Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Nashville, TN
Zola
3001 W End Ave
Nashville, TN 37203
615-320-7778
www.restaurantzola.com
Hours: 5:30p to 10p
Mon-Thur
5:30p to 11p
Fri-Sat
According to AOL's City's Best guide, Zola is the #1 Romantic Restaurant for 2008 in Nashville. The award winning Owner/Chef Debra Paquette offers what she calls Mediterrian fusion with a New South twist. Italian. French, Spanish, Moroccan and Greek influences are evident in Zola's menu. Wine is also an important aspect of this restaurant. It has received the Wine Spectator "Award of Excellence" many times over the years.
The innovative menu features creative meat, fish and vegetarian dishes. Fish is flown in fresh daily and added to popular items such as Grandma Zola's Paella($22.50/27.50), a combination of scallops, shrimp, market fish, chorizo, ham, saffron rice and aioli verde. The dish come in small or large portions.
Meats include upscale presentations of lamb, beef and pork. The Black Angus Filet and Rioja Shortribs has Idiazabal(cheese) ravioli, prosciutto crisps, green olive and smoked almond aoili($28/$36)
Side dishes($4) include Spinach with garlic butter, grilled zucchini with feta and sugar peas in guava butter.
Zola's also has numerous starters and salads that match the intricate combinations seen in the entrees.
I saw a lot of reviews before dining at Zola's and many patrons mentioned the Beet and Heat Salad($8.50). I usually hate beets but I decided to see what the Chef could do. The salad features pecan fried beets, sage goat cheese, dried figs, bacon, greens and a maple Tabasco vinaigrette dressing. It was an explosion of flavors, all working well together.(I still can't believe I paid someone to let me eat beets). It was very good.
My entree was also very satisfying. I had the Moroccan Pork Loin that combined raisin eggplant almond brown rice, coffee pomegranate sauce, fig jam, sugar peas and guava butter($21.50)
Again there were all sorts of flavors coming together to provide a unique blend of tastes, all very pleasing to the palate.
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