Zabroso

There’s something about eating tapas that is oh-so-much fun. Maybe it’s the small portions or the renewable pleasure of waiting for something new to arrive at your table. Maybe it’s just the act of sharing olives or shrimp skewers, or trading spoons over saviche with a friend. To be sure, the Spanish tradition of myriad small plates—-arriving en masse with hot or cold appetizers atop—-has for too long been an anomaly in Central New York. If you haven’t had the chance to try tapas, or have become addicted and are looking for a fix, Thursday night at Zabroso Restaurant and Lounge is the place for you. It's impossible to talk about Zabroso—-from the Spanish word for ‘sabroso’ which means ‘delicious’-—without first mentioning the Onieda Community Mansion House, where it’s housed. The towering brick structure, with its imposing turrets and statuesque white pillars, rambles across the manicured grounds and appears imposing at first approach--even more than a little ominous!

No doubt that’s what its builders, the utopian Onieda Community, intended when they constructed it in the second half of the 19th century. Under its founder, John Humphrey Noyes, the community attempted to attain perfection through controversial practices that involved child rearing, gender roles, and monogamous marriage.
In 1880, these utopians succumbed to social pressures of the day and disbanded. The picturesque compound was adopted as a historical landmark in 1987. Zabroso, which is located in the back of the mansion, opened in October, 2007. Though it may seem like an unusual spot for a restaurant, the Community Mansion House has always been highly familiar to owners Ruben Lopez and his wife Monique, since Monique grew up in Oneida. With its cool metallic walls, the dining room is surprisingly contemporary for such a Victorian-era structure, yet spacious and inviting nonetheless.

Spending extra time on small details—-like thoughtful place settings and crisp white tablecloths—-was important to Ruben as the chef-owner of Zabroso. Though he has worked at New York Times-rated restaurants in both New York and Connecticut, as well as enjoying a successful run as chef de cuisine for the popular Brazilian steak house, Churrascari Rodizio at Turning Stone Casino, Zabroso stands as Ruben’s first venture as a business owner. Lopez says the added pressure of running the restaurant is difficult, but those fortunate enough to dine at Zabroso will be thankful that Lopez has the liberty of doing things his own way.
Born in Spain, Ruben Lopez grew up in Puerto Rico and worked in French restaurants after graduating from The Culinary Institute of America in 1999. One can almost chart the course of his culinary travels on
Zabroso’s menu: from the warm, heady flavors of Spanish cuisine to the fresh, zesty tastes of the Caribbean, to the artful refinement of traditional French cooking. Each of the eight tapas we tasted (as well as two desserts) were artfully presented. But it was the consistent and subtly effective seasoning of dishes with regard to their natural flavors that showcases Lopez’s true talent as a chef.

First up on the tapas menu: a cool, refreshing avocado mousse, served in a petal-like arrangement of hand cut chips made of taro (South American potato), yucca (a starchy South American vegetable), and plantain (non-sweet banana). In my opinion, avocado makes just about anything better, and this starter proved to be the perfect palate-cleanser for those richer dishes to come. The mousse was quickly followed by sweet, tender asparagus sprigs, blanketed by a layer of Serrano ham and filo dough, and shortly thereafter by a cup of tomato bisque, which tasted as if it had been warmed by the sun and plucked off a vine in their garden.
Every dish tasted that night—-ranging from succulent scallops in saffron cream to the spicy codfish fritters to the cool salmon and avocado-passion fruit seviche (a citrus-marinated seafood salad)—-would have been a noteworthy entrée on its own. As tapas, the dishes (which ranged from $3 to $10 a piece), made up a fascinating medley of flavors and textures that can only be described as . . . well . . . sabroso!
Lopez’s finale/pièce de résistance: a grilled hanger steak served on skewers with chimichurri (an Argentinan marinade made of parsely, olive oil and other spices), masterfully cooked and seasoned. The meal ended with two desserts from pastry chef Robin Rebres. These included a rich, dark chocolate mousse dusted with coconut flakes, rating as one of the best desserts I’ve EVER enjoyed eating: a short stack of diced strawberries marinated inbalsamic vinegar and sandwiched between squares of flaky pastry and mascarpone cheese.
The regular weekly menu offers many of the Thursday tapas dishes, re-portioned as appetizers as well as a selection of ‘paellas,’ or seafood and rice dishes flavored with saffron and Spanish olive oil. Fresh summer produce is the mainstay in gourmet salads like seasonal heirloom tomatoes with a balsamic-thyme vinaigrette, and a Napoleon salad of red beets, fried goat cheese, and sherry vinaigrette.

Zabroso’s weekly entrees range from $20 to $30, and feature seasonal vegetables and thoughtful flavor combinations like a tamarind-ginger glaze over a grilled chicken breast and fennel buerre blanc, alongside roasted codfish. With Lopez at the helm, Zabroso seems poised to bring gourmet cuisine in Oneida to a whole new level of sophistication. If you appreciate interesting, well-prepared food, you owe yourself a trip to the Community Mansion House; for tapas, Thursday or any other day of the week.

Zabroso Restaurant & Lounge
The Oneida Community Mansion House
170 Kenwood Ave, Oneida 13421.
(315) 363- 3360
Hours: Wed. –Thurs. 4 p.m.-9 p.m.
Fri. 11:30 a.m.- 1p.m.; 4p.m.- 9p.m.
Sat. 4 p.m.- 10 p.m.
Sun. 11 a.m.- 4 p.m.

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