French tapas restaurant Zinc has been in the news a lot lately. Last week, Restaurantarama reported on its refurbished patio, and a few weeks prior, National Geographic Traveler’s blog, Intelligent Travel, had a post on “Charlottesville Charms” that included a plug for Zinc: “The space is funky and sexily lit, and the menu is spectacular.” This week we wanted to highlight Zinc’s mention in a publication that is under-the-radar of most of us: The Farmer-Chef Express: A Directory to Connect Farmers and Chefs, which the Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) published for the first time this spring as part of its “Buy Fresh, Buy Local” campaign. The directory lists close to 80 area food growers and producers and close to 40 restaurants and retailers in the Piedmont and Shenandoah Valley regions who are interested in buying those products in an effort to ease communication and business between these two camps. Information on the growers includes how to order, products offered, product practices (e.g., organic, biodynamic) and delivery logistics. Info on restaurants includes local products they’re interested in buying and typical weekly volumes.
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Vu Nguyen, left, and Thomas Leroy, co-owners of Zinc, are among a dozen or so restaurants listed in the Farmer-Chef Express, a PEC directory of eateries that source their ingredients locally. |
Surprisingly, only 12 other Charlottesville/Albemarle restaurants and caterers are included in the directory: Al Hamraa, Blue Moon Diner, Dinner At Home, Fellini’s #9, Harvest Moon Catering, L’etoile, Mas, Orzo, Ristorante Al Dente, The Clifton Inn, The Inn at Court Square and The Ivy Inn. Kudos to them for being in front of the local food issue, but we’re pretty certain many more of the 300+ places we have around here are interested and able to source at least some of their needs locally and may already be doing so to a certain extent. Why are they not listed? PEC’s Melissa Wiley tells us many restaurants declined inclusion because they may have been intimidated by the process this first year. For sure, it could be daunting for a chef to have to scan the numerous listings to find the best local source for microgreens, also there’s the risk of being inundated with solicitations by the growers—Do you need zucchini? We have lots of zucchini!
Zinc’s co-owner and chef Thomas Leroy says he and his partner, Vu Nguyen, are just starting to go through the directory and reach out to farmers. “It will take a lot of work up front, but we’re committed to getting more local product,” he says.
Leroy and Nguyen have more flexibility in purchasing ingredients than other establishments. Since August 2008, they’ve been serving small plates instead of the traditional entrées they served when they first opened Zinc two years ago in the converted gas station on W. Main Street that used to house White Orchid and before that Station. The menu and concept change came when Leroy says he and his partner “were sensing the economy was taking a bad turn.” Also, they were getting bored, he says.
“We can buy local products that are a bit pricier without having to charge the $4 or $5 extra if we included it in a whole dish,” he says.
Also, Zinc’s tapas menu, which includes bistro staples such as onion soup, mac & cheese with gruyere and steak tartar, is only about 80 percent static; meaning Leroy and Nguyen can purchase small quantities of seasonal local items for rotating items and specials.
In other Zinc news, starting May 24 the restaurant will serve Sunday brunch from 11am to 2:30pm. The menu includes traditional-sized dishes of omelets, sweet and savory crepes, poached eggs and French bistro favorites such as Croque Monsieur and Pain Perdue. And Bloody Marys and Mimosas, of course.
