ZuZu ♨ Tapas & Paella

Paella at ZuZu

admin — Thu, 19 May 2011 21:22:54 +0000

ZuZu Press Release : Grand Re-Opening

dan — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 23:02:00 +0000

ZuZu Restaurant Completes its Seismic Retrofit
and Plans Re-opening

NAPA, CA, February 13, 2012. — ZuZu Restaurant is completing it’s seismic retrofit on the historical building at 829 Main Street and is set to re-open February 17th. ZuZu will also be celebrating their 10 year anniversary in downtown Napa by hosting several events in the coming month. With the new facade and kitchen upgrades, ZuZu is looking forward to the next 10 years in Napa.

During the six week closure of the restaurant, Mick Salyer and the ZuZu Chefs visited Northern Spain; primarily San Sebastian and Barcelona, where the markets and eateries are considered to be amidst the greatest in Europe. The tapas and pintxos bars are the definitive stand outs in these culinary meccas.

The crew made daily visits to the Mercado, where the stalls were filled with a plethora of seafood, vegetables, and meats including the highly sought-after Jamons. “Exploring and feasting in the countless Tapas Bars that line the streets of old San Sebastian provided us with inspiration for the year to come.

They also visited Rioja and toured the cellars of Lopez de Heredia and Roda. Lopez de Heredia is the 3rd oldest winery in Rioja. They trace their roots back to 1877 and even today they make some of the most interesting, traditional wines in the world.

Visiting Getaria, which is home to the famous wine called Txakoli. The trip coincided with the Txakoli Festival which celebrates the newest release of the slightly sparkling wine known as Txakoli. Everyone from this small wine region and the neighboring villages line the streets of Getaria with bottles and glasses in hand.

Outside of Barcelona they toured the cellars of Gramona in Penedas. This is the home of the Spanish sparkling wine known as Cava. Gramona was founded in 1881 and produces some of the highest rated and cellered aged Cavas in Spain. These wines along with those of Lopez de Heredia and the wines of Txakoli can be experienced and enjoyed at Zuzu starting February 16th.

Stay connected with ZuZu online at www.zuzunapa.com.

ZuZu, a Downtown Napa tradition for 10 years, located at 829 Main Street and open every day.

Traveling through Spain

dan — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:58:42 +0000

Hello San Sebastian!

Buenos dias to all. For those in the know we have recently landed in Spain, we were blessed with smooth and safe travels (thank you tapas gods). San Sebastian is truly a stunning city, we arrived with a beautiful array of sunshine, and with great luck our future holds much promise, as there is no rain due till Monday.

Our first two days have been very rigorous as vacation always seems to be. After our landing we quickly ravaged the town immersing ourselves in food, wine, culture, and most important inspiration and appreciation. Day one we were lucky enough to visit the local markets, and of course stop by a few tapas places, most likely the focal point of this trip. The food has been vibrant and to this point my most inspirational dish was a squid ink croquette, mixed with a béchamel and a side of fried papas. Truly one of those dishes that reaffirms my love for what I do. It’s far and few between when you come across such enlightenment, but when it happens live through the moment and never let it go. It’s this separation that defines those who are truly inspired by food and those that are just riddled with the daily routine.

Day two, we were able to visit one of my favorite wineries in the wine world, Lopez Heredia. The tour and facility were absolutely gorgeous, and furthered my love for what these folks do. Quite honestly everything they do is completely across the grain. Anything you know and believe about wine making, take that knowledge and Lopez Heredia is probably doing the exact opposite. Truly unique as wineries go and something I wish and hope everyone to be able to experience. Simply put, I could go on and on, but no matter all the praises I sing, I can do no justice to the beauty of this winery. Thanks so much Lopez Heredia we appreciate the amazing show of hospitality you have given to myself and staff included.

It’s about time to cut this entry short, as the night has just started here. We love you all and I hope these words can in the simplest form show the staffs appreciation in this once in a lifetime adventure we are currently experiencing. Until next time cheers.

With Love from Spain,
Dan Lee, The ZuZu Staff

*Photo Credit Ryan Gibbons – A Way Out Productions

Heading to Spain…

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:13:02 +0000

The ZuZu team is heading to Spain!

Check in here for details and pictures of the trip.

Bohemian Creamery

dan — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 18:53:12 +0000

Bohemian Creamery

Hog Island Oyster

dan — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 20:17:37 +0000

Hog Island Oyster Company

Rancho Gordo

dan — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 20:05:53 +0000

Rancho Gordo

ZuZu Paella

dan — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 18:01:48 +0000

A paella is the actual pan in which the rice is cooked- so paella isn’t paella unless it is made in a paella! It is very important that the proper technique is followed when cooking the rice and one of the biggest factors in making authentic paella is heat regulation.

Fire

Traditionally, paellas were cooked over a wood fire with whatever ingredients were on hand. The fire is everything; it is so important to the success or failure of the final dish. We make a big fire of oak and grapevine wood to sear all the meat and sauté the vegetables. We keep the fire hot when we put the liquid in so that the stock can boil in order to extract and meld all the flavors together.

Once the rice is added and distributed evenly around the pan, paella is never stirred. As the rice, meat and vegetables cook, they create a barrier on the top of the liquid which helps to seal in the heat and cook the rice evenly. Ideally, no other big wood will be put on the fire after the rice is added. The fire should be hot enough that the stock will continue to simmer evenly as the rice cooks and absorbs all the liquid. As the last of the liquid is absorbed, the rice at the bottom of the paella will start to stick and brown, forming the “soccarat.” We often need to encourage this by flaring the fire with vine clippings. The “crunchy bits,” as we like to call them, are worth the added effort.

It’s all about the rice!

No matter what else goes into a paella, the rice is always the star. That is why it is so important to use the right rice. The rice is the one ingredient that we do not source locally. We take a purist’s view on importing the rice, since it is so integral to the integrity of the dish. We use Bomba rice from Valencia, Spain. It is a medium grain rice that is able to absorb up to 3 times its volume in stock without getting overcooked. For this reason, it is a great carrier of flavor.

Supporting Roles

The flavor that gets absorbed into the rice comes from the meats, vegetables and seasonings that we use. Whenever possible, we use local and organic ingredients. We are in regular contact with most of our growers and ranchers, such as Hudson Ranch, Hog Island oyster Co. and Fatted Calf Charcuterie as we build sustainable food practices with all our purveyors. We have also started to grow a lot of our own vegetables for the paella which has added another layer of authenticity and love.

Boca Farms

dan — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 21:25:29 +0000

Boca Farms

Staglin Harvest Party

dan — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 19:56:54 +0000

These pictures were taken by our long time friend Katie Newburn at our last paella event of the 2010 season. The event was for the Staglin Vineyard Harvest Party, and as the pictures show, it was raining pretty hard that day. We started cooking at 10 am without any tents or shelter from the elements. By 11:00, we were all huddled underneath a small umbrella along with Jonathan Bodnar, who was catering the party as well with a spit-roasted Porchetta and pork parts simmered in a Mexican Cazon. The rain did not dampen the party in the least and a good time was had by all.

Checkout the gallery storyboard below.