a la Carteret
Cafe
Zito, a
Mediterranean
Eatery
by Sandy Craft
One
of the things I love about Morehead is that it is full of surprises!
This week we landed at Café Zito, a Mediterranean Eatery, and it
seemed a world away.
First of all, it was Tuesday, which is Tapas night, so we each ordered
several items, presented in appetizer-sized portions (more or less).
You can try a sampling of dishes without feeling like you’ve eaten
half a cow.
And we all tried each other’s...even better.
If your Mom didn’t teach you to share, you’ll miss half the fun.
Some
of our favorites included the creamy leek soup, the roasted eggplant salad, a
very delicate Spanokopita, grilled sea scallops on fried green tomatoes, and
paella with chorizo, clams, shrimp and chicken.
I wanted to try the thin crust pizza, but was saving room for my
favorite food group, dessert.
The
Tapas items range in price from $3.50 to $15.50, and really cannot be beaten
if you enjoy trying a variety of dishes. Oh, and the parmesan fried olives
were yummy, and the lavosh….I wanted to try it all, even
the baked Spanish sardines.
We
did try all the desserts. The Sweet Potato Flan was incredible, with a hint of
orange and paper-thin sliced peaches in the caramel sauce.
The
Lemon Lime Cheesecake and the Pecan Chocolate Chunk Pie with ice cream were
equally wonderful.
And
if rich and creamy is your thing, then you must try the heavenly tiramisu (but
forget what I said about sharing).
All are homemade (except the tiramisu, which comes from down the street…well,
that’s still homemade, isn’t it?) and well worth the calories for you
calorie commandos.
Café
Zito is not open for lunch, but if you have a special group, they will gladly
help you plan your luncheon. You and your chosen guests will have the place
all to yourselves.
On
Sunday, they offer brunch starting at 11 o’clock, featuring many items
including Dutch waffles. I don’t know what Dutch waffles are, but they sound
interesting.
Inside
is quite charming; but if the weather is good, you might like to try one of
the tables on the porch, enjoy the breeze, the passers-by and the view of the
sound - not bad, with a glass of wine or a beer from their good selection.
For
those of you who are more curious about the food you are eating, I was
delighted to learn from Jennifer Knaven, our gracious hostess and wife of
chef, Baptist, that they are making every effort to buy locally - not just
their seafood and produce (and tiramisu), but also the lamb and chicken, which
are organically raised at a farm near New Bern.
I
have not yet sampled Café Zito’s regular menu, but have been told by
someone I know and trust that it is equally delicious. And watching chef/owner
Baptist and his attention to every plate, I do not doubt this.
He
and his wife left careers in Amsterdam as a classical musician and
professional ballet dancer, respectively, and came to Morehead City (you see
what I mean about surprises?) to do what Baptist has always wanted to do: open
a restaurant. And you know what?
They deserve a standing “O” for this performance!
If
you need more information, check out their Web site at www.cafezito.com,
or better yet, go on and make that reservation---and please work on your
sharing.
QUICK
BITES
Address:
105 S. 11th Street, Morehead City
Phone:
(252)
726-6676
Hours:
Tuesday-Saturday: 5:30–10:30
p.m.
Sunday: 11a.m.
– 2 p.m.
Price
Range:
Entrees:
$17.50–$24.50
Tapas start at
$3.50
Brunch
$5.50
–
$15.75
Payment:
MasterCard, Visa, personal checks
Reservations:
Recommended
Non-Smoking
Restaurant (Smokers may have an ashtray on the porch!)
A
TASTE OF… CAFÉ ZITO
Recipe
for Melitzanosalata
(Roasted eggplant salad)
* 2 large eggplants
* 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
* handful of chopped parsley
* handful of chopped cilantro
* 1 chopped onion
* 1 red bell pepper, chopped
* 1 ripe tomato, cubed
*
1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
* 3/4 cup of soft breadcrumbs
* 1/4 cup of lemon juice
* 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
* 8 black olives
Roast
the eggplants in an oven pre-heated to 350 F for about 1 hour, or until soft.
Remove
the skin and chop roughly, drain excess moisture. Put eggplant, garlic, onion,
parsley, cilantro, red pepper, tomato, pepper flakes, breadcrumbs and a little
salt and pepper to taste into a food processor. Mix on medium speed.
Keep it running and add slowly the lemon juice and olive oil. It will thicken
up. Transfer into a serving bowl and refrigerate for about 3 hours. Drizzle
with a little extra oil and garnish with finely chopped black olives.
Enjoy!
Sandy
Craft owned and operated a catering company in Atlanta
for 17 years.
She is one of the few people who actually still cooks, but she finds
following
a recipe goes against her nature. When traveling she likes to visit local
grocery
stores and farm stands, and she thoroughly enjoys good food.
See the previously reviewed restaurants on the Restaurant Archive page