Zinnia - a very belated review!

In June, we had the pleasure of holding the 5-year anniversary of Dine About a Zinnia's, the new restaurant situated in the former Scott Howard space. In attendance were the Phans, Lehman Koo, Avis Klinke, and the Minns, while two other scheduled attendees were MIA due to back injuries and lack of babysitters.

We sat in the Chef's table area closest to the kitchen with a specially prepared menu for our group. I've scanned a copy of the menut and it is available here. As it's been a while I can't recall all the details, so please feel free to add to this blog.

Food = 88

The bread they started us off with was warm, delicious and crusty, with a perfect olive oil and balsamic vinegar mix for dipping. The Ahi Tuna poke was very refreshing with the cucumber and shiso sauce, while the Asparagus salad was well complimented with capers. However, my favorite of the three appetizers was the chilled Thai Coconut Soup with Dungeness crab - a little on the salty side, but with a nice touch of ginger.

The second course was solid overall. Rigatoni pasta with foie gras cream; seared scallops in lobster sauce with crispy potatoes, and the creamy risotto with English peas were all cooked well.

The main course included poached Alaskan halibut with heirloom carrots and saffron sauce, grilled hanger steak with green peppercorn sauce and fries, and a seared organic chicken roulade with bacon jus. The halibut was the favorite, followed by the tender and juicy organic chicken. The main disappointment of the night was the Hanger steak - while the green peppercorn sauce and the fries were delicious, they couldn't save an over-cooked and tough steak.

For dessert we sampled warm chocolate mousse over an eclair with cocoa fruit parfait - a chocolate lovers dream dessert, while the thyme scone with champagne, strawberries, and balsamic sorbet was a fruity and light contrast.

Ambiance = 90
While the restaurant was not very crowded, and there wasn't much updating of the decor from the Scott Howard incarnation, it was still a warm and inviting space. The new light fixtures were quite pleasant and welcoming.

Service = 87
My memory of the service is that it could have been a somewhat better - our waiter took quite a long time to bring out water and the first courses.

Phan's Save the Day with Chez Spencer

We were originally scheduled to dine at Michael Mina's RN74. However, an hour before our reservation the restaurant called to say there was a leak in the Millenium Tower where they are located and they had been forced to shut down for the night.

What's a committed (with babysitters in place) group to do???? Phu and Winnie to the rescue! The Phan's were quick to act and found us a suitable alternate restaurant - Chez Spencer near the Mission. A great big extra thank you to our fearless leaders for finding us a fun alternate home for the evening!!

In attendance - many of our usuals. . .the Phan's (last prego DASF for Winnie!), the Minn's (both Ken and Mo!), Lehmann (announcing a new home purchase - congrats!!), and the Carter's including our newest member, Zoë (who did very well sleeping to all the white noise and I think will be invited back!)

Overall, Chez Spencer was a pleasurable dining experience. The cozy atmosphere is where they out shined, while the food was quite good, but service lacking (maybe that was to be expected given the French theme!) I would recommend this restaurant as a quaint neighborhood establishment, with above average food.

The ratings (disclaimer - I again have mostly forgotten the exact ratings. . .so diners, please feel free to correct me!)

1. Food = 88
We chose the chef's tasting menu at $60/person - a good value (before you add drinks in of course!) They were flexible enough to substitute one of the dishes for those not eating shell fish or fois gras. The bouillabaisse soup started us off with a bang. A bit spicy and creamy. The 2nd course was a choice between Fois Gras - rich, with a nice blackberry accompaniment - and scallops - cooked perfectly with a nice green sauce (not sure what this sauce was, but very tasty!). The main courses were either the filet mignon (tender, tasty) and sturgeon - both served with tasty mushroom morsels. Finally, for dessert we had a strawberry granita (good, but average - not up to the lemon/mint granita served by the Carters a few weeks ago) and a chocolate cake/pudding - perfect for those needing a chocolate fix!

2. Atmosphere = 92
Small, a cozy romantic feel, a nice buzz without being too loud, subtle mood lighting - perfect!

3. Service = 82
The pace of the courses was extremely slow, which would have been ok if we hadn't started dinner after 9pm and then been hovered over to leave when we finally finished the meal around midnight. Staff lacked much personality, and a switch to the closing staff late in our meal felt very abrupt.

See you in September!