The Ann Arbor Observer Event at Top of the Park 7.10.10

We were fortunate enough to be included as one of the caterers for The Ann Arbor Observer’s customer (donors) appreciation party at Top of the Park today. We had a table right next to our good friends, Sarah and Amos of Cafe Memmi (another new aspiring Zingerman’s restaurant). It was a ton of fun, and a ton of work! We realized how much our catering inexperience led to wasted energy, but it all worked out smoothly in the end.

Previously for events, tastings, or private parties, we had been buying frozen buns to steam for our pork and shiitake buns since we were still trying to develop the recipe for the dough. With the MUCH APPRECIATED time and help from Shelby from the Bakehouse/BAKE!, we were able to crank out 600+ house-made buns to steam. Also a big thanks to Pete from Marketing & Graphics for designing and printing our menu hand out.

Ji Hye and Shelby started at 9am at the Bakehouse making the dough for the steamed buns by coercing yeast to come out and play in this big machine:

I think it would give Capt. Hook the Napoleon complex…