Bunny-zilla

Great Harvest Bread Company has a tradition of selling "honey bunnies" during the Easter season. "Every year we try to come up with some creative way to mangle and or humiliate the poor bunnies," owner Janene Centurione explained. "This year we managed to bake a 50 pound specimen."

Bunny-zilla is on display in the store on South Main near Busch's, and since it's been petted and manhandled for the past week (not to mention it's doneness in the middle suspect), it's not intended for consumption. "One of our regular customers is going to take it to use a centerpiece for Easter dinner," Janene told me earlier today. "And then she's going to put it out in her woods for the turkeys to eat. She's promised to send us a photo each day, to show the progression as the big ol' thing is nibbled away."

Zingerman's Compound

While everyone seems hopeful regarding the re-opening of the Jeff Market, we've heard an interesting story regarding proposed growth up on Detroit Street...As part of it's long-term strategy, we hear that Zingerman's plans to somehow add 8,000 square feet to their space near Kerrytown, creating what will essentially be a "compound" of sorts. To achieve that much square footage on the relatively small footprint of the Deli, Next Door, and the small house behind, part of the plan will be to go underground with kitchens, offices, and meeting space.

Chatting with my source in the produce section of Busch's yesterday, I mentioned how much use Zingerman's has gotten from the big, heated tent in the back yard. "You know, that tent cost them $10,000 to put up," she told me. "But they grossed an additional $300,000 in the first two months after it was installed."

One can only imagine the new income a Zingerman's Compound would generate, as well as being an even bigger destination for out-of-towners. But I shudder to think about the hoops the city will force them to jump through – good thing Ari, Tom, and staff have always appeared to be comfortable with thinking long term.