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14 The Cheese Guide which opened in 2011, and its spin-off 70-seat cafe, which opened in June 2017. "Since the day we opened, Zingerman's has been a big part of our business philosophy," Bienert said. "At some point, we've had everything the Creamery makes, although we currently concentrate on Manchester, Detroit Street Brick and Lincoln Log." His customers respond to Zingerman's cheeses with enthusiasm, he said. "We add in others, but since we've opened, we've always had Detroit Street Brick and Lincoln Log. It's satisfying to me when customers come in and buy a pound or two week after week. It's been satisfying to see a market that's ready for these rustic, artisan- style domestic cheeses." "Lincoln Log was the cheese that made me believe," Bienert said. The Creamery's Lincoln Log is a soft-ripened goat cheese log about four inches in diameter, with a thin bloomy white rind and a soft paste that firms into a fudgy texture as it ages. Bienert, a Certified Cheese Professional, says it compares to fine European goat cheeses. "Being a veteran of Eurocentric cheese counters, it is wonderful for me to see a great cheese like that," he said. "Zingerman's is definitely in the forefront of the American artisan cheese revolution." In fact, echoing those traditional European cheeses is precisely Zingerman's goal, said Aubrey Thomason, the Creamery's Managing Partner. "We're making lactic cheeses, and those aren't available widely in the market. Our cheeses are very rustic, very true to style." BY ROBIN MATHER For Ann Arbor, Michigan, resident Coco Vance, developing a passion for Ann Arbor's Zingerman's Creamery cheeses was almost a foregone conclusion. "I take classes at Zingerman's Bakeshop, which is just a few doors down from the Cream Top Shop," she said of the Creamery's retail shop. "My favorite thing there is the pimento cheese, and I buy it a few times a year." The Creamery is part of the Zingerman's family of businesses, all springing from the original Zingerman's Delicatessen which Ari Weinzweig and Paul Saginaw opened in 1982 in Ann Arbor. The deli has been the subject of a great deal of national press, and its fans are almost cultish in their appreciation of the Ann Arbor landmark. Weinzweig and Saginaw have received many awards for their business model, and received lifetime achievement awards this year at the Specialty Food Association's Summer Fancy Foods show. The Zingerman's family includes retail stores and production companies, a farm, a restaurant and ZingTrain, which teaches the Zingerman's business philosophy through seminars, workshops and books. "Sometimes I also buy the pimento cheese at the Deli, which is within walking distance of my house," Vance said. "I've been a customer (of the deli) for more than 20 years." Customers much farther afield have begun to share Vance's passion for Zingerman's Creamery cheeses, said CJ Bienert, the Founder and Owner of the Cheese Shop of Des Moines, Iowa, in Fresh American Ways rustic European-Style Cheeses making Zingerman's Creamery:

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