Zanzibar

Ever since the comfy Shaker Square soul restaurant “Phil the Fire” decamped for a much larger and more upscale space on Prospect Avenue eight or nine years ago, I’ve felt that another such eatery would do well there. Akin Africa evidently harbored similar notions.

He’s the general manager of “Zanzibar Soul Fusion,” a recently-opened, well-appointed restaurant located next door to the Shaker Square Cinema on the southwest quadrant of the Square.

My wife and I don’t eat out too often, so the new establishment isn’t about to become successful off the likes of us, but we have yearned for a classy restaurant that serves healthy, delicious southern cuisine that was not too far away. After dining at Zanzibar the other week, we knew that we had found it. Granted, “Chester’s,” located on Noble Road, serves up equally tasty fare, and the decor and service leaves nothing to be desired, but the distance we had to traverse made our visits there relatively infrequent. Zanzibar is much more convenient for us, especially late-night.

When I first heard about the new establishment I looked it up on the Internet and discovered they had a first-class website … to me this was a good indicator. I left a message in the comment box.

I said something to the effect of, while not wishing to hurt anyone’s feelings, I wanted to know if they planned to “get the plates out on time.” This is restaurant terminology for assuring timely customer service.

Indeed, when the aforementioned “Phil the Fire” moved to Prospect Avenue, some of the folks who worked there stated to me this was the reason the business failed; they simply took too long getting customers their food. And this is critical during the lunch hour when patrons’ time is limited.

Like it or not there really is such a thing as CPT — Colored People’s Time. I know that some folks will get mad at me for writing this (as if everyone doesn’t already know it… it’s not like folks who constantly show up for meetings late are invisible) but time awareness is one of the first signs of adulthood. And that goes for some white folks too.

This propensity for tardiness can spill over into the service provided at black-owned restaurants. I’ve had white friends who, not being used to CPT, go away from a black-owned restaurant thinking they were being treated badly because of the color of their skin. What they didn’t know is that service is slow for everyone at most black restaurants. Nonetheless, the whites (being used to faster service) tend not to come back … and I can’t say that I blame them.

So, when Chef Tony Fortner of Zanzibar called me in response to my email (unlike some cowards, I always put my name and phone number on my missives) I braced to be cussed out. Surprisingly, he totally agreed with me and said that he has a stopwatch in his kitchen, so intent is he on providing quality, timely service to patrons. He invited me to test him, and I did.

A couple of nights later my wife and I went to dinner at Zanzibar. We were greeted warmly, shown to an excellent table and introduced to our server, who took excellent care of us. The food came out on time, exquisitely presented, and excellent to the palate. Only then did I ask to see the Chef Tony.

He was thrilled we came in to dine on his sumptuous fare (my wife had an unusually well-seasoned baked half chicken and I had the blackened catfish … all of the side dishes were excellent also, and just as importantly, healthily prepared) and he stayed and chatted for a while about what his vision is for Zanzibar. One thing he knows for sure is that he’s going to have to attract a goodly number of whites to his establishment if it is going to thrive. Also, faster service is just good restaurant business: The faster patrons are served, the faster they are out the door, which means the table can be used again. On busy nights turnover is critical to success since no one wants to wait overly long.

Chef Tony admitted that the front of the house was a work in progress and that he was still searching for just the person to take charge of it. A few days later I was chatting with my brother, Thomas, and related the conversation.

My brother had, some years ago, taken a small family-owned restaurant in Nigril, Jamaica and, along with his new wife (the owner’s daughter), helped to turn it into the talk of the seven mile long beach that attracts tourists from all over the world. And besides, we were raised living upstairs over our father’s tavern; we both know the food and bar business inside out. He now runs the front of the house at Zanzibar.

You can tell him I sent you, but even if you don’t mention me, be prepared to get swept off your feet by the attention lavished on you, the ambiance, and the delicious food. Additionally, you might even find me holding court at the bar. Bon appetit!

From Cool Cleveland correspondent Mansfield B. Frazier mansfieldfATgmail.com. Frazier’s From Behind The Wall: Commentary on Crime, Punishment, Race and the Underclass by a Prison Inmate is available again in hardback. Snag your copy and have it signed by the author by visiting http://www.neighborhoodsolutionsinc.com.

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