Zooma Bar Ristorante
245 Atwells Ave.
Providence
by Bob Mariani
The décor, the ambiance says hip, cool, trendy. The food, in quiet but beguiling contrast, says nonnie’s kitchen. That’s a quick summation of the new (4 months old) Zooma restaurant that occupies the space on Atwells Ave. where the Eclectic Grill used to be.
The front room or lounge features high, round tables with bar stools and soft, sexy lighting. The larger back room has a very pared down atmosphere with regular size tables and a handsome stainless steel open kitchen with a clay oven-- oh, and an almost overpowering recreation of a 1534 fresco by Giulio Romano of the dramatic "Fall of the Giants." (I mention it because it is really the only other decorative aspect of an otherwise pretty plain room.)
But Zooma, thank goodness, is definitely all about the food. Simple, straight forward dishes, very reasonably priced and prepared with great attention to detail and quality of ingredients. Nothing decorative or done just for effect.
I was delighted by my first course of Tagliatelle Ai Funghi ($13) — delighted because the flat ribbons of tagliatelle pasta were perfectly al dente and bathed in a pure white sauce redolent with olive oil and butter, very lightly seasoned and touched with a few very mild, thinly sliced sautéed mushrooms. It was all about the spring-y freshness of the olive oil and the texture of the pasta and it tasted like Home.
My wife’s starter was another uncomplicated classic— Peperoni Arostiti ($9). It was a delicate mix of sliced wood-roasted red and orange peppers, baby tomatoes, a hint of mint and some Itrani olives, all soaked in a sumptuous olive oil and vinegar dressing. Every flavor was friendly and familiar and all were simply but beautifully balanced.
In addition to other salad and antipasti courses, there were "Primi Piatti" items like Spaghettini Sciuie Sciue ("spaghettini in a hurry") with sweet cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and basil ($9); Polenta with grilled sausage and a Neapolitan ragu sauce ($12); Gnocchi Potato Dumplings with a four-cheese pink sauce ($11); Braised Rabbit with tagliatelle pasta ($14); Braised Calamari with a spicy San Marzano tomato sauce, roasted garlic and black ink pasta ($13).
Please note that all the portions here are of modest "Italian trattoria size", appropriately priced so that you can feel more comfortable trying a few different items.
My wife chose her entrée from the above Prima Piatti list— Ravioli Con Grancho ($15). It was a dish of house-made, marvelously al dente ravioli pillows, the paper-thin dough mixed with lump crabmeat in a light orange tomato sauce that reminded me of the sunlight in Florence. The sauce’s juxtaposition with the decidedly seafood-y taste of the crabmeat was a combination that just seemed meant to be.
I ordered my entrée from the Secondi Piatti list— a simple but elegant Vitello Braciola ($15). The tender, thinly-sliced veal was rolled around a mélange of capocola, pecorino romano cheese and mozzarella. The tastes were inseparable, the veal very mild, all of which gave way to a soft, deep red sauce with the subtlest of seasonings. Again there was that familiar, home-cooked, "nonnie’s kitchen" taste that anyone who grew up in an Italian-American household will recognize immediately.
The other items on the menu looked equally enticing: cod fish loin pan-seared with a semolina crust; wood oven roasted sea bass with potato and rosemary; pan-seared chicken breast marinated with rosemary and lemon; a grilled veal chop stuffed with proscuitto and scamorza cheese; and a wood grilled rib eye with an oven-roasted cippolini demi glace.
All modestly sized, most dishes on this list were around $15 with the most expensive being the rib eye for $25. Sides like Broccoli de Rape, Risotto, or grilled vegetables are $4 each. There is also a separate thin-crust pizza menu ($12 each).
For dessert we tried the house-made Golden Raisin Bread Pudding that was served warm and literally melted on our tongues; and the Chocolate Ganache Cake. This latter dish is the kind that chocolate-lovers hyperventilate for— a light chocolate cake filled with a warm, gooey chocolate sauce with just a small dollop of coffee gelato and garnished with a sliced strawberry.
So, although you may think that Zooma has the look of a chic dating bar, the food will quickly bring you back to home-made heaven without a hint of pretense or overstatement. There’s valet parking and Zooma is open for dinner and lunch every day. 223-2230. Visit the official Zooma
website.Bob Mariani is a Southeastern New England freelance author. Besides his "Your Table is Ready" restaurant reviews found here, he also writes jazz articles on allaboutjazz.com.
