Where our kin originated plays a lasting role in our lives. Our blood influences our faiths, our music, and our food. Our black residents still cling to their strong southern roots. Zanzibar is an upscale restaurant serving southern style food to its target of African American Clevelanders. The facility is more like a supper club than a soul food joint. There is a busy bar, low lighting, a unique comfortable decor and very pleasant servers. Notable is that the African American women dress to the nines to come here and the white women dress more suitable for farm work. The whites also become irritated by southern time. This is what a waitress in South Carolina recently told me as I waited. "Honey, your food will be along soonah or lattah. You just sit back and doncha worry bout a thing." Hard for northern whites to appreciate southern time.
The food itself is similar to that made by your nicest aunt who was not the family's best cook. Any of the dishes could be better. I am not sure why since southern food requires few ingredients and simple techniques. I only know nothing I have had was remarkable or down home delicious. The fried cat fish has too much cornmeal for me making it hard rather than crunchy. I have had better sides from Glory's cans. But when I want southern food Zanzibar is the only choice. A few times a year I meet some friends here. We enjoy an unhurried dinner and usually find one dish to delight us.