THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Restaurant Zola

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Restaurant Zola Restaurant Review:

This intimate spot off tony West End has not only the largest indoor mural in Nashville, but also tassels, chintz, rusty garden gates, and an entire room decorated like a North African tent. It's not exactly subtle, but then Restaurant Zola knows exactly what it's going for. Chef Deb Paquette developed the Mediterranean-mad-scientist menu, and every plate is a mixture of Spain, Egypt, Turkey, Provence and Lebanon all at once. The menu changes seasonally, but always includes an array of standby meat, veggie and seafood items prepared in never-seen-before ways. The daily fish specials will depend on what's fresh in the market, but you might look for the grilled shrimp beans and greens, which takes a page straight out of Provence. From Catalonia, look for the pork tenderloin with potato hash and a red pepper almond aïoli that recalls Catalan salsa romesco. Grandma Zola's paella is one of our favorites; it's a rustic romp of seaborne morsels supported by saffron rice, shot through with an engaging aïoli verde. In other dishes, Paquette's odd bits of taste and texture almost always work beautifully. Husband Ernie Paquette thoughtfully suggests intriguing and unusual wine pairings with every dish.