Zuzu’s: great flavors, small dishes, superb delight.
Zuzu’s has been one of those restaurants that we have had on our list due to guest comments over the past year. We’ve even had guests who were Tapas-style chefs go and come back raving about the food and we knew we had to go. Well, we finally made it to the restaurant last week and we were ready for a feast. I’ll tell you now that we only have one regret with the meal: we didn’t have enough room for more. The problem was the paella. We ordered enough for 3; we should have ordered enough for one, shared, and moved onto other dishes. At first I though the tomato sauce on the paella was too tart, but then I kept eating it and wondered what the attraction was that kept me coming back for more. It was served with a light and sweet cream sauce that was the perfect balance to the tomato. We were half-way through that when the next course showed up: the flat iron steak with the chimichurri sauce which was Jamie’s favorite. Then came the next, which I loved, the asparagus with Serrano ham, and we both loved the next course, scallops with the olives and meyer lemon. The last course we ordered was the Bacalao with truffle oil which we pretty much fought over to finish, and then we were stuffed. Argh! Not enough room for more. There were still many more flavors and options to try and we were so disappointed that there had been so much paella that we didn’t…couldn’t possibly….have room for more…..than dessert! We settled on the apple empanada because a number of guests had talked about the tart apple with the hint of pepper on your throat to be finished with caramel sauce. Whoa! Really yummy! Now I understand why our guests love this place so much. Everything in small portions, shared family style, and paced out over the course of your meal. One dish shows up, you begin to eat, and then another, and you add that to your plate, and then a third. Dirty plate and don’t want to mix flavors? No problem! There are extra clean plates at the table and they are prompt to clear the dirty ones away. Not sure how hungry you are? Fine, then start with a few and order more as you go. No reservations taken here, but worth the wait if you have to. Definitely a great meal for those who are looking for something casual, different, flavorful, and fun. The restaurant is only a two minute drive from the inn, or a fifteen minute walk.
Tags: Food Tasting and Pairing, napa, restaurant, zuzu