Z is for Zavala
By Todd Lyon
From the New Haven Register
New London Mexican spot gets the Todd Lyon stamp of approval
 | | The Mexican restaurant Zavala sits on State Street in New London. Mara Lavitt/Register photo |
Zavala is my kind of place. Sure, there are lots of fancy restaurants that impress me, and that I rhapsodize about in these pages. But when I find a rustic, unpretentious eatery with exciting food, benign prices and a festive atmosphere ... well, it becomes part of my secret stash, that short list of restaurants that I whisper to friends and visit whenever I can.
I wish Zavala were closer to New Haven. We need an authentic Mexican restaurant that features Cactus Salad, Tuna Ceviche, Chorizo-Stuffed Quail, Hibiscus Margaritas and more than 20 premium tequilas.
As it stands, you’ll have to travel to New London to visit Zavala.
It’s a worthy destination: The restaurant anchors a prime corner across from New London’s waterfront, where ferries dock and disembark and trains charge along on rattley tracks.
The building itself is old beyond memory. For years it was the Thames River Oyster House; before that, it may have been a hotel, with a first-floor tavern. Today, it’s a funky, colorful joint with a time-worn bar facing a crooked room with green, yellow and red walls; through an arched doorway is a larger dining room that feels like a vintage houseboat, complete with water views.
Chef Martin Zavala, his wife Genine, and her father, Jim Loomis, made the place come true. It opened in February of 2002, after Martin had spent more than a decade cooking in Manhattan. "I was born and raised in Mexico City," he explains, "and came to this country when I was 19."
After various restaurant stints in the city, Martin settled at Steamer’s Landing in Battery Park, in the shadow of the World Trade Center. His seven-year gig there ended after the 9/11 attacks; by then, however, he and Genine had already made plans to open a place of their own in New London, a city she’d come to know while being raised as a "Coast Guard brat."
Zavala was Martin’s opportunity to present authentic Mexican cuisine, without limitations. "I wanted to include the kinds of dishes we were eating at home," he explains, "and also grow as a chef." As such, he studied Mexican cookery, both in books and in person. "I’d go down to New York and meet great Mexican chefs, and work in their kitchens for free," he says.
At Zavala, he started with a small menu of bona-fide dishes, including Mole Poblano, Chiles Rellenos and Cochinita Pibil (slow-roasted, marinated pork in banana leaves), alongside an ever-evolving list of Chef Recommendations such as Black Bean Soup, Ninos Envueltos (rolled steak with cheese, mushrooms and pepper cream sauce) and Callo de Hacha (scallops with coconut, tequila and lime broth).
Due to popular demand, Chef Martin soon added a third menu. "People didn’t understand that we were a Mexican restaurant," he recalls. Thus, he created a list of familiar offerings — Nachos, Burritos, Chimichangas and the like. "When customers recognize something on the Tex Mex menu they usually don’t leave, and maybe they try something new," he smiles.
Customer pressure also drove the chef to create stand-alone menus of interesting enchiladas (chicken with green sauce, shrimp with tomato cream sauce, etc.) and tacos (portobello, chorizo, more).
To please himself — "I always want to try new things," he says — Chef Martin presents a daily roster of "especiales." On one recent evening, guests were teased with choices of White Bean Soup, Grouper with Achiote and Guajillo Sauce with Jicama Salad and a dessert of Plantain Chimichanga.
"I try to get everything from Mexico," says Martin. Not only does he import basic ingredients (cactus is peeled and shredded by hand), he also imports sodas, beer, vodka and even sherry from his homeland.
I’ll whisper this to you now: If you crave authentic Mexican cuisine, Zavala is your kind of place.
Todd Lyon of New Haven is a freelance writer.
THE ESSENTIALS
•Place: Zavala Authentic Mexican Cuisine, 2 State St., New London.
•Phone: (860) 437-1891.
•Hours: Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays through Fridays. Dinner: 3-9 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 3-10 p.m. Fridays, 5-10 p.m. Saturdays, 5-9 p.m. Sundays. Closed Tuesdays.
•Note: A roving mariachi duo performs from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Fridays; they take requests.
•Reservations: Accepted; strongly recommended on weekends.
•Food: An historic building on the New London waterfront is funky, fun and feels like Old Mexico. Chef Martin Zavala cooks up interesting and delicious fare, presented on four (or more) menus. At dinner, there’s Black Bean Soup ($4) and Sopa de Tortilla ($4.50), plus appetizers in the $5.25-$8.50 range (I recommend the Cactus Salad, $6, and the Tuna Ceviche, $8.50). Entrees range from $11 for a Roasted Vegetable Chimichanga to $18.50 for Ninos Envueltos (stuffed rolled steak). Every evening there is a Taco Menu and an Enchilada Menu, as well as a list of Especiales. Desserts include Flan ($4), Pastel de Chocolate ($5.50) and more. At lunch, Zavala offers a short list of starters priced from $3-$5; six entrees in the $8-$12 range; and a menu of tortillas, tacos, tostadas, quesadillas and enchiladas ($9-$12).
•Note: The food at Zavala is spicy, but not hot. "I give customers hot sauce on the side, and let them kill themselves," says the chef.
•Drink: Eight nice wines are available by the bottle ($18-$22) or the glass ($6); loads of beers, domestic and imported, are at your service; but Zavala’s main attractions, bar-wise, are its Margaritas (flavored with tamarind, hibiscus, mango, passion fruit, strawberry, guanabana or coconut, your choice) and an enormous selection of tequilas, which can cost as much as $20 per shot.
•Wheelchair access: Through the bar entrance on State Street.
•Credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, Amex.
•Kid-friendliness: The kitchen can make just about any kid happy.
•Parking: Free on the street.
•Private parties: A crazy little dining room can accommodate up to 25 people. "I’ll do whatever the guests want," says Chef Martin. "The sky’s the limit."
|
|
|
|
