$60Location and ambiance
Zin is just a block off the main square in downtown Healdsburg
and, as the name suggests, it is modern and trendy. Packed at a
Monday lunch, I can imagine what it looks like on weekend evenings.
It is a large, high ceilinged building with exposed beams and
skylights. The kitchen and bar area are open, too, so there is
a feeling of spaciousness. The concrete walls are decorated by
several large landscape paintings. The tables were reminiscent
of a luncheonette and were topped with a layer of cork and coated
with a clear plastic sealer.
Service
Our waitress had a friendly, easy-going manner and made good
suggestions when we asked questions. Service was quick.
Food & Wine
We started with a glass of wine each. One of us tried
the Murphy-Goode Zinfandel 2006 called "Liar's Dice" ($7.50), while
the other had the Freemark Abbey 2004 Merlot ($9.50). Our
table had a large clear bottle of fresh water and a bowl of bread
with butter in a tiny porcelain Japanese rice bowl.
We shared a large order of fries--some of the best we have
tasted! Crisp on the outside, moist on the inside, and well
salted, they came in a paper cone and were served with a dark, tangy
Zin catsup.
For lunch, I had shrimp & grits. This dish was not what I
expected, packing more flavor than either of the two main
ingredients suggest. Five large wild Gulf shrimp and a muffin
sized cake of creamy grits sat on a wide bowl of smokey, spicy
red sauce with chunks of Andouille sausage. A small side of
finely shredded, lightly dressed cole slaw was a cool accompaniment
to this hot entree. We also tried the grilled eggplant sandwich on
Focaccia, which came with a side salad. The sandwich contained
roasted red peppers and red onions, gooey homemade mozzarella,
parmigiano-reggiano cheese, and basil mayo. It was a good
combo of ingredients, but the fillings were overpowered by the thick
bread. The balance between filling and bread could be adjusted.
We were too full for a dessert, but all three in the menu sounded
'Zinful'!
Zin
344 Center Street
Healdsburg, CA 95448
707-473-0946
