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Zaytinya

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jim
jim
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5 out of 5
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4
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Editor Pick

East End Story

  • February 8, 2009
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Idler from Poolesville, Maryland
East End Story

I'm thrilled to have a new favorite restaurant in DC. I won't dwell on which old restaurant it has supplanted, for that would be gauche, but suffice it to say that I am utterly besotted with my new found treasure. In fact.... well, pardon me, as I feel like bursting into song:

Zaytinya...
I've just had a meal at Zaytinya
And suddenly that name
Will never be the same
To me.

Zaytinya!
I've just eaten lunch at Zaytinya,
And suddenly I've found
How wonderful a meal
Can be.

Zaytina!
Say it loud and there's music playing,
Say it soft and it's almost like praying.
Zaytinya,
I'll never stop saying Zaytina!

Ahem. Glad to have gotten that out of my system.

I should probably mention that this place came along at exactly the right time. My husband and I were absolutely knackered after spending over two hours pressed cheek-and-jowl with a horde of restless strangers in Chinatown, waiting (in vain) for the Chinese New Year finale, the lighting of the "big firecracker," suspended above H Street on a giant crane.

Long story short, the Fire Department nixed the big bang after a very lengthy inspection, ordering the large and very disgruntled crowd to disperse. It was not a pretty scene.

We'd have left much earlier, in fact, but it was so crowded that it was almost impossible to move. No, seriously, for the better part of an hour, I had some stranger's child sitting on my feet, and I could never even see the blasted kid, only heard her down there, continuously whining the way exhausted toddlers do. (I felt very much like doing the same thing and was envious. At least the child was sitting. On my feet. Oh, I've said that already, haven't I?)

Anyhow, back to Zaytinya. I'd been meaning to go there for several years, so when we finally emerged from the Chinatown melee, we made a beeline for the first restaurant I could think of that was not Chinese, being decidedly "off" the entire Asian experience at the moment. Zaytinya, with its dazzling variety of Mediterranean mezze, seemed the very thing.

I knew we'd picked the right place when we rounded the corner on 9th St. and spied the sleek glass-and-metal front of the restaurant. The light and space of the place are meant to impress, and they do. The decor is ultra modern and very chic, but there's also a nod to traditional café ambience -- the big floor-to-ceiling windows provide a street view without the al fresco drawbacks. (Car exhaust fumes, street noise, inclement weather...) With its elegantly clean lines, white-and-silver palette, and artfully placed twinkling votive candles , Zaytinya has one of the nicest interiors I've seen in a long time.

Ah, but what of the food? Equally stunning, I'm happy to say. The draw here is an inventive selection of updated mezze -- chic Greek, toothsome Turkish, and luscious Lebanese.

One word of caution, though: the tempting and extensive menu will fully occupy at least ten full minutes of your time. Best order a drink first, no? The attentive server soon brought my husband an excellent Dogfish Ale and me a Pom-Fili cocktail (white wine, vodka, triple sec, and pomegranate juice). Just a few sips into the ambrosial concoction, and the entire Chinatown fracas began to fade away, the way all unpleasant experiences should.

A basket of beautifully presented, warm, wonderfully puffy pita bread, as light as (and rather resembling) angel's wings materialized, along with some raspberry-infused olive oil for dipping. We absently feasted on the marvelous pita and contemplated our next move. The tactic here is to order in rounds, rather than simply a starter and entree, choosing a balance of small plates to complement each other. Prices for each of the little dishes ranges from around $5 to $8. Having divvied up our respective choices, we recited what seemed like an embarrassingly large number of dishes to the waiter, who took it all in stride.

First round: Htipiti, an intensely flavorful mix of marinated roasted red peppers, feta, and thyme. This dish was a revelation combined with our second basket of fluffy pita. I'd also ordered a salad of chilled yellow and red baby beets combined with watercress, cucumbers, and pistachio sauce. We polished these small dishes off in regrettable haste, sharing the gracefully presented small dishes. The service, on a not-very-busy afternoon, was unobtrusive but attentive. At the end of each round, plates and silverware were whisked away, water glasses topped, and the table top cleaned.

