Zuppa Restaurant and Lounge

Last night we went to Zuppa Restaurant in Yonkers with Chrissie's family to continue our celebration of her thirtieth birthday. Chrissie and I had eaten there once before about a year ago and we had a very nice dinner. Last time we went we did appetizers, a pasta course, and entrees. We passed on the pasta course last night because the night before had been a gluttonous endeavor that included a fondue, two extra large pizzas, and the better part of a case of wine.

When we arrived for our 6:30 reservation, the restaurant was empty. This was great for us because we had a chance to settle in, talk to one another, and look at the menu before it got packed and noisy.

Mike, Chrissie's brother, and I ordered cocktails and Chrissie got the first bottle of wine. The wine list was fairly large and had a few bottles under thirty dollars. We tried two of them by the end of the night. Chrissie decided to try the Chianti while we had cocktails and appetizers. The wine was thin and disappointing.

While we looked at the menu a plate of bruschetta was presented. This was followed by a bread basket accompanied by an miniature carafe filled with olive oil. We took our time with the menu and the waitstaff was patient and observant.

To begin the meal, my mother-in-law ordered a Tuscan style soup with cabbage, smoked ham, and beans. The soup was served table side from a silver tureen into a bowl containing a large toasted crouton. The soup had a deep vegetable flavor, but was a little under seasoned. I would have expected the ham to pass on more of its salt and savory profile, but the beans and the vegetables were the only real discernible flavors.

My father-in-law had the crisp calamari which was very good. The calamari were nicely fried to an eye pleasing gold and the meat itself was very tender. The calamari were served on a bed of arugula, beans, and currants.

Mike had a kumquat salad with goat cheese. I didn't really get to taste his, but he said he liked it and it had interesting flavors.

The duck leg served with a fried egg and truffle vinaigrette that Chrissie had was my favorite appetizer. The meat was served off the bone and the flavors and textures all worked very well. It was also a generous portion of duck meat. Everyone at the table had at least one bite of Chrissie's and there was still enough for her to enjoy.

I had the barbequed octopus. The meat itself was great and had developed a thin layer of char over very succulent meat. The potato salad that the octopus was served on was fine, but didn't quite fit the dish, both in terms of flavor and temperature. Unlike Chrissie's generous portion of duck, I felt like I had very little octopus, but the pieces I had were delicious and well cooked.

We finished the first bottle of wine and decided to try the other twenty-six dollar bottle on the menu, an Argentinian cabernet. My compliments go to the waiter who must have known that our main courses were about to come out because he had our bottle table side in record time. This bottle was a much better match for our palates and food.

For dinner I had the smoked pork tenderloin. This is a dish I normally wouldn't be attracted to, but after eating at Southbound this week I wanted to compare fine Italian smoked pork to traditional barbeque. The flavor of the pork was delicious. Some of the people at the table thought the meat was dry. I wouldn't go that far, but it could have used a thinner sauce to bring a juiciness back to the meat. The polenta my pork was served over was similar to the potato salad my octopus was presented on. It was fine, but mismatched in my opinion. On the other hand, the roasted brussel sprouts that accompanied my dish were a perfect contrast in both flavor and texture to my meat. I wish more restaurants would serve brussel sprouts.

Mike had the most successful dinner at the table. His grilled lamb chops were fired perfectly and were uniquely and appropriately seasoned. I wish I had been sitting next to him because he had a hard time finishing his meal and I would have loved to have had an easier reach to his plate.

The most interesting plate of the night was Chrissie's. She had veal cheeks which were plated like a deconstructed pastrami sandwich. The meat was delicate, the spices were fun, and the vegetable mimicked a sauerkraut. The plate was both adventurous and comforting.

Her parents both ordered pasta dishes. I tasted both enough to tell they were competently created and executed, but not enough to give further comment.

Since we were going back to my house for cake and presents, we split one dessert for the table. Chrissie ordered the molten lava cake, which was ok. I liked the vanilla gelato it was served with better than the cake.

The espresso was also good, but nothing like the perfect espresso I had last week at La Crémaillère which has become my new coffee benchmark.


Will we go back?

The short answer is yes, but it probably won't be for a while for a regular dinner. We are; however, interested in trying their seven course tasting menu. I think the output of this kitchen is better suited to a tasting menu. I would like the opportunity to eat the food in smaller portions in a progression envisioned by the chef. We plan on making this return trip, for a different experience, relatively soon.

Update (9/6/2008)-We were recently at Zuppa Restaurant for a bachelorette dinner. Since there were a dozen of us at the table I can't speak to all of the plates, but I can write about how impressed I was with the coordination between the kitchen and the front of the house. Considering we were a twelve top on a Saturday night, they managed our table with the same facility as if we'd been a party of four. The pacing was perfect. We never felt rushed or delayed. More importantly, the food was all properly cooked. Fish, lamb, pasta, it didn't matter. It says something about a restaurant when they don't rest on a guaranteed tip from what they could easily view as one time diners.


Zuppa is located at:
59-61 Main Street
Yonkers, NY 10701