After a wonderful breakfast, some relaxation and a few chores, it was time for lunch. We try to mix it up on weekends. Our first meal in A2 was at Cafe Zola when we drove in to home hunt in September. It was a wonderful dinner. It happened to be parent's weekend (OMG) so restaurants were packed. PACKED! The next day (lacking imagination) we went back to Cafe Zola for breakfast before doing a bit more sightseeing on campus (newbies that we were) before leaving to go back to Virginia. Brunch was fantastic and because we were early (in A2 time) it was quiet and wonderful. The food is high quality and inventive without being avant garde. We had gone back after we moved here for a brunch and the food was wonderful, but the service was awful and the noise was basically hell.
So this past Sunday, we went back for lunch. It was crowded, but not like in the past -- it is winter break. We had to still wait a bit in a crowd, but were soon offered a bar seat. We thought it was just a compromise, but ended up a great choice for service and comfortable seating. I ordered the lobster salad in an avocado. Oh my.
Good.
Seriously.
First, you must know that I dislike mayonnaise. OK everyone, I can see it's place, but I only care for it in great moderation. The binder was a wonderful mayo/terragon yumminess with capers both within and without. The avocado was sliced on the round half not only so that it sat unrolling on the plate, but also so that MORE lobster salad was there. In the end, it was a perfect balance between avocado, salad, capers and bibb lettuce.
Coming back!
Dan's View
First off, they make a wicked Bloody Mary. I had one on Sunday, and while it isn't the best one I've had (that honor assuredly goes to Two Nineteen Restaurant in Old Town Alexandria, Va), but it runs a close second. We were sitting at the bar, and the ingredients for this marvel were clearly posted on the wall...but I forgot to note them down (not happy). I can tell you that it had the usual (bloody mary mix, vodka, horseradish, hot sauce of some kind), but there was at least one other ingredient I can't recall. It was garnished with celery, lemon and lime slices, and 2 olives (not keen on olives in a this brunch drink). I had the Roasted Vegetable Salad -- perhaps not the best entree when accompanied with a Bloody Mary -- but it was very good, nevertheless. Large pieces of roasted eggplant and roasted pepper with salad greens, tossed in a house-made Turkish vinaigrette. These flavors were complemented with the sweetness of beets and the sharpness of fresh goat cheese that literally melted in my mouth. The bread is freshly baked and the butter (sweet herb) is local. Yummy.
I like the atmosphere of Zola's -- decidedly Mediterranean -- the tall ceiling, and brick walls. There is a unique chandelier near the hostess stand, comprised of a cluster of perhaps 30 or more incandescent light bulbs. I didn't mind the noise level of the conversation as Cathy did on one occasion (although I should say that in general I find it difficult to talk with people when the noise level is excessive).
This was our fourth visit to Zola's, three of which were for breakfast/brunch. While I don't recall the dinner experience very well (other than it was immensely crowded due to parent's weekend at UMich), I do know that we had the Turkish eggs one time -- oven baked, sunny side up, spinach, fresh feta cheese, etc. I will definitely be ordering that again. Did I mention the Turkish coffee? Superb. And refilled happily by your server.
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