Saturday, April 7, 2012.
Squeezing In At Zachary's.
Neither of the Marys were interested in breakfast, or in hanging with me this morning for any reason. I have a noon-to-three radio show that will keep me from lunch, so I went ahead with solo breakfast at the Camellia Café.
There was nobody there but me. I wonder why, since other breakfast places like Mattina Bella, the Fat Spoon, Mande's, IHOP, and even the Marriott Courtyard are well populated. Camellia Café does breakfast better than any of those (except Mattina Bella, one of the best neighborhood breakfast eateries in the metro area).
The CC made that point with a superb omelette exactly like the one I asked them to make for me a couple of months ago: skillet potatoes (sort of lyonnaise), ham, green onions and pepper jack cheese. folded into a fluffy, unscorched omelette of just the right size. That would tide me until dinner.
Dinner was at Zachary's, a new bistro that took over what had been The Hungry Forager last year. Everybody who calls about Zachary's is wild about it. I wrote off some of that to the cuteness of the small premises, which has room for only about thirty customers. Maybe eight more at tables outside.
The kitchen, staff, and menu are also limited in scope. Chef Zach Watters runs the place out of his back pocket, doing all the kitchen work himself. He nevertheless found time to visit all the tables. We learned that he is an alumnus of some Brennan and Besh kitchens, and a graduate of the Louisiana Culinary Institute.
More convincing, however, was the food that came to the table, all of which was as good as I've been hearing.
Crabmeat au gratin began our dinner nicely. The crabmeat was beyond jumbo lump, most of it qualifying as "marbles," to use the industry term for really big lumps. The sauce avoided the temptations of over-richness and over-cheesiness. The cheeses in this had a sharp tang I can't say I've encountered often.
After a round of gratis spinach-and-red onion salads with a simple vinaigrette, the entrees left us wanting for nothing. The Marys were beefeaters. Mary Ann is a lover of braised beef short ribs, and these pleased her completely. They were at the same time fall-apart tender yet nicely crusted at the edges. Not the easiest accomplishment in moist cookery. The slab of filet mignon that came our daughter's way met all her standards, too: juicy, well trimmed, accurately broiled, with macaroni and cheese (another of her faves) on the side.
The mussels offered as a starter appealed to me beyond the appetizer degree. Would they make a double order for an entree? The server didn't know how much to charge for that. The chef said $22.95, she said, as if this were the only matter of importance. (This is why a lot of restaurants won't serve anything not in print on the menu. They don't have a price for it, and nobody wants to take responsibility for charging too little.) I didn't give the price a second thought.
The two dozen or so mussels in this deal were nicely steamed, scattered with green onions and bacon. They came with a light-brown broth that I wouldn't call the best I've ever had, but certainly enjoyable. No side came with it (what? for $22.95!?!). I satisfied that need by picking away at Mary Leigh's green beans.
Zachary's was running a wine special tonight on Mer Soleil Chardonnay from their Monterey Vineyards. $45 sounded good for this wine. The flagship Mer Soleil Chardonnay, from a bit further south, is superb. I'll bet this one sells well on account of its bottle, made of ceramic instead of glass. The Marys liked the bottle, and gave me permission to get a whole one instead of the glass or two I was considering. Quite drinkable.
The girls skipped dessert, but the banana bread pudding had my name on it. Rich, sweet, custardy, caramelly. Yum!
This meal evaporated all doubts I had about Zachary's, except those associated with economics. Profitability comes hard to such a small restaurant. Not only are the fixed costs not spread out over enough customers, but a large percentage of the dining public doesn't take tiny places seriously. I hope Zach keeps his eyes open for a bigger, more promising home for his excellent cookery.
Someday I will open a Bureau Of Restaurant Names, to keep eateries from giving themselves problems related to their monikers. While it's understandable that an up-front, talented chef would name his restaurant for himself, there has already been confusion (in phone calls to me on the radio) as to whether this fine place has any connection with two other, mediocre, now-extinct restaurants called Zachary's in the not-too-distant past. (It doesn't.) My Bureau would have advised against this name. (And against "Meson 923," "Santa Fe Tapas," "Bistreaux," and "Feelings," to name a few.)
Zachary's. Mandeville: 902 Coffee. 985-626-8883.
It's over three years since a day was missed in the Dining Diary. To browse through all of the entries since 2008, go here.
