MARCH 2 • 2023 | 41
even preserved sea urchins) and also wine
and non-alcoholic beverages. The latter are
imported and domestic brands, with a focus
on Michigan producers. Berg’s visits to his
suppliers strengthens their relationships, he
said.
PUTTING IT TO THE TASTE TEST
I liked my first taste of a sparkling
Strawberry Kombucha, produced by
Urbanrest. The beverage consisted of rice
wine fermented at an 0.5 percent alcohol
level with juice. The Kombucha went well
with my Turkey Reuben sandwich, one of
the tasty Mongers’ Menu selections featur-
ing products sold in the store.
Berg said one of the most popular
options is Better Than Basic. The special
grilled cheese sandwich on locally produced
Crispelli’s Bakery bread comes with a choice
of cheddar or Point Reyes Toma, a smooth
Havarti-Edam hybrid.
Another sandwich he extolled was the
Wagyu Pastrami Reuben. The sample I
tried of Tempesta Wagyu Pastrami was
soft-textured and unexpectedly delicious,
converting this formerly pastrami-averse
eater.
The menu’s Reuben sandwiches include
the Brinery of Ann Arbor’s properly tangy
sauerkraut. I liked knowing that the rye for
my sandwich came from Stacy Fox’s Star
Bakery in nearby Oak Park. My comple-
mentary side dish was Taberna Mix from
Spain — green olives, baby pickles and
not-garlicky-tasting garlic cloves in brine.
The house-made San Marzano tomato
soup I also enjoyed was very good with its
chunks of tomato. The soup is vegan and
gluten-free.
On another visit, I loved the Flaming Fig
sandwich, which has fig jam, spicy salami
and fiery 4 Alarm Cheddar. I handled it like
a champ.
The partners chose Berkley for their
second location because, according to Berg,
“Berkley is a great destination and has got-
ten better over the years.
”
He learned from the Berkley Historical
Museum that the buildings on his block
date to the 1950s, and that his space and the
adjacent parcel once housed an ice-skating
school. The Berkley Mongers’ Provisions,
open since 2021, has 2,700 square feet, but
another 1,200 square feet is being added.
The current expansion is incorporating the
space that had housed Peninsulas gift shop
on the corner. “We used JS2 Design to help
us design the kitchen and 4545 Architecture
and Design to do the rest of the design and
layout,
” Berg said.
After the expected completion by May,
“we will have more room for dining and
plan to expand food options beyond sand-
wiches,
” he said. “
And once our liquor
license is obtained, we want to invite people
to have a glass of wine and tray of appetiz-
ers.
”
Mongers’ Provisions offers boxed lunch-
es, deli trays and other catering in various
sizes and price points. Both stores are
closed on Monday. Otherwise, they open
at 11 a.m. or noon, and close at 6 or 7 p.m.,
depending on the day.
ZACHARY “ZACH” BERG
Titles: Mongers’ Provisions co-owner and
Head Cheesemonger
Residence: Beverly Hills
Family: Married Temple Beth El Rabbi Megan
Brudney in June 2018; their son is Dov Avery
Berg, 2.
Education: Hillel Day School, Farmington
Hills; West Bloomfield High School; Michigan
State University’s Eli Broad College of
Business, East Lansing — “I’m one of the
rare millennials using the degree I earned
(Hospitality Administration/Management) in
my career” — and certificate from Culinary
Institute of America, Napa, California.
Jewish connections: Temple Beth El mem-
ber; Hazon Detroit Board; Hebrew Free Loan
recipient; Tamarack Camps camper
Isaac Hensen is
a winemonger
in the Mongers’
Provisions store
in Berkley.
Daniel Silos is a
cheesemonger
at your service.
Zach
Berg