Theater + Dining = Teatro Zinzanni
I've heard about Teatro Zinzanni for years - it's in San Francisco, but was always one of those "someday I may get to it" type of things. I finally got to it, in Seattle, when Char sent out an invite for a Theater of Puget Sound Live Theater week kick-off and fundraiser.
Before talking about the food and experience (because Teatro Zinzanni, or TZ, is an experience), it's worth noting a few of the tidbits that I found out about Seattle and the acting community. Over 100 theater groups exist in the Puget Sound Area, 136 to be exact. Someone noted that Seattle is one of the only cities in which an actor can actually earn a living acting; the cominbation of theaters and strong community support make this situation possible. Although, I do wonder how long this will continue, considering the rapidly rising cost of living (and case in point, my neighbor Curtis, also an actor, works a day job). A few days later, Curtis told me that Seattle is among the top three cities for those in the arts (New York and Chicago are the other two). And I was especially happy to have supported TPS, when he talked about the amount of support the group gives to actors. I had absolutely no idea - but can say I'm extremely proud to be a resident in this city and am going to take advantage as much as possible. (Case in point, last night I attended The Whore of Texas at the tiny and very cool Theater Schmeater, right in my neighborhood).
So, about my night at TZ. It is true dinner theater - the actors mingle with the audience at every possible moment, not only just socializing, but pulling audience members onto the figurative stage (set amongst the tables) to be lettuce or help make a movie or something they dream up. It is unusual, fun and highly entertaining. Richard was particulaly liked at our table - I believe his head may have been fondled more than once. Entertainment, wrapped around a not particularly clever story, is a combination of song, juggling, acrobatics, and humor. I particularly liked the three french guys at the end - their combination acrobatic/dance act was highly entertaining, and their finale had me catching my breath.
About the food. The most important thing to keep in mind is that Seattle's hero chef, Tom Douglas, designs the menu. The next most important thing to know is that a wine course is also available, of which I must say, the som did an excellent job of pairing great wines with each course. The food:
First course: Crostini with olive tapenade, goat cheese mouse, melon and figs.
Second course: Orechiette pasta and broccolini, spiced with red pepper flakes and a very heavy dose of garlic. I wish that I could remember which wine we had (I stared at the menu trying to memorize the name, but alas, it's gone). What I do know is that the wine perfectly complemented the spiciness of the dish...
Third course: Smoked trout, accompanied with cucumber panna cotta and sweet vermouth sauce. This was my favorite course. The slightly tart panna cotta perfectly complemented the smoked trout, and the vermouth sauce added a nice balance of sweet.
Fourth, or Main course: I chose steak, with very excellent garlic mashed potatoes and a few fried onions and fresh, bright green beans coated in butter. The steak was ok; it was a hangar steak, but had been sitting for a bit too long before being served, and just did not live up to the standards of the rest of the meal. The pinot was quite tasty. Now, I wish that I had gone with the salmon.
Dessert: Wow. A generously sized cup of something was placed in front of me. Digging in, I discovered a creamy lime mousse covered with a beautifully browned and thick dollop of meringue. Digging deeper, I found a hazlenut cookie at the bottom. And what may have been mistaken as a cup holding the entire thing together was actually a thick band of white chocolate. Again, wow. It was one of the most perfect composed desserts I've had in a long time, with an excellent balance of sweet and slightly tart.
I'm now wondering - how did the pastry chef manage to brown the meringue without melting the white chocolate? And how did those French guys not manage to kill themselves? The mysteries of TZ...