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Serving: Dinner Hours, Monday-Saturday, 5-9 p.m. (Reservations recommended). Cuisine: Eclectic American Entrée Prices: $8.95-29.95 Scoring: Our Gourmet and The Dining Companion each grade a restaurant in six categories, for a combined total score of up to 100 points. Visit the Dining section of NewHampshire.com to read previous Our Gourmet reviews listed by town. |
Our Gourmet: I loved the interior of Zampa. Tiny (just 60 seats), intimate and casually upscale, it’s a great date place. There’s a nice wine list — although only a few by the glass — and a great cocktail menu with seasonal specialties, as well as ciders and beers. Score: 5.
The Dining Companion: It is a small converted home at the junction of routes 27 and 125, but when you walk in it has great appeal and flow. We were seated in the front room, which was probably a bedroom in a prior life, with three other tables and felt like we weren’t crowded. Score: 5
Appetizer: 16.5/20
OG: My choice, the chorizo calamari $7.95, was a wonderful mélange of flavors and textures. Nicely cooked calamari — sliced and tiny whole ones — was combined with a slightly spicy chorizo sausage and tomatoes and basil. It was served with an orange butter and served on a plate drizzled with balsamic vinegar. The mild calamari, spicy sausage and tart balsamic provided a perfect balance and made for an excellent appetizer. Score: 9
TDC: When I looked at the menu on Zampa’s Web site, the thing I zoned in on was the bacon gorgonzola bread pudding ($6.95), but when I got there, our server Jess gave me the bad news that there had been a run on it that night and there was no more in the cupboard. OK, I went with plan B and ordered the arancina ($7.95), which was a fried dumpling of saffron risotto, Manchego cheese, Serrano ham and fresh herbs with roasted red pepper and a lemon green olive puree. It was moist and tasty, but I thought it lacked flavor. I did share some with OG and she seemed to like it a lot, so it may have been just my taste buds that weren’t up to par. Score: 7.5
Entrée: 19/20
OG: Zampa’s menu, which features local and sustainable ingredients, offers everything from Creole buffalo meatloaf to pasta to the exquisitely cooked peppercorn filet TDC enjoyed. Husband and wife owners Cory McPhee and Julie DiTursi (DiTursi does the cooking) call the menu eclectic American with a Mediterranean flair, and they’re right on the mark.
I was in the mood for something I don’t usually order, so I got the porchetta Saltimboca ($18.95) — grass-fed pork-loin medallions tenderized with fresh sage and topped with nicely crisped prosciutto and melted fontina, all pan seared in a shallot Marsala cream. I don’t get pork often, but I am fond of pork loin medallions and these were from Niman Ranch, which has yet to disappoint me. The sauce was flavorful and rich, but not cloying. Served with broccoli cooked in garlic and chive mashed potatoes, it made for a memorable dish. Score: 9.
TDC: I had to try the peppercorn cognac filet mignon ($29.95), an 8-ounce filet pan-roasted and finished with a Cognac green peppercorn cream and crispy potato ribbons. I love a great piece of beef if cooked correctly. I order my steaks medium rare, and with some restaurants it can be a crap shoot, but Zampa got it right and it was butter tender and simply delicious. I was offered the chive mashed potatoes or their hand-cut pomme frites as a starch. I had noticed they had an appetizer that was served with a malt vinegar aioli so I asked for the pomme frites with a little of the aioli on the side and it was delicious. Even though this is the most expensive entrée on the menu, it is definitely a would-order-again. Score: 10
Dessert: 18.5/20
OG: The evening’s crème brulee — apricot almond — ($6) was quite sweet and rich and very flavorful. I skipped coffee, but shouldn’t have as it would have provided a nice contrast to the sweetness, but the dessert was certainly creamy, delicious and wonderful on its own. Score: 9.
TDC: The Mississippi chocolate bourbon mud cake ($6) sounded interesting enough that I had to order it, and I certainly would order it again. It was a moist and gooey piece of chocolate cake with a large dollop of fresh whipped cream with a signature chocolate Zampa logo that they place on all their desserts. Score: 9.5
Service: 9.5/10
OG: Everything was as ordered and came piping hot. Our server Jess was well-informed, kept the pace just right and was friendly as well. High marks for the service. Score: 5
TDC: I will agree with OG that our server Jess was definitely knowledgeable and got us what we wanted when we needed it. Score: 4.5
Value: 18/20
OG: With drinks, appetizers, entrée and dessert and tax, our bill came to just over $100. It’s not exactly a budget meal, but you’ll get what you pay for and more. And if you’re going to spend, I suggest you spend at Zampa, where the food, atmosphere and service make it worth a little extra. Score: 9.
TDC: I loved Zampa and think it would make a great choice for that romantic night out for a great meal. Not the cheapest, but definitely not the most expensive. I know we’ll be back. Score: 9.
Total: 91.5/100
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