The second round, I'm happy to say, went in a more leisurely fashion: delectable pieces of falafel - a far cry from those dreadful dry chick-pea turds so often served up by inferior Middle Eastern places -- topped with a creamy yoghurt-tahini dressing. There was also a cold chicken dish I've forgotten the name of -- like everything else, it was intensely flavorful with a hint of some undefined spice. Coriander? Lime? I wasn't sure, and unfortunately we'd finished the dish before I'd made up my mind. As with all the dishes, very high quality olive oil and the freshest ingredients were used.

The third round was what I'd consider our "main" dishes: three miniature crab cakes for Jack, and a perfectly poached piece of salmon topped with a spicy eggplant and green olive sauce for me. I relished my salmon but secretly envied Jack's ethereal crab cakes. He nobly shared a small bite -- truth to tell, this was one mezze we would definitely like to have had as a full-sized portion. We also split a small dish of pilaf.

Finally, our ever-solicitous waiter brought the dessert menu. By now, of course, we were as stuffed as dolmades, but I simply had to see what Zaytinya offered for dessert... and of course, once I'd laid eyes on "Turkish Delight: walnut ice cream with goat’s milk yogurt mousse, honey geleé, orange-caramel sauce and caramelized pine nuts," I was a goner. Jack, not originally in favor of dessert maneuvers, immediately caved when confronted with "Turkish Coffee Chocolate: warm chocolate cake, bittersweet chocolate flan,and cardamom espuma finished
with espresso syrup." We both ordered Turkish coffee, fondly reminiscing about last imbibing it in Istanbul.

Sadly, the coffee was the one and only "miss." It seemed to consist almost entirely of grounds. One expects a certain grittiness to Turkish coffee, but to have half the demitasse consist of grounds? I don't think so. Ah well...we'll know better next time.

Our bill came to around $100, which definitely ranks on the "splurge" end of the spectrum for us, but we reflected that A) we'd ordered from the mezze menu, rather than the less expensive lunch menu, B) we'd had both drinks and dessert, not to mention coffee, and C) one less round -- perhaps shared with a convivial group of friends -- would easily suffice next time we come.

From journal Tastes Like DC

Zaytinya

  • June 18, 2005
  • Rated 5 of 5 by JulieHolm from Vienna, Virginia
Zaytina is an upscale mezze restaurant. The dishes are superb, perfectly put-together little jewels of food, beautifully presented and wonderfully delicious. The Wild Mushroom dish is particularly wonderful, although even the lowly hummus is a step above what I get in most restaurants. I also had a wonderful eggplant dish and a goat cheese wrapped in grape leaves to die for!

The wine list is very nice; all of the wines are quite delicious. I was pleased that Moet et Chandon Nectar Imperial, a sweetish high-quality champagne, was available by the glass. It is an almost perfect match for many of the little dishes. One could still wish for a by-the-glass riesling!

The dining room is as beautiful as the food: all clean edges, white, and steel. It's comfortable to look at and very modern-feeling. Very 21st century. Drinks from the bar are expertly made; this is a great place for an after-work drink.

From journal Wonderful Washington DC

Zaytinya

  • January 30, 2005
  • Rated 4 of 5 by tachi from Charlottesville, Virginia
Zaytinya

We had an outstanding tapas-style meal. They accented Turkish specialties with Greek touches and a gourmet twist. We loved the ambience and the smooth Turkish music. No one on staff was Turkish, but the staff was pleasant. Their Turkish coffee was okay, but the desserts were divine. I especially loved the berry soup.

From journal Quick Washington, D.C. Trip

Editor Pick

Zaytinya

  • May 7, 2004
  • Rated 5 of 5 by jim from Charlotte, North Carolina
If you are looking for a very hip restaurant, you should definitely try Zaytinya. When I heard it served Greek / Turkish food, I wasn’t expecting much from the décor. But I was mistaken. It had an exceptionally cool interior. There were high ceilings, white walls, pretty people, and many other interesting design details. I liked the place so much that I stayed for a couple of drinks after my meal and mingled.

Most importantly, the food was excellent. I thought the choices were unique and inventive. I had the beef pasta in feta cheese, an eggplant appetizer, and an excellent pita dish. The food was attractively displayed very tasty. The portions were not particularly large, but an appetizer, entrée, and dessert will fill you up.

I also appreciated the exceptional service. My waiter was very attentive and the host was very helpful when I asked him a few questions about the place. It was also nice that my hotel (Monaco) was only a few blocks away.

If you have the chance, you should definitely check out Zaytinya (particularly if you are looking for a fun night out on the town).

From journal A City of Memorials

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