Dining: Zoot
With superb service, Zoot suits the sophisticated palate
By Dale Rice
American-Statesman Restaurant Critic
Web posted:August 10, 2005
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Photos by Shelley Wood for AA-S
Ahi tuna, top, is pan seared and served rare over a mix of fresh cream peas, fava beans and chanterelle mushrooms. Below that is the Fredericksburg heirloom tomato salad. |
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ZOOT 509 Hearn St. (512) 477-6535 Hours: 6 to 10 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday Credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Diners Wheelchair access: Yes Wine: 38 by the glass ($6.75-$15.25), 65 by the bottle ($26-$60) Rating: 
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The busboy had a flat tire and an experienced waiter called in sick, leaving the two new waiters -- the first new hires in seven years -- to handle a busy Tuesday evening until reinforcements arrived halfway through the night.
Except there was nothing to forgive (unless you count a dropped fork).
These additions to the staff at Zoot, the small American bistro just west of downtown, kept the restaurant's reputation for outstanding professional service intact, working as a team to serve, clear, pour and otherwise accommodate the evening's clientele.
Owners Stewart Scruggs and Mark Paul, who also co-own Wink (another of the city's top restaurants), should be proud of their new hires. These two waiters, as with all the other servers at the two restaurants, clearly recognize their role in the dining experience.
Their job is also made easier by the outstanding fare that Scruggs and his staff send out of the kitchen.
An appetizer, the tuna tartare ($12), a soft, room-temperature mix of raw tuna and herbs, was joined on the plate by pickled cucumbers and an exceptionally zesty tomato- and jalapeño-infused Italian ice. (One small criticism: The menu did not acknowledge the spiciness of the ice. Fortunately, our server gently warned us about the heat.)
The chicken liver pâté ($7) was a sophisticated dish. The three nuggets of mousse-style pâté were accompanied by drops of honey, a thick balsamic reduction sauce and a salad of sliced grapes, candied kumquats and herbs. The sweetness on the plate -- from the honey to the kumquats -- was a great counterpoint to the earthiness of the pâté.
The Belgian endive salad ($9) combined julienne strips of the bitter vegetable with bits of fried bacon, polenta croutons and an avocado cream.
The grilled nairagi ($24), a firm fish that resembled marlin or tuna in color and texture, was the low point of the evening -- the result of personal taste rather than preparation. The rare fish, in two thick slabs, had a fatty texture that I didn't find appealing. Its presentation, however, was lovely. It arrived on a bed of tomato risotto and sauteed peashoots with a preserved lemon beurre blanc that was terrific.
The ahi tuna ($26), pan seared and served rare over a mix of fresh cream peas, fava beans and chanterelle mushrooms with a sauce vert, was a delight. The tender slices of rare tuna were equally good standing alone or in the company of the beans and peas.
For dessert, the dark chocolate mousse terrine ($7) featured slices of rich chocolate with a consistency more like that of ganache than mousse. Served with hazelnut biscotti, the terrine was outstanding.
However, it was the "milk and cookies" ($7) that devoured our imaginations and our taste buds. Warm coconut cookies were accompanied by a small pitcher of key lime crème, a tart citrus-flavored milk topped with a layer of foam (honey was provided to sweeten the crème if necessary).
Those counterpoints -- the sweet coconut and the sour crème -- paired so tantalizingly that we could have eaten a whole plate of cookies dunked in milk, and still longed for more.
It was a superb ending to the meal, reinforcing Zoot's position among the city's best restaurants.
drice@statesman.com; 445-3859
