Many-Splendored Mezzes
ZAYTINYA
[from March 2002 issue]

Just a few months old, the dramatic Zaytinya has become Washington's hottest restaurant, not bad for a newcomer. But then, not surprising either, when you consider that it is the brainchild of executive chef José Andres of Jaleo and Café Atlantico fame. Surely Andres almost single-handedly has popularized the tapas concept for Washingtonians at both his Jaleos--and now he expands that theme, moving it further along the Mediterranean where tapas are transformed into mezzes.

White-washed, blue-splashed, and totally dramatic, Zaytinya--the Turkish word for olive oil--is bare of the usual decorative frills and foibles most restaurants use to set the scene. Here, it's just olive oil in graceful glass containers and there's little else, except the crowds and the black-outfitted waitstaff that marshal the food from busy kitchen to noisy dining room.

Eyeing the crowd, we were glad we stopped in early on a Monday night--midweek and weekends must resemble bargain-basement sales, and, said the telephone voice, no reservations are accepted after 6:30. With this first-come, first-served rule comes the clear notion that you'd better plan to eat early--or very, very late. But rather than postpone the hot, flat pita breads and the glorious golden-green olive oil, adjust your schedule for lunch or an afternoon bash, giving yourself enough time to try at least a handful of the many little dishes: Puff Bšregi, Eliles tis Elladas, Htipiti, and Portakal Salatasi are just a few of the vegetable mezzes listed of the 55 total mezzes, plus soups, salads, and a few entrée-sized dishes.

The trick is finding the right balance between salad and meat, spicy and sweet, hot and cold. Very affordable prices--no mezze costs more than $7.95 and most fall within the $4.50 to $6 range--allow patrons to work their way through a considerable spread and to dabble in the unknown.

What, we wondered, is Avgotarho, or gray mullet roe, a Greek favorite that resembles little reddish squares of something firm and fishy. At $6.95, we could afford to experiment. A much more exciting, even dazzling, seafood offering is the Htapothi Krassato, a spectacular octopus dish in which this many-tentacled creature is as tender as soft butter--miraculous for a something that often resembles in taste and texture slices of rubber tire. How did you achieve this?, we asked the waiter. He explained that the octopus goes through many immersions in hot water to soften and tenderize it; the result is really astonishing.

We ate on through the menu, tucking into the Havu Kšftesi, small, golden fritters shaped from pine nuts, apricots and carrots, a worthy and gentle counterpoint to the earthier fare we ordered. The only disappointment was the Hynksr Begendi, a braise of lamb that was very insubstantial and unmemorable. But our final selection, the Turkish Chicken Gyvé, was the superstar of the meal. Chicken, yes, but with beans and chunks of Turkish cured loin of beef in a blend of textures and flavor that vaulted this dish to the top of the charts.

We could have gone on, eating far into the night, but we also went through several baskets of their warmed, deflated-balloon pitas dipped into oil and used for mopping up juices. Besides, we wanted to sample desserts, which are no mere conglomeration of baklavas and puddings. Instead, Andres has dreamed up--or rather, imported--several fancies guaranteed to put an exclamation point on your mezze meal. The Medjool Dates are dreamy, a layering of dates roasted in Greek wine and garnished with crumbled orange shortbread and topped with olive oil ice cream--which, by the way, really works. If that ranks first, then surely second would be the Ravani, a warmed cake made of semolina (less glamorously, this resembles Cream of Wheat), scented with orange water and topped with a scoop of yogurt sorbet. If you can't draw the line here, you might want to include his Turkish Delight, a compote of goat's milk yogurt mousse and honey-vanilla geleé with an orange-caramel sauce.

Before paying up, take a quick stroll through the busy restaurant, which is cleverly arranged in several levels, giving the enormous room both a sense of intimacy and a sense of space controlled by function. Chances are you will promise yourself to return often, and you may end up making this your primary restaurant destination. As one in-the-know food friend observed recently, Zaytinya is the most exciting and best restaurant to open here in a long time. He was right.

Zaytinya, 702 9th St., NW; tel., 638-0800. Hours: Lunch and dinner daily. All credit cards.