Restaurant Rater kzimmer wrote a thoughtfully detailed review of his/her Restaurant Week lunch at Zola, the Penn Quarter spot owned by the same group that recently opened Potenza, one of the subjects of this week’s Y&H column.

Here’s what kzimmer had to say about Zola:

I had lunch at Zola recently and was fortunate enough to hit the restaurant during DC Restaurant Week. Unlike many of the restaurants that participate in the promotion, Zola offers its full menu for Restaurant Week diners. The three course lunch for $20 was a steal and I left feeling that, despite a few service hiccups, I had certainly gotten my money’s worth. The fried chicken liver slider appetizer was rich and decadent. Foie gras mayo – awesome! A small vegetable salad with some acidity and texture would have made the dish a home run. 4 sporks. For the main course I had tuna mignon, which looked a lot like a filet mignon when it was set down in front of me. The tuna was perfectly cooked even though I didn’t care much for the bland and mushy sunchoke puree that came with it. To quote Wolfgang Puck on a recent episode of Top Chef: “People think you need a steak and then you need the baby food.” 4 sporks. The key lime cheesecake was the perfect blend of sour lime and sweet cream cheese. Rich, sour and sweet – it was the perfect end to a good lunch and I would order it again. 5 sporks. The only real clunker at the meal was the service. I’m sure the restaurant was busy as a result of restaurant week but our drinks took a long time to make it to the table and the waiter cleared my silverware without replacing it. I spent 10 minutes hacking at a piece of tuna with only a fork before a waiter reappeared so I could ask for a knife. But the wait staff was friendly and courteous even if occasionally missing in action. 2.5 sporks.

You agree or disagree with kzimmer? Then let us know what you think!

Photo courtesy of Zola and Stir Food Group