First look: Zinc Bistro Bar Bakery

Metromix restaurant reviews

We take the guesswork out of food

Decades ago a once vibrant and bustling department store stood proudly on Euclid Avenue until it closed its doors in 1961 due to downtown’s declining retail scene. While retail may not be as prominent within downtown Cleveland as it once was in the days of the Taylor & Sons department store, the culinary scene is and continues to thrive and grow, as is evident with Zinc Bistro Bar and Bakery—the newest tenant in the renovated former retail turned office space in the Gateway and East Fourth area on Euclid.

Food: Focusing on French classics and offering Cleveland’s only raw bar, chef-owner Tom Quick, formerly with Epiq Bistro and Piccolo Mondo, hopes to be a vital player in the ever-growing food scene and popularity of E. 4th.

His menu focuses on traditional French dishes, including cassoulet, duck a l ‘orange, escargot, crepes and coq au vin. On our visit, we started off with a half dozen west coast oysters (per our server’s urging) and onion soup, then moved onto the braised short rib ravioli app, bacon and egg salad, coquilles saint-jacques (scallops with crispy cauliflower in brown butter), and the braised short rib entrée.

There is little to this dinner that wowed us. Don’t misunderstand. Everything was, in fact, enjoyable. But with such stiff competition right around the corner, and with the continued success of L’Albatros, we expected great—not borderline good and in some cases, just OK. Aside from one dish, nothing we sampled left a lasting impression.

That impressionable dish in question was the short rib ravioli. Our suggestion, order the larger appetizer portion and enjoy this as a meal. It was beautifully presented and cooked perfectly, with plum mushrooms and a pea purée.

We can only assume the chef has a thing for short ribs, because the short rib entrée was our other favorite dish, with creamed spinach and perfectly soft root vegetables that melt in your mouth. The wine that the short ribs were braised in came through in every bite. Our only complaint with this dish was that the meat was not as tender as we would have liked. Short ribs should not require a knife, and these ones did.

As for our other dishes, the scallops were completely oversalted and inedible (though the cauliflower was perfectly crunchy and seasoned beautifully—we would have been happy with a plate of this alone). The oysters didn’t impress us as much as we were led to believe (not to mention several bits of shell atop some of the oysters), and aside from the extra thick and crispy bacon, the bacon and egg salad contained all the right ingredients, but fell short on flavor.

Libations: As the name suggests, Zinc places a heavy emphasis on its drinks, from an impressive wine list to wonderfully-constructed cocktails ranging from classics to more inventive, like the pursing petal with vodka, limoncello, cherry, sparkles and meringue.

Décor: This formal French bistro space is big, though they do a nice job of making it not feel as big as it really it. There’s an upstairs mezzanine, large bar area upon entering, wide booth and smaller tables just past the bar, followed by another dining room that can also be used for private parties. We feel the most sought-after section of this restaurant will prove to be the 30-seat patio and bar. This will surely draw a lot of attention and become a popular destination for the after-work crowd.

Service: Our server was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. Our courses were perfectly spaced, allowing us to relax a bit in between and not feel rushed. Our only complaint with the service was with the aforementioned scallops. Upon noticing that the dish was barely touched, he asked if everything was OK. After learning about the overdose of salt, he simply said "oh" and walked away. The salted scallops were not mentioned again.

Insider tip: The décor and location lend itself to an ideal spot for business lunches or meetings, or visit the bakery for cappuccino and croissant before the work day starts. The bakery will also offer salads, soups and sandwiches to go.

Bottom line: Recognizing Zinc is still in its infancy, our hope is that the food can only improve. In the meantime, enjoy the patio and the delightful drinks and what we believe will be a nice bakery for morning snacks and your daily caffeine intake.