Arbor
DETROIT, MICHIGAN | OCTOBER 2024
The drive down highway 94 from Detroit to Ann Arbor is a transformative one. You leave the Art Deco mosaic of Motor City highways and the clean lines turn soft as the expanse of Michigan’s farmland begins to emerge, a pastoral pastel.
Zingerman’s Cornman Farms was picture-perfect on the day of our Supper in a palette of striking red, gold, and crystal blue. The historic white farmhouse was framed by fall foliage. We set our table in the big red barn, which opened onto the heart of the property, the chef’s garden. An arbor of herbs delicately scented the crisp autumn air. Heritage pumpkins were stacked in nooks and scattered on the table itself, completing the romantic picture.
Chef Hamissi Mamba crafted a menu of personal favorites featuring American Lamb, dishes that glowed in the light slanting through the windows, glazing the meal in honey-gold. Served with a glass of wine from Rodney Strong, each course felt like a step further into that delicate pastoral composition, an invitation to slow down a little bit further, talk a little bit longer, and make good friends around the dinner table.
WELCOME
We welcomed guests to the farm with cocktail hour outside of the barn. We served two cocktails designed to prime everyone’s palates for the tropical flavors of an East-African pantry.
The Passion Fruit Mojito + Whiskey Hibiscus Tea were both made with local Michigan spirits, kicking off the celebration of this tight-knit community.
A MENU BY CHEF MAMBA HAMISSI
Chef Mamba and his wife Nadia have an incredible story, but the meal they served was equally as memorable. The whole team from Baobab Fare spent the entire day smiling while they executed a menu full of punchy flavors and laced with smoky grill marks.
Before inviting everyone to sit at the table, Chef recounted the three years he spent trying to immigrate to America while Nadia and their children were already here as refugees, the support they received from the Freedom House Detroit to get on their feet, and the ways they have given back since finding success in their adopted home. Mamba is not only a success story from Detroit’s refugee community, he is an integral contributor to the city’s spirit.
MENU
WELCOME
Kuku Sambusa shredded chicken
Bhajia cauliflower, garlic, cilantro
Cocktails:
Passion Fruit Mojito Ji passion fruit, rum, lime, mint
Whiskey Hibiscus Tea Ji hibiscus, bourbon, egg white, maraschino cherry
ON THE TABLE
Plantain Chips spiced coconut dipping sauce
FIRST
Avocado Mango Salad avocado, mango, onion
Wine: 2023 Rodney Strong Vineyards Rosé of Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast
SECOND
Lamb Brochette grilled American Lamb, Dijon, onion sauce
Wine: 2022 Davis Bynum Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
MAIN
Uduvi shrimp, onion
Grilled Vegetables & Coconut Rice sweet peppers, onion
Wine: 2021 Rodney Strong Vineyards Chalk Hill Chardonnay, Sonoma County
DESSERT
Tamu avocado, passion fruit, chia, rice flour cookie
Gahombo Burundi Natural Coffee
WINE PAIRINGS
We enhanced the meal with wines from Rodney Strong Vineyards with pairings like 2022 Davis Bynum Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley with smoky lamb and 2021 Chalk Hill Chardonnay with coconut rice and grilled vegetables. Each wine balanced its course with ease and a sense of play, walking the line between crisp and cozy on the sunny fall day.
NIGHTCAP
As conversations lingered while the barn began to glow in the fading light, we served Burundian coffee from Soko Market to pair with dessert.
To complete the meal, Chef Mamba sent each guest home with a bit of East-African chocolate from his new bean-to-bar line. For those who waited to enjoy it the next day, it served as a sweet reminder of an evening well spent (or an extension of the experience for the car ride home for those with less patience).
SECRET LOCATION: CORNMAN FARMS
Cornman Farms promises guests will feel right at home on their property, and they really deliver on that big claim — so much so they have a mated pair of cranes that has come for an extended visit every fall for 15 years! (don’t worry, we invited them to cocktail hour).
The current iteration of the farm was founded by Chef Kieron Hales, who now runs it in tandem with Tabitha Mason as part of the expansive Zingerman’s legacy in Ann Arbor. Typically, Chef Keiron takes care of the culinary components of all on-site events, pulling ingredients from his chef’s garden and local growers in order to build menus based on clients’ food memories. They graciously opened their doors to Chef Mamba because of his inspiring presence in the community, which only matches their own. We were so grateful to get to be a part of this special partnership!
