Dr. kboo says, "Le Zinc AGAIN???"-- kboo's favorite Tribeca restaurantFeb 28 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Le Zinc achieves a magical combination of superb food, unpretentious and friendly service, and some interesting people watching. Come before 7 p.m. to avoid the wait.
For two years, the sign for Le Zinc hung over an empty storefront. When Le Zinc finally opened around January 2001, it has been full ever since. Why? 1. A pedigree to be proud of. David and Karen Waltuck, chefs/proprietors of Chanterelle, an upscale French-inspired restaurant in Tribeca (and one of my favorites), opened Le Zinc as their casual, open-late bistro. Chanterelle has been a top restaurant in New York for over 10 years, a virtually unparalleled accomplishment in a city where many restaurants never even survive longer than a year. Although the food at Le Zinc is different from Chanterelle, it shows the same French influences and the emphasis on ultra-fresh ingredients and an open and comfortable dining experience. 2. Simple, unfussy, but delicious food. The food is unique bistro food, with Asian and French influences. Thanks to a run of late nights at work where neither I nor Dr. kboo felt like cooking, I ended up at Le Zinc 3 times in 10 days, a new record of repetition for me. With so many fine (and affordable) restaurants to choose from in Tribeca, my tummy has been doing the voting and it's Le Zinc by a landslide! Appetizers First courses at Le Zinc are broken into three types: typical appetizers, salads, and charcuterie. All of these options are around $7-$10. Of the more traditional appetizers, you'll get the most for your money with the spicy chili duck wings. These aren't ordinary duck wings-- they're duck wings on 'roids! They're the size of chicken legs, with a dark, mildly spicy crust/coating and they come with a black bean-based dipping sauce. Finger licking good, I found the sauce a little salty on top of the seasoned duck legs, I mean, wings, and ended up just chowing on the wings, sans sauce. Lest you think they were trying to pass chicken legs off on us, just remember, if it tastes like duck, and walks like a duck... The crisp curry crab cannoli are another popular appetizer, although I did not fall in love with them. They are two moderate sized cannoli shells, served cool, and filled with a lightly dressed crab filling that has only a hint of curry to it. The crab is real, and the cannoli are stuffed full of them. However, I was sampling them with the duck wings, and the duck wings won- the flavor of the crab cannoli is almost too delicate and subtle. The charcuterie selections are similarly terrific. "Charcuterie" traditionally meant sausage making and other processed pork products. At Le Zinc, it means terrines and other liver-based and sausage based items. I have tried both the venison and dry cherry terrine and the duck, foie gras and pistachio terrine. Both are served with small, sweet gherkins. Not surprisingly, the venison terrine is slightly more gamy tasting, with small dried sour cherries studding a slab of liver and chopped venison. The duck terrine is more traditionally "French" tasting, a light pink with a solid but not overwhelming foie gras flavor, and light green pistachio nuts layered across the slice. One "salad" I did fall in love with, however, were the roasted beets with goat cheese. Deep, ruby red beet chunks with an earthy aroma filled the simple white bowl, and tiny filaments of fresh dill were sprinkled on the beets. On top of the whole pile lay a soft, nearly melted disc of pure white goat cheese, decadently rich. There is also a very light, barely noticeable vinaigrette tossed with the beets. Matochak needs to try this beet "salad." Note: eating this large a quantity of beets will affect the color of your bodily functions for the next few days, so do not be alarmed! Another "must try" first course is the shrimp salad, which consists of 4 jumbo shrimp tossed in a citrusy vinaigrette with chopped chives, on a bed of baby greens. This salad is a first-course sized portion, with a light lemon fragrance to the shrimp dressing. A colorful salad worth a try is the endive, radicchio and walnuts salad, chock full of greens that are not green, but slivers of pure white and deep red. Juicy and refreshing, this salad comes heaped on a dinner sized plate and is big enough to be a light meal. Entrees In addition to a daily list of specials, which ranges from macaroni and cheese and stewed brisket, the entrees run the gamut from venison and veal to fish to cabbage rolls. But I could come back, day after day, for the sauteed skate with brown butter, lemon and capers. The slab of skate covers about half of the dinner plate, golden brown with the nutty taste of brown butter. The richness of the tender skate was cut by the fresh lemon. When Dr. kboo and I go to Le Zinc, we fight about who gets to order the skate. (We have a standing rule that we must order different dishes.) Served with skinny, medium-brown fries and bright green snap peas, the skate at $15 is one of the best food bargains in New York. Other fish entrees (all at $15) are also standouts. The pan-fried monkfish in red wine sauce is barely breaded (the skate is not, although it looks as if it is), and finished in a very light red wine sauce, which lends just a touch of richness without overwhelming the light flavor of the fish. The catfish with ginger scallion sauce is a huge filet, also lightly breaded and fried before being finished in with a light vegetable-based gravy, served on a bed of coconut rice with a mound of colorful slivers of sauteed red pepper, sweet white onions, and bright green scallion. Although all of the portions are large, I have not had any difficulty finishing them. If it's heartier comfort or bistro food you're looking for, Le Zinc has it too. Chicken grandmere does taste like chicken the way your grandma makes it--- if your grandma is Julia Child. A roasted