Zaffino’s is the real deal

By Katherine Benenati

Photo by Stephen B. Thornton

Veal Marsala at Zaffino’s

ADVERSTISMENT

LITTLE ROCK — Surely we had a waiter on our first visit to Sherwood’s Zaffino’s.

Our water glasses never emptied, our dishes vanished from the table and someone cracked black pepper on my Caesar salad.

But it was owner Nori Fryar who flourished our entrees with a singsong “for the pretty girl” and asked my husband if his potato soup was “too picante,” then burst into laughter at her broken English. It was Nori who peeled the foil from the Chianti and insisted we let it breathe. It was Nori who extolled the virtues of a tiramisu that would speak for itself.

The exuberant owner seemed delighted to see new faces. The family from Cabot, the proprietor of a liquor store just up the street, a young couple tickled to leave their children at home for a night out - Nori knew them all.

Despite its high-end Italian cuisine, the restaurant lacks pretension. There are no white tablecloths (they’re floral and charmingly mismatched). Instead of hushed voices, Nori carries on conversations, mostly more than one at a time, over the heads of diners, introducing the birthday girl at the sixtop to the birthday boy at the four-top.

It’s the sort of camaraderie my husband and I don’t seek out. We prefer to canoodle over cappuccino ($4). Actually, he prefers espresso ($3) and dislikes canoodling in public. But it’d take more than our East Coast sensibilities not to be won overby Nori. It’s just hard not to feel at home in a place that’s so gosh-darn homey.

On our first visit to the small restaurant, which is in a shopping center off Kiehl Avenue, we were seated at a little table by the window and the door that leads to the patio seating. After we ordered, Nori asked how hungry we were and offered to bring out our salad and soup (they come with entrees) before our appetizer, since the large party in the adjacent dining room was backing up the kitchen.

We instead waited for our Calamari ($8.95) and sipped Chianti. The wine list at Nori’s includes a few bottles of white and red, nothing too high-end, and no aversion to serving by the glass or carafe.

The calamari was served with an aoli, a pleasant twist since we more often see various red sauces. Lightly breaded, the squid, not its batter, dominated the palate. We liked that the tentacles, not just the bodies, were fried as well, which may turn off some diners.

My Caesar salad was made with crisp, fresh romaine and generous croutons. My husband’s potato soup was cream-based, but not too heavy. And for the record, not too picante either. Garlic bread between the courses had a nice dusting of parmesan. The bread was a hearty simple Italian.

For our main course, I chose the Veal Valdastano ($18.95). The veal comes seared and stuffed with prosciutto and mozzarella on a marsala cream sauce. The effect - well, I got a bit delirious, snapped out of it, took another bite and got delirious all over again. The sauce was that good.

My husband chose the Italian Sausage and Mushrooms ($14.95), which is also served with a marsala cream sauce over bowtie pasta. His delirium was more subdued. He liked the fresh garlic and basil, but simply prefers Italian sausage to be spicy rather than sweet. He liked the flavor of the sauce. But he found it a bit heavy, a criticism I didn’t share.

I also didn’t share the Tiramisu (all desserts are $5.95).

There’s tiramisu that passes for tiramisu at too many a restaurant, and then there’s actual tiramisu. Nori’s recipe is real - real espresso, real mascarpone, real ladyfingers, real good.

On our second visit, Nori gave us a big smile of recognition (her latest regulars, no doubt). We took seats by the birthday girl and a chap from Scotland. You pick these things up at Nori’s.

We got a big apology and an explanation from Nori that a large party (foiled again by a big group) had wiped out much of the wine stock on Saturday. The next shipment would be in the following night, a Wednesday. Where was the liquor store owner when we really needed him? We were actually just fine; there was one last half-bottle of Mirassou pinot noir we stretched to cover our courses.

We struck out to explore the red sauces. This was by no means an endeavor without risk. My husband’s ancestors, you see, are Sicilian. Nori hails from Northern Italy, the town of Ponte di Piave (there’s a picture of her home by the front door).

Her sauce uses a bit of carrot, “a natural sweetener” as she says. My husband uses - well, I’m not at liberty to say.

His grandmother emigrated from southern Italy at 20, and when her son married a woman with German roots, Nana took it upon herself to teach her to make sauce and other Italian fare. They are particular about sauce, or gravy, as they call it.

So when my husband tried a bit of the red sauce that was on my Baked Ravioli ($13.95) and said “pretty good,” it was a bit of an epiphany. For him to give a nod to any red sauce is rare. After some time to reflect, he dissected other fine points and said it was definitely a “northern sauce.”

We started the meal with sauteed mushrooms in a tangy white wine sauce ($6.50). I chose the Mushroom Ravioli (it can also be stuffed with beef or cheese). Half of the pasta plate was covered in a creamy besciamella and the other in the red pomodoro sauce. The top layer of cheese was nice and browned without being crispy, and the filling was delicious.

My husband’s Veal Marsala ($16.95) was tender and he preferred the lighter sauce to the cream one he’d had on the last visit.

We wrapped up with a subtle white chocolate creme brulee and a stupor-inducing chocolate bread pudding. Creme brulees and bread puddings are standard desserts and only the cheesecake isn’t homemade.

While we saw the lady of the house nearly as much as on our first visit, our waiter was more visible and equally efficient the second time around. At least we think it was the same waiter.

Of course his first questionwas: “Has Nori already taken your order ?”Zaffino’s Address: 2001 E. Kiehl Ave., Sherwood Hours: 5-10 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday Cuisine: Italian Credit cards: MC, V, AE Alcoholic beverages: Wine, beer Reservations: Yes Wheelchair accessible: Yes Carryout: Yes (501) 834-7530, zaffinosbynori.

com

Weekend, Pages 33 on 10/29/2009

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Comments on Zaffino’s is the real deal

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new19doc_msn.com says...

Enjoyed the review. Very nice writing. Always have wondered about Zaffino's, so thanks!

October 29, 2009 at 7:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

MarkMagie says...

My wife and I have enjoyed Zaffino's menu, and especially Nori, for several years. It is a treat to dine there and much better than the "chain" Italian restaurants nearby.

October 29, 2009 at 8:38 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

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