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