Zanata Plano, which Teresa Gubbins reviewed for us this month, has snapped up Chef Jamie Samford, who has led culinary teams at Rosewood Hotels, Central Market, Winn Meat Company/Ben E. Keith Foods, Lola, Angeluna, and Dallas Cowboys Stadium, to serve as the new Exec Chef in the Historic Plano location.
Samford hit the ground running by debuting a new menu featuring classic regional and provincial recipes from both Northern and Southern Italy, incorporating fine local and imported ingredients from the farm field, pasture, garden, and the freshest catches from the ocean. Zanata’s antipasti menu includes favorites such as sweet Texas onions and local tomatoes; a house spinach & gorgonzola salad (pecans, dates, pear, grapes, and an herb vinaigrette); and Zanata’s famous crab dip (with lavash, ciabatta, and feta cheese). The hot antipasti menu features calamari fritto (lightly polenta-crusted with a spicy marinara and lemon mayonnaise); soppresetta bruschetta (gorgonzola and roasted pepper spread); mussels steamed in either red or white sauce; and Tuscan ham & bean soup (slow-stewed ham, cannellini beans).
Jump for dinner.
At dinner, look for Southern Italian lasagna Napolitano (sausage, sirloin, pancetta, marinara, fresh mozzarella); spaghetti and Nana Jean’s meatballs (San Marzano tomato sauce, parmigiano reggiano); capellini Mediterranean (Texas gulf shrimp, spicy sun-dried tomato sauce, capers, and artichokes); and rigatoni Siciliana (eggplant, tomato, basil, ricotta), and Northern Italian filet balsamico (gorgonzola, asparagus, potatoes, and balsamic demi-glace) and the favorite of Italy since the early days of the Roman Empire, gnocchi alla vodka (with prosciutto, cherry tomatoes, and Kalamata olives).
