Zingerman's got presidential treatment on Obama commencement day

Darryl Tompkins of Zingerman's Catering personally delivered the order to the Secret Service at Michigan Stadium, where Obama delivered the keynote address at the University of Michigan's spring commencement ceremony.

"The agent asked for bags to get it to the helicopter that would take it to Air Force One," said Pete Sickman-Garner, marketing manager of Zingerman's Service Network, in an e-mail. "Presumably, the president was going to eat lunch after his speech on the way to wherever he was headed next."

Zingerman's was selling Baracky Road Gelato to commemorate President Barack Obama's trip Saturday to Ann Arbor. He didn't place an order for gelato, but Air Force One apparently placed an order for takeout.

Nathan Bomey | AnnArbor.com

In the days leading up to the commencement address -- which drew more than 80,000 people to the Big House -- speculation mounted about whether the president might take a side trip to a local business or two. After all, then-President Bill Clinton visited Cady's Grill & Bar in Ypsilanti when he delivered the commencement address at Eastern Michigan University in 2000. Clinton also visited Abe's Coney Island in downtown Ypsilanti in 1996 while campaigning for a second term.

Alas, Obama had no time to stop at Zingerman's and no time for a dish of commemorative Baracky Road Gelato. Instead, Air Force flew into Detroit Metropolitan Airport, the president was whisked to U-M via Marine One, and he flew back to the airport immediately following the ceremony.

Here's a list, provided by Zingerman's, of what the president's team ordered:

Sandwiches:

• Oswald's Mile High. Ingredients: Zingerman's corned beef and yellow mustard on double-baked, hand-sliced Jewish rye bread. 

• Zingerman's Reuben. Ingredients: Zingerman's corned beef, Switzerland Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Russian dressing on grilled, hand-sliced Jewish rye bread.

• J.V.W.'s Detroit St. BBQ. Ingredients: Zingerman's BBQ Amish chicken, Nueske's applewood-smoked bacon and coleslaw on grilled sourdough bread. Served with a side of applewood-smoked baked beans.

• Schoolkids' Song 'n' Dance. Ingredients: Switzerland Swiss cheese, scallion cream cheese, tomato, carrots, onions, cucumber and Garden Works locally grown organic sunflower sprouts on pumpernickel.

• Sheila's Viva Las Vegan. Ingredients: hummus, artichokes, roasted red peppers and baby spinach on grilled farm bread.

Sides

• Spincetta Salad: spinach and feta and Pasta.
• Cajun Chicken Pasta Salad.
• Magic Brownies and M Sugar Cookies with Fondant.
• Zapps chips.
• Zzang Bars from Zingerman's Candy Manufactory.

Contact AnnArbor.com's Nathan Bomey at (734) 623-2587 or nathanbomey@annarbor.com. You can also follow him on Twitter and subscribe to AnnArbor.com's newsletters.