half chicken is served in a non-thickened chicken broth with mashed potatoes and cubed fresh celery and carrots and sinfully sodium-laden lardons. Even cabbage rolls are dressed up without being fancified: filled with brown rice, tomato and chopped pork, the mixture of the herbs (I think I detected a hint of nutmeg) is unique and addictive. The cabbage leaves are thin enough to be translucent, and served in a vegetable broth. If kifwebe is reading now, he'd better stop: On my first visit here with Epicure, I caved and had the veal chop with red wine demi-glace. Oh, but the sin was worth it! The chop was pearly white and barely pink, so tender I could cut it with a butter knife. The red wine demi-glace complemented, but did not overpower, the delicate veal. If you're going to fall off the vegetarian/PC wagon, why not fall big and make it worth it? Ok Jeff, you can start reading again. Mr. Epicure had the stewed brisket, which was a special not listed on the menu. Although flavorful, in a deep gravy, it was comparatively dry and a bit salty. A perfectly fine dish, but when compared to the other stars on the menu, it just didn't measure up, because it wasn't perfect. Desserts Desserts are very simple, and although I usually don't have much room for dessert, the Meyer lemon tart is worth a try. A disc of mellow yellow lemon curd topped with a translucent lemon slice, the tart is tangy and creamy at the same time, like a bite of warm spring sunshine. For those in need of chocolate therapy, there is also a flourless chocolate cake with a milk chocolate whipped cream. Served barely warm, the "cake" is almost like a barely overcooked souffle, barely crispy on the outside, light, creamy, and fragrantly chocolate on the inside. For sharing, the ice creams and cookie plate are always good choices. Last time we tried them, the ice cream flavors were date, brown sugar, and vanilla, a palette of cream and beige scoops. 3. Friendly, competent service. Like the rest of Le Zinc, service is not fussy. While it's not seamless (like Cafe Boulud or Jean-Georges), it is also very down to earth without being overly friendly. Despite the crowd at the front of the restaurant, you will never feel rushed by the staff, even if you have finished eating and just want to hang out for a while. Bread- big crusty hunks of country French and sesame dusted loaves arrive with the water as you are seated. Questions about the menu and the specials are answered professionally and knowledgeably, without pretension. The servers know when to step in with questions and when to leave a lively conversation alone. 4. A comfortable, bistro atmosphere. Le Zinc is a single, barrel-vaulted room. Yes, it gets noisy, but it is a bustling happy kind of noise. There are a few tables and booths in the front, by the bar, which allow smoking; the rest of the restaurant is non-smoking. The bar is dominated by a large (like 6 feet tall) arrangement of flowers near the restaurant section. When we were last there, there were bright sprays of forsythia. The bartender is always willing to talk, whether it's about wine selections (there are several by the glass that start around $7) or just shooting the breeze. The off-white walls are decorated with a myriad of random, vintage posters that are glued, frameless, to the wall like wallpaper rather than being hung in frames. (I especially like the Al Gore campaign poster from the 60's or 70's, when Gore was running for a student government post.) Two room sized mirrors hung on the walls at an angle allow you to get a good look at what everyone is eating, without having to crane your neck too much. White votive candles on the bare wood tables join the soft buttery glow of hanging lanterns- this is lighting that is very kind to a thirtysomething (and older) face. Tables are large, although somewhat close together. However, because of the acoustics, you can have a pretty loud conversation without feeling like everyone is listening in. Cloth covered banquettes line the walls. Nothing fancy, the lines in the room are simple and open. We've even had passing conversations with groups at neighboring tables, usually about the food and recommendations. (Who says New Yorkers aren't friendly?) 5. Excellent value. Appetizers range from about $7 to $10. The shrimp salad was on the expensive side, at $9. For entrees, the most expensive item was the steak frites, which was $19. The fish entrees were $15 and most of the other entrees ranged from $10 for a burger to $16 for the chicken grandmere. A teriyaki salmon burger and fries is an excellent value at $11. (Now you know why I don't do fast food and chain restaurants!) Wines by the glass range from $7 to $9, and most bottles cost $20-$35 per bottle for regional French wines. Dinner for two, including two appetizers, a drink or two and a shared dessert, runs around $50-$65, including tip. Given that that is easily the cost of a middling delivery dinner of sushi, I'll go to Le Zinc, thank you. The important stuff: Open 7 days a week, until 4 a.m. No reservations - arrive early and be prepared to wait if you arrive after 7pm. Your party will not be seated until everyone has arrived. Dress: casual. I've gone in jeans and wearing a ski jacket; I've also gone with large packages after a day of shopping; I've also gone relatively dressed up, as a Saturday night date. Children are welcome, but I don't remember seeing booster seats or highchairs. This is an excellent restaurant for just about any occasion, other than a quiet romantic evening. I've seen families with kids here, groups of friends, as well as couples of all ages. Popular and trendy as it is, the clientele are a motley, down-to-earth crowd, and the staff at the restaurant don't act as though they're the hottest new show in town. Food: 5/5 Service: 4/5 Decor: 3/5 Le Zinc 139 Duane St. (just east of W. Broadway) New York, NY 10013 212-513-0001  |
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