Zinc: A Modern American Restaurant in New Haven

964 Chapel Street
New Haven, CT. 06510
(203)624-0507

Few if ever have been the times when I have stumbled in from the cold to find a randomly chosen restaurant a delight to the senses. Saturday night I had a pleasure ordinarily reserved for residents of Paris or Florence. Just such a meal did I enjoy at Zinc on Chapel Street in downtown New Haven.

Wandering out of a local hotel in search of dinner without reservations is the kind of thing I like to do only in college towns. There is something so enjoyable and life-affirming in seeing students huddled in groups, exchanging thoughts, walking arm-in- arm. All the joy of the world of endless possibilities surrounds you. And, when you are lucky enough to push through the curtains at Zinc, you have hit the jackpot.

I knew there was something special about the place from the minute I spied the tweedy senior couple in a corner booth. If the professor types would leave home, hearth and haven from students for the risk of dining here, it had to be good. Settled into a cozy two top my dinner partner and I went through the menu with glee. A specials menu grabbed us that featured a creamy broccoli soup and roasted Mahi Mahi over a vegetable ragout. Arctic Char, Scallops, Striped Bass and a number of interesting entrees graced the standard menu. All of the tasty menu items were listed as organic, when possible. And all produce was of the freshest sort. No weak promises.