Zaza Ristorante Italiano

Visited: November 12, 2011

With spouse and two friends in tow, we visited Za Za for the first time for dinner on Saturday night.  Our mutual first impression was to remark on how tiny the dining room appeared.  Judging from the depth of the building, we were all surprised at its compactness.  That issue notwithstanding, it was decorated tastefully in an effort to evoke an old world feel.

We were seated promptly because our arrival was relatively early in the evening and our server hustled a basket of warm, sliced bread to our table along with some flavored oil for dipping.  Two salads and two bowls of pasta fagioli followed.  The salads were typical in appearance but I had opted for the soup with high expectations.  We were not impressed with the soup.  It had been served lukewarm and was not consistent in taste with other pasta fagioli I have sampled.  It could be that this is in fact the authentic version and I am simply ignorant since I have never been to Italy.  Who knows?

Two of our entrees arrived, piping hot and steaming, but the other two were delivered almost six or seven minutes afterward.  It was awkward and no comment, apology, or explanation were offered.

Finally able to dig in, I will say that the chicken was very good.  Served on an al dente bed of linguine and smothered in a chunky, tomatoey (if that's a real word) sauce, the dish was rather enjoyable.  Of the four entrees, two were rated quite good while the other two were merely satisfactory. 

When dessert was offered, we were tempted beyond our ability to withstand and caved.  We shared a chocolate mousse while our friends opted for a "ball" of gelato covered in chocolate.  Both of these desserts--while somewhat pricey--were very good.

The inevitable comparison between Pestos and Za Za naturally arises:  both are Italian restaurants located within a few hundred yards of each other.  Although I am not any kind of an authority on Italian food, I get the impression that Za Za tries to project the image of being more "authentic" while Pestos has learned what makes diners in NWI tick.  For me, the overall experience at Pestos is better (the automatic gratuity fiasco incident momentarily set aside), and I think my dining partners would agree.

So in summary I would have to say I experienced a mixed bag of results:  some really good food juxtaposed against some rather average food.  Some really good service right beside some major gaps.  Would I return?  Our friends thought not... for me, the verdict is still out.

But I fully understand that with some places a single visit cannot alone be an accurate representation.  So we'll just see.

Value:  6 out of 10 (just a bit on the pricey side for what was delivered)
Ambiance:  7 out of 10 (Sinatra singing "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" on the sound system...)
Food Taste:  6 out of 10 (the entree and dessert alone would have been higher, however)
Cleanliness:  7 out of 10 (picky, picky, I admit it!)
Service:  5 out of 10 (the large gap in entree delivery is problematic)

Zaza Ristorante Italiano
3534 Calumet Ave
Valparaiso, IN 46383
(219) 465-6800

JD Crepe Company Update

Guess what?  After spending 30 minutes or so writing an urbanspoon review of JD Crepe Company where I described the blatant lack of handwashing and bare hand-to-food contact, they (urbanspoon, that is) sent me an e-mail informing me they had deleted the entire review.  The e-mail read, in part:

 "Incidents like this are impossible for a restaurant to defend (or disprove) and can profoundly affect their reputation, so we don't include them."

Really?  I mean, really?  Every single negative thing ever posted in any review is impossible for a restaurant to defend or disprove and can profoundly affect their reputation!  EVERY SINGLE THING!  A host of ignorant reviewers can spew out a litany of mean spirited and spiteful comments full of misinformation and maliciousness but an objective and intelligently written review describing a major health code violation is not allowed to be heard on that forum.

I think the solution is for me to go back and video the "handwash-gate" incident and include it on this blog then send it to urbanspoon and see if proof will make a difference.

Sorry.  I apologize.  I am all fired up right now.  I have an innate distrust of and do rebel against authority of all types, so when I see what I perceive as abuse by those with "power" it frustrates me.

JD Crepe Company

Visited:  November 12, 2011

I recently posted a review on Urbanspoon regarding my visit to JD Crepe Company.  I feel somewhat guilty about posting such a negative review because there are possible repercussions for the business owner.  However, I watched in mute fascination/horror at what unfolded before me that day.  See the review for details about gloves and handwashing.  Here is the quote from the 2009 FDA Food Code used by the State of Indiana:

Preventing Contamination by Employees

3-301.11 Preventing Contamination from Hands.


(A) Food employees shall wash their hands as specified under § 2-301.12.


(B) Except when washing fruits and vegetables as specified under § 3-302.15 or as specified in ¶ (D) of this section, food employees may not contact exposed, ready-to-eat food with their bare hands and shall use suitable utensils such as deli tissue, spatulas, tongs, single-use gloves, or dispensing equipment. P

So I am not making this up.  This is not merely my opinion.  This is the State talking here.

Beyond that, let's discuss the food.  I ordered a cuban panini.  Perhaps I should have known better than to order a sandwich at a crepe place, but it was not tasty at all.  To be fair, my fellow diner ordered a different panini and pronounced it quite delightful.  Nevertheless, my sandwich cost $6.50 just by itself--well, it did come with two slices of pickle.

I just don't know.  Perhaps I was put off by the whole bare hand touching of the food thing after handling money, etc. but I did not enjoy my experience in the least. 



Value: 5 out of 10
Cleanliness: 1 out of 10 (Bare Hand to Food Contact, not good)
Ambiance: 6 out of 10 (Would be fun to watch if not for the above)
Food Taste:  5 out of 10 (But that may just be my selection during this visit)

Food for Thought

Don't you think we have become too competitive? 

Think about it for a moment:  we have taken what should be one of the most pleasurable experiences granted us by our Creator--the preparation and eating of food--and turned it into a series of competitions.  No longer is cooking and dining simply a time of refueling and togetherness with friends and family.  It is now a high stress endevour, filled with anxiety and angst.  We have cooking competitions, eating contests, chef vs. chef, restaurant vs. restaurant, even city vs. city!

The internet has turned diners into would-be food critics and the readers of their missives into unwitting disciples of ignorant drivel; thus spawning and perpetuating the popularity of Urbanspoon and Yelp, among other review sites.  Everyone clamours to have their opinions heard--myself included--which I fully realize and acknowledge.  The difference lies in this, I think:  most believe their opinion is the lone accurate and correct voice of reason out there while I think my words are simply an opinion, nothing more.

Competition has changed our culture in other nefarious ways as well.  I remember as a kid how much fun we had playing baseball, catching frogs down at the pond, creating pioneer era forts out of old appliance boxes, or just running around outside getting dirty and sweaty.  These days, the bulk of the exposure of too many children to the great outdoors is organized soccer, little league, or other sports.  We now have timed and organized "play dates" in sanitized and policed play areas.  Children must attend the proper pre-school to give them a leg up in elementary school, to give them a head start in high school, which will help them become accepted into a premier university, all to set them up in a career where their success is measured by the size of a paycheck.  Could we be sending the message to our children that even "playtime" is a competition?  Childhood is a fragile time.  If we imprint on the young ones that life is a contest rather than a time to savor the wealth and variety of creation, do we not inflict on them a disservice?  Not everyone can win the Superbowl or the World Series, but everyone can sure enjoy the simple pleasures of friends, of a good meal (both preparing and eating), of family time.  Eh?

While I know this will peg me as a "things were better in the old days" kinda person, I am not that naive.  For the most part, I like what technology has wrought, what modern medicine can do, what choices we have available today. 

But a part of me longs for the days when I could prepare and eat a meal without having to rate it.  How 'bout you?