Restaurant of the Month: Zio’s
By Lisa Gesner
For authentic Italian, affordable prices and friendly service, Zio’s in North Park is truly a hidden gem. Fairly new to the area, Zio’s opened at their 2940 El Cajon Blvd location (there’s ample street parking and free parking for customers in the back) last July.
Zio’s recently unveiled a brand-new menu, including a 5$ lunch menu with smaller portions of some of the home-style favorites. At a recent visit to the restaurant for lunch, my dining companions and I were impressed by the number of menu selections offered, including inventive salads, hearty pastas and specialty pizzas. Prices are very affordable and portions are huge, so bring an appetite – or order family-style and try some of everything.
My dining partners and I started our meal with a basket of the homemade Italian potato chips, baked to a crisp with herbs and served with Ranch dressing. We also tried the garlic cheese bread, an addictively cheesy garlic toast served with a side of tangy marinara. At the owner’s suggestion, we decided to sample a few of the restaurant’s most popular dishes: the Molly salad, the meatball sub (off of the 5$ lunch menu) the grilled chicken and asparagus pasta, and the short rib tortelloni.
The Molly salad, which is definitely large enough to share, was a refreshing mix of sweet and savory with strawberries, roasted corn, red onion and feta cheese in Zio’s own Balsamic dressing. We also suggest trying one of Zio’s salads with the house dressing, a light but flavorful champage vinnagrette. The meatball sub was the perfect melty and slightly messy comfort food, and the grilled chicken and asparagus pasta was a filling yet not too heavy medly of grilled chicken, asparagus, onion, garlic, tomatoes, bell peppers and herbs tossed together in olive oil – delicious!
However, our favorite at the table was the short rib tortelloni. This unique pasta comes with incredibly tender and perfectly seasoned beef short rib encased in al dente pasta, with a light brown butter sauce and parmesan cheese. This pasta was put on the permanent menu after becoming the restaurant’s most popular house special. We all agreed that we would definitely be back for this dish! And while we were too stuffed to try them, we were told that the Zio dog, an italian sausage sandwich with mozzarella and marinara on a buttery garlic roll, and the bbq chicken pizza are also best-sellers.
Dessert lovers will without a doubt revel in the selection of gourmet desserts. We loved the tiramisu, with light mascarpone cream and dark cocoa, and the dessert on special that day, a rich, fudgy chocolate lover’s cake. Service at Zio’s fit right in with the homey, welcoming atmosphere – the owner came over frequently to check in and chat with us during our meal. For a truly authentic Italian experience, stop in at Zio’s in North park, or visit them online for a full menu and coupons: www.ziosinnorthpark.com.
