The
flat-screen
TV
display
at
street
level
outside
of
the
new
Adams
Morgan
eatery
Yazuzu
displays
a
menu
and
pictures
of
Middle
Eastern
dishes,
giving
visitors
their
first
clue
that
this
café
isn’t
just
another
quick
stop
for
bar
crawlers.
Scarlet
walls
highlighted
with
arcs
of
white
make
this
20-seat
café
look
like
a
set
from
“2001:
A
Space
Odyssey.”
Designed
by
New
York
architect
Michel
Abboud,
the
plane-themed
décor
presents
an
edgy
look
not
usually
found
in
the
casual
dining
spots
in
D.C.
My
friend
joining
me
for
dinner
on
a
recent
evening
commented,
“This
place
belongs
in
New
York
or
London.”
Lebanese
restaurateur
Maher
Chebaro
has
developed
more
than
a
dozen
restaurants
from
Beirut
to
Chicago.
Yazuzu
opened
late
last
year,
and
with
executive
chef
Tutu
Mihrete,
Chebaro
has
created
a
Middle
Eastern
restaurant
that
serves
comfort
food
cafeteria
style
at
reasonable
prices.
Mihrete
told
the
Blade,
“We
are
trying
to
hit
the
middle
ground
—
healthy,
tasty
food
that
is
affordable.”
The
meaning
behind
Yazuzu
is
as
comforting
as
the
restaurant’s
concept.
Mihrete
said
that
Zuzu
is
a
nickname
for
a
young
girl.
Put
“Ya”
as
a
prefix
to
Zuzu
and
you
get
something
that
roughly
translates
to
Zuzu’s
Place.
The
restaurant’s
hours
(they’re
open
until
4
a.m.
on
weekends)
give
the
clubbing
crowd
one
more
option
for
feeding
their
alcohol-induced
munchies,
but
as
it
opens
at
11
a.m.
daily
(except
Mondays
when
closed
all
day),
it
also
provides
a
place
for
families
and
shoppers
to
stop
by,
as
well.
IN
KEEPING
WITH
THE
in-flight
concept,
meals
are
served
in
airplane-style
trays,
or
something
that
could
be
a
remnant
from
a
junior
high
school
cafeteria
—
separate
compartments
for
the
plastic
cutlery,
main
dish
and
sides.
And
just
like
a
trans-Atlantic
flight,
knives,
forks
and
even
the
pita
come
in
single-serving
packs.
Luckily
for
diners,
there
are
no
cramped
plane
seats
here.
A
single
white
table
runs
nearly
the
length
of
the
restaurant
with
a
bench
on
one
side
and
white
cubed
stools
on
the
other.
Just
like
the
décor,
the
menu
is
organized
simply,
but
offers
a
variety
of
dishes.
The
combinations
offer
the
best
value
and
give
diners
the
opportunity
to
try
more
dishes.
The
zuzu1:
a
choice
of
five
sides
for
$8.50;
zuzu2:
a
choice
of
sandwich
and
two
sides
for
$7.50;
or
zuzu3:
a
choice
of
main
and
four
sides
for
$12.50.
On
a
recent
visit,
my
friend
and
I
decided
to
indulge
in
zuzu3.
He
had
the
pomegranate
glazed
beef
short
ribs.
I
went
with
the
chicken
tagine
with
green
olives
and
preserved
lemons.
Choosing
four
sides
from
the
list
that
runs
more
than
20
could
be
a
daunting
task,
but
luckily,
the
staff
is
ready
to
make
suggestions
and
answer
questions
about
the
dishes.
In
addition
to
the
usual
Lebanese
suspects
—
hummus,
baba
ghanoush
and
tabouli
—
the
dips
and
salads
include
some
standouts.
The
mechouia,
roasted
vegetables
with
Tunisian
twabil,
has
a
gentle
kick,
and
I
could
have
snacked
on
the
minted
cucumber
yogurt
for
hours.
The
braised
dandelion
was
interesting,
but
may
be
too
strong
for
some
palettes.
Those
looking
for
a
quick
bite
to
eat
in
a
hip
setting
—
before,
during
or
after
partaking
in
Adams
Morgan’s
other
delights
—
will
do
well
to
stroll
a
block
or
two
south
of
the
neighborhood’s
main
attractions.
