My friend and I stopped at Zarra's on a whitewater paddling trip a couple of weeks ago. Please be warned... this is not your neighborhood (american) Italian restaurant. If they did have any pizza or calzones I must have missed it because I was distracted by the extensive menu of authentic italian dishes. The hardest part of my experience was choosing what to eat. This is one of those places where you're not going to be choosing something you think you'll like, you're going to be deciding between dishes you know you'll love. The decision is made easier by Zarra's excellent family of staff.
We sat outside near the outdoor fireplace fueled by a real wood fire. The scene, smell of the kitchen mixed with the wood fire, and excellent company set the stage for a perfect evening.
I enjoyed a regional craft brew that was delicious, an appetizer sampler, and a seafood entree with a spicy red sauce over a seafood medley with pasta. The shrimp and scallop were huge and perfectly cooked. The scallop was especially savory.
We stayed for a couple hours eating, drinking, and taking in the city through this small neighborhood gem. When you do go inside take a look at the pictures on the walls and notice they are all family of the owners. If you're lucky John will tell you the history of the establishment, how he met his wife there, and came to own it so many years ago. When you go to Zarra's you'll feel like part of their italian family for sure. We liked it so much we went back for dinner the next night while we were still in town. After all, how can you say no to an authentic italian family dinner?