Za
Fresh and creative pizzas and salads
138 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, Mass.
www.zarestaurant.com
Za's specialty pizzas feature unexpected topping combos
My husband and I were eagerly anticipating a Valentine’s Day dinner of gourmet pizza. We’d kept our occasional pizza yearnings at bay for many months, but we had planned a February splurge, V-day being the perfect excuse (hey, pizza’s red, right?). We were saddened to hear one of our fave pizza parlors, DiMio’s of Cambridge, had closed. Hopefully, we thought, Za might be able to lessen the loss.
We had called ahead for a spot on their waiting list but got there early anyway, and so we sat on a side bench while we waited for our seats. I felt bad for the dining couple we were practically sitting on top of while we waited: breathing room was minimal in this corner of the restaurant. After waiting only 10 minutes or so, we were seated.
The Za waitstaff was helpful and friendly, despite the full house and tight quarters.
Although several of Za’s pizza concoctions were intriguing, with themes such as mac ‘n cheese, ham sandwich (with dill pickle slices!), and salmon fillet with fontina and capers, we veered toward the conservative: he with mozzarella and tomato with additional toppings of sausage, caramelized onion and portabella mushrooms, me with the specialty pizza of portabella mushrooms, roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, roasted garlic, and goat cheese ($10.50, if I remember correctly). Had we discussed or choices before ordering, I’m sure we’d have adjusted our overlapping selections.
The salad menu also lured us in with claims of farm-fresh vegetables, though our waiter did point out that in the dead of winter, the salad offerings are not as varied as they are in the spring and summer months. Again, I was interested in several of the salads, but went for the conservative iceberg lettuce, grated carrot, and blue cheese. Gary went for the slightly more seasonal greens, dried cranberries, and walnut mix. We both loved the mixtures and the freshness of our salads. I was distracted, though, by the description of a roasted sweet potato salad I noticed on their specials blackboard after I had already ordered. I wish I’d seen it earlier; I would have ordered it! The guy who seated us said the blue “specials” menus he handed us had the same specials that were listed on the chalkboard. He was wrong!
So, the salads were a success, and the iced tea — earl gray — was pleasantly fragrant, not too harsh. I enjoyed it without sweetener. Very refreshing.
The pizzas, however, were disappointing. Gary found little to sing about with his pizza, rating it merely “not bad.” I, too, had hoped for a little more zing from my ‘Za , but even the several dozen cloves of roasted garlic could not wake up this bland pizza. I did like that they were very generous with the portabella mushrooms–nice big chunks, not just slices–but was saddened that the roasted red peppers I was so looking forward to were barely noticeable. It was almost an afterthought: “Hey, where’s are my peppers? Oh, are those ten little pimentos my peppers?”
In a nutshell: Salads great, pizza just okay. But we will make a trip back later this year to sample their spring or summer menu. I swear I’ll order more adventurously next time, or at least make sure there’s one topping on my pizza I’ve never had on pizza before. But it probably won’t be a dill pickle.
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