the morning, so I drove over to UniTea, only to find out that it didn’t open until 3 pm. The owner explained that for now, he is focusing on a snack and dessert crowd, rather than people who want a morning pick me up.

Maybe in the fall, when students return, and there is more activity in town, he can open earlier, he said.

Even though UniTea is brand new, its hours ran counter to my preconceived idea of when coffee and other beverages ought to be available. But, his move is reflective of a broader trend.

A number of our favorite food places are operating with shorter hours than in the past, even though they probably have enough demand to stay open longer.

We knew restaurants had run into a staffing wall. Now, the impact is becoming apparent, and it can feel a little discomforting.

When you’re a regular at a restaurant, or a food shop, its hours become part of your mental calendar. In the before times, you knew who was open early, so that you could wait there for your car to be repaired, or swing in after a morning run or a workout.

Likewise, you knew the places that were open late for after movie drinks or dessert. Then, there were all night establishments, which were useful for various reasons.

For owners, difficult choices

Now, not only hours, but entire days of the week are off the table. Some owners of multiple restaurants have been forced to close one of them to focus on the more viable outlets.

That happened here in Ann Arbor with the Songbird cafes, owned by Jenny Song, who you met this spring. She opened the first Songbird on the north side of town 10 years ago. Then, in 2015, she took over a spot on the west side of Ann Arbor for a second Songbird.

In June, Jenny closed her west side location, citing the inability to find staff as the reason. She says she hasn’t made a decision yet about its future. However, with road construction out front, plus the closing of a nearby cineplex, it was probably going to be a tough summer anyway.

I was in her Plymouth Road location on Saturday, and encountered a long line of customers eagerly waiting to be served, so I think she made the right choice.

Farther afield, I was startled this past week to see that one of my favorite places on Cape Cod, Marshland Too, in Sandwich, Mass., was slashing its hours at the height of tourist season.

“Due to the drastic shortage of employees, we had to make the hard decision to close for breakfast and lunch during the week,” the owners wrote on Facebook. That service is available on weekends only. The main restaurant, Marshland (or MAHSH-land as we all call it) has its usual hours.

Pretty soon, you won’t be able to get a sno-ball at Sno-la in Metarie, Louisiana, just outside New Orleans. The owners decided to close that shop at the end of August, and concentrate on one remaining place in the Uptown neighborhood. They hope they can find a second location down the road.

In Asheville, N.C., Ziggy’s, a popular cafe, posted an ad for a prep cook, then wrote, “Nevermind... I regret to announce that we will be CLOSED TODAY. Staff shortage is truly truly taking its toll on us, our fellow AVL restaurants and nation wide. Please, help spread the word for us that we are looking for a prep cook and line cook to start immediately. ”

Five things we can do

Until the situation eases up, customers can’t rely on their mental status quo, but need to employ a strategy to make sure they get meals they enjoy.

First, before you dine out, check to see if your favorite place is open, and what its revised schedule might be. Look on the door, on Facebook, Instagram and their website.

Many places do a good job clearly communicating when they are open, and if they have to close before their scheduled hours.

For instance, AB’s Amazing Ribs in Dearborn, Mich., regularly runs out of food by afternoon and posts on IG when that happens. Conversely, some lucky spots in our area are adding hours as more employees come on board.

Second, have back up dishes and even back up places in mind in case you can’t get your first choice. It’s disappointing to have to skip a meal your heart is set on, but that might create a chance to try something new.

Third, when possible, order in advance online if that option is available (ticketed restaurants are a growing trend). Consider ordering take out rather than dining in, especially if you can sit nearby to consume it. Eat early in the lunch or dinner hour for the best selection, rather than wait until later, when items sell out.

Fourth, be polite. Yes, service may be slower than in the past. Food places are under lots of pressure juggling the impact of the pandemic on the supply chain and the sanitary procedures they are following.

Fifth, if you truly love a spot, want to see it stay open and have some free time, think about hiring on for a few hours a day or a few days a week. Working at a restaurant in these times might be an illuminating experience, and assuming you aren’t all thumbs, you’d be helping it get through a crisis.

The Great Canadian (Yes, Canadian) Baking Show

Every weekday afternoon, CBC Windsor airs episodes of Call The Midwife, followed by a cooking show. Usually, it’s one featuring Jamie Oliver, who has a voluminous catalog of TV programs.

But in recent weeks, until Olympic programming kicked in, the CBC ran the latest season of The Great Canadian Baking Show.

It’s an adaptation of The Great British Bake Off, and almost a carbon copy, since it is produced by the CBC with Love Productions, which created GBBO. The concept and even the music are the same - a signature bake, technical challenge and the showstopper.

But there are pleasant differences. For one thing, the Canadian judges are incredibly kind, without the swagger and celebrity of Paul Hollywood. The last few seasons of the show have featured French-born Canadian chef Bruno Feldeisen and Canadian chef Kyla Kennaley.

They offer honest and constructive criticism, almost always complimenting the bakers unless the bakes are truly dreadful. Bruno doesn’t glare, he twinkles, and pastry chef Kyla is genuinely sweet, no pun intended.

The bakers themselves are from diverse backgrounds, and a number are newcomers to Canada. Perhaps because of that inclusivity, they and the dishes they make seem more relatable than GBBO is at times. They’re our neighbors, after all.

Filming for the upcoming season is taking place now, and new episodes will air in October. The Canadian version is most easily viewed on the CBC, but if you aren’t near a border city, look on YouTube and there are a few ideas for watching it here.

How To Get Your Early Bird Zingerman’s Book Treat

I’m delighted that my upcoming book, Satisfaction Guaranteed: How Zingerman’s Built A Corner Deli Into A Global Food Community is now available for pre-orders.

There’s a special treat for anyone who orders it before it’s published on March 1. Here’s how to receive it, whether you order it from a big bookseller or an indie shop.

1) Take a screenshot or a photo of your receipt, or save the confirmation email. You can crop out info you don’t want to share, like your home address.

2) Send or forward the image or the email to me at culinarywoman@gmail.com.

3) Make sure the email you write from will still be valid on March 1. (You can update me down the road if needed.)

That’s it! You will be on the gift registry.

Thank you so much for placing advance orders. I’m so excited about the book and I hope you will tell your family, friends and colleagues about it.

Keeping Up With CulinaryWoman

You may notice that the CulinaryWoman logo has its mask back on. I went to the grocery store last week, and almost all the customers and the staff were wearing masks.

If you’re going to be in a big public place, around people you don’t know, it’s the safest thing right now, given the spread of the Delta variant. It’s also a considerate gesture in smaller places that might be crowded. If you travel, please be extra careful.

You can email me at culinarywoman at gmail dot com. I’m on Twitter and Tik Tok @culinarywoman and Instagram is @michelinemaynard.

Stay safe and see you next week!