It's 'modern American cuisine' from A to Zinc

MIRIKO HIROSE/YH Like its namesake, Zinc sports a hexagonal crystal structure and comfortable electronegativity of of 1.65. Don't ask for a "periodic table," though.

New Haven has lately become the spot du jour for eateries, with a new restaurant opening almost every week. A week and a day ago, Zinc Café, located at 964 Chapel St., next to Ann Taylor, made its debut on New Haven's culinary scene after spending weeks wrapped in white paper, shrouded in mystery. As my friend and I walked toward Zinc on a cold and rainy night, its two blue lights shone like lighthouse guiding a lost ship (in my case, an empty stomach) home.

Once inside the restaurant, a smiling hostess—her demeanor contrasted nicely with Zinc's cool mien—greeted us warmly. The focal point of the front half of the deep, narrow restaurant is its metal and cherry-tinged wooden bar, which is bordered by a tall, striking wine case. Unadorned dark tables and black wood chairs occupy Zinc's front, but the tables in the rear are covered with white tablecloths. Additional seating runs along the wall on the restaurant's right-hand side.

Our appetizers (called "small plates") came promptly after we placed our order. The presentation was pleasing to both the eye and the mouth. With most of the dishes, there was an overwhelming East Asian influence, although the grilled artichoke soup with tomatoes and herbs tasted like a cross between minestrone and French onion soups, without the bread and melted cheese topping. The complementary, though stale fried bread was accompanied by a wonderfully tangy eggplant chutney.

Our main courses, however, took half an hour to arrive. Again, the presentation was nice, but not smashing. Perhaps the chef wanted to let the food speak for itself. The portion sizes, thank goodness, did not hew to the restaurant's minimalist aesthetic, although they definitely weren't large by any means.

My friend and I both ordered fish. The chef, Denise Appel, managed a great balancing act, cooking the meat just long enough to absorb all the spices' flavor without acquiring a tough tex-ture. Unfortunate-ly, the pan-sear- ed monkfish with smokey yellow pepper sauce was dominated by the pepper, which masked the other spices and herbs, and the wasabi crusted salmon tasted more of yellow mustard than of wasabi.

For dessert, I ordered a key lime tart and my friend had a tropical fruit compote. The tart was excellent, its crust not too buttery and cooked just right. More importantly, the heart of the tart, the lime filling, had the perfect mix of zing and sweetness. The compote, with its mixture of exotic fruits such as mangoes and starfruit, was a perfect treat for late in a New Haven September besodden by a roaring hurricane.

Donna Curren, the very personable owner of Zinc, chose to located in New Haven out of a belief that it's a city on a comeback, "a city with educated palates." She dubs its food "Modern American Cuisine." According to Curren, this means that the recipes are shaped around locally produced ingredients and influences from various American ethnic groups (Appel is especially interested in Asian and Cuban food). Vegans, however, may be disappointed by the lack of choices, though Chef Appel will make vegetarian dishes upon request.

Zinc's elegance is definitely one of its assets, transporting the restaurant goer to a chic New York nightspot, or a reasonable mockup thereof. After a while, however, the unfinished feel of the interior wears thin. While the beige leather benches along the wall, are fairly comfortable, the rather ugly, plastic black chairs look cafeteria-drab, and feel even worse.

Zinc is a great place to bring a date. The lighting is dim and adds intimacy, and the design turns each table into its own privte world. Unfortunately, many tables are spaced closely together, making eavesdroppers an uncomfortably strong possibility. If you want to have a nice low-key dinner, try to get a table in the very back of the restaurant, where tables are farther apart from each other and there is more privacy.

Zinc holds great promise. Its modern interior is attractive, and Appel plans to change the menu constantly to keep things interesting. The staff, clad in black from head to toe, is young, hip, and friendly. The service is attentive, but once the restaurant starts to fill up, its pace visibly slows down. It doesn't have the pure elemental goodness of its namesake, but combined with some friends and some cash, it makes a nice alloy.

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