Wednesday, December 01, 2004
Zak’s, for dinner
Larry Bly
Larry Bly runs an ad agency and does freelance writing in the Roanoke area.
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I've already reviewed Zak's on Campbell Avenue as a great lunch destination in downtown Roanoke. But it was only recently that I got to visit Zak's after dark.
While Zak's leans toward great sandwiches, paninis, soups, wraps, salads and pizzas by day, I was surprised at the extended menu of chicken and seafood entrees at night — even announced evening specials, which on this particular evening was an impressive and delicious salmon Wellington.
Entrees come with listings of suggested wine pairings, so even the wine-impaired can enjoy the right Cabernet, Merlot, Riesling or whatever without having to know very much.
Seafood items include white wine stuffed salmon, char grilled Atlantic salmon, Sante Fe style Mahi Mahi, Creole blackened tuna, shrimp scampi, tilapia, cod, and Shrimp Fra Diavolo, plus announced specials. All served with pastas or veggies of the day.
House favorites include homemade lasagna (I've recently had the smaller lunch version and it's just filled with cheese, meat sauce and marinara); or choose raspberry pork tenderloin, drizzled with sauce and served with roasted rosemary potatoes.
Soups are the house specialty, to my thinking. For lunch or dinner you get some of Roanoke's best homemade soups right here. Always piping hot and freshly made.
There's a ton of salads, including a great hot artichoke and tomato salad worth a try any day. Or Zak's tropical chicken salad, with grilled chicken and pineapple chunks piled on tossed salad and covered with cheddar cheese, tomatoes, red onion, kiwi, and served with a light champagne dressing. It's pretty unique alright, and pretty darned good, too.
The evening menu also provides a tapas choice. Tapas are sort of samplers, small bites, tastings — if you will. They're very inexpensive, but the object (with my group anyway) is to see how quickly you can go from $5 to $50 without noticing. I'm joking, but you get the idea.
Tapas include such items as goat cheese and caramelized onion quesadilla, bacon feta bruchetta, bacon wrapped scallops with honey marsala sauce, shrimp scampi, stuffed shrimp en-croute, sirloin tip quesadilla and fresh mozzarella on garden tomatoes to name a few. Tapas are a great way to sample lots of interesting food for a small price.
You can still get the famous Zak's panini's at night. They do a particularly good job of these, with clever names that require description to know what they are, such as the Kirk Avenue Tuscany, The Campbell Avenue Italiano, the First Street Turkey, the Jefferson Street Grilled Chicken, the Church Avenue Roma, the Second Street Tuna (everyone knows that the best tuna is found on second street), the Market cheese (wouldn't that be David Diaz?), Luck Avenue Chicken Caesar and the Williamson Road Chicken Cordon Blue. Well, you get the idea.
Zak's has burgers and personal pizzas; and a nice list of wines, beers, and other spirits.
The fairly open kitchen that serves them so well by day (I love watching the kitchen running at clockwork efficiency during lunch) has a tendency to be a bit bright in the dining room at night. I have no idea what they could do to correct this minor irritation. Maybe the kitchen lights could come down a bit at night, I don't know. Granted it's just a personal thing with me; and those of you who sit around your homes with a 100 watt naked bulb burning overhead wouldn't understand.
My old cooking partner, Laban Johnson, once complained that he would have to stop coming to my home at night because I kept the lights so low he was afraid of falling over the furniture. Rather than crank up the lights, I just stopped inviting him.
Zak's has a friendly staff of folks and they don't seem to drive them away as often as other restaurants. My wait-person, Alex, a big oaf of a guy, is not only affable, but on top of your service always. Now that I've given him this free plug, he'd better not leave!
Zak's Cafe'
128 Campbell Ave.
Roanoke, Va.
Open Thurs, Fri, Saturday until 10 p.m.
(540) 343-6900
