I wrote a draft for this entry a month or so ago and now I sit revising it. Why? Because the last time I went to Cafe Zola I had an amazing meal, fantastic service and a fun-filled night which I think is typical of them …then I went for lunch a week or so ago. I was introducing a few family members to the place and I found myself apologizing through the entire meal …and professing that things could be different. It bums me out when a good restaurant drops the ball …especially with newbies at the table. So here goes the original post. I will spread the good news and hope Cafe Zola is having a better day next time. Read on…
Yummmm! Is it the food? The crowds? The great wine list? Yup, it is. It is also and perhaps most importantly the staff. I sit at the bar a lot because I like to watch the mechanics of a restaurant and in Café Zola everything is viewable from the front row. I am also required to sit at the bar at Café Zola because the man in my life, someone who regularly professes to love me, has a crush on one of the bartenders. There you go. All that great food, made from the freshest and best ingredients available and it is all secondary to a crush. However, while my partner waxes poetic about the wine list with his drink-slinging goddess, I get to enjoy some great food and chat-up a few people around me …whether they like it or not.
Cafe Zola opened back in 1996. I have vague memories of it being a breakfast, coffee, hang’in out kind’a place back then, but after a 10 year hiatus, I came back to find it all grown-up. The owners, Hediye Batu and Alan Zakalik, have managed to keep that casual, relaxed atmosphere I recalled and kindly added a whole bunch of wine! There is a French flair to many of the dishes with bits of the Mediterranean and Italy included for variety. As with many independent restaurants in the area, they are loyal to other local businesses using small bakeries to supply anything they don’t make on site. Whether you plan on coming for breakfast, lunch or dinner Cafe Zola serves up everything from coffee to a Whole Fish enPapillote with attention to detail and the satisfaction of the customer.
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