Black Foodways

Wed, 10/02/2024 - 8:02pm

In this video compiled from dozens of interviews from the Living Oral History Project and the There Went The Neighborhood Interview Archive, participants share their memories of food and food traditions in their families, including fishing on the Huron River, hosting Fourth of July barbecues, and even starting a restaurant.

The Living Oral History Project is a partnership between the African American Cultural & Historical Museum of Washtenaw County and the Ann Arbor District Library, providing a permanent home for 50+ interviews with Black community members collected over the past decade. The collection continues to grow with interviews added each year.

The There Went The Neighborhood Interview Archive contains 35 interviews that went into the research and making of a documentary film about the closing of Jones School, produced by the Ann Arbor District Library and 7 Cylinders Studio.

AADL Talks To: John Metzger, Owner of Metzger's Restaurant

Sat, 03/23/2024 - 12:46pm

In this episode, AADL Talks To John Metzger, third-generation owner of Metzger's Restaurant at 305 N Zeeb Rd. John walks us through the history of his family's restaurant, from its origin 90 years ago on Washington Street in Ann Arbor, and discusses what's changed - and what's remained the same - over the years as the business passed from his grandfather to his father to John. He also shares his memories of growing up in the restaurant; his efforts, along with his sister Heidi, to reopen at a new location on the west side of town after closing the downtown location; and he talks about the employees and customers that have kept the business a thriving enterprise for nearly a century.

Read historical articles about Metzger's.

Browse our Metzger Family Collection featuring many of the historical photos that line the walls of Metzger's Restaurant.

Read about Hoelzle's Butcher Shop and Metzger's Restaurant, by local historian Grace Shackman, August 1993