Zinnia is a newly renovated restaurant and events space that has taken over the former Wisteria Restaurant inside the Chrysler Museum of Art.
It opened on January 24th of this year and is operated by the TASTE Family of Businesses, which is known for their sandwich shops throughout Hampton Roads.
A warm welcome is always received when entering the Chrysler Museum. A staff member is always there to hold the door open for me when entering and leaving.
Zinnia is adjacent to the Huber Court in the lobby of the museum with its entrance over to the left. Its entrance dazzles the eyes with an attractive open air atmosphere enhanced by its artsy and upscale vibe. Their table settings are nicely presented.
Their main indoor dining area has a capacity for 75 diners. In addition, there is also an outdoor patio and garden terrace area, which are sure to become more populated with diners as the weather warms up.
A sign at the front entrance reads: "Please Visit Back Counter To Be Seated." A friendly staff member has greeted me at their back counter and quickly found a seat for me with each visit. A Grab & Go station is also located by their back counter.
I have tried the following to date:
POKE BOWL: Ahi Tuna, Avocado, Pickled Onions, Edamame, Carrots, English Cucumber, Sushi Rice, Sesame Teriyaki Sauce, and Spicy Mayo. This dish was listed under the Boards And Bowls section of their menu.
I asked them to leave out the spicy mayo, as mayo is one condiment that does not agree with me. I love a good spicy tuna poke bowl, but I had to go without the spice I was craving, since it came with the mayo.
The poke bowl was beautifully constructed and tightly packed. There was also some seaweed salad in the mix, a welcome addition not mentioned in their menu, The bowl was very filling, and I began to feel full about halfway through.
Unfortunately, the sushi rice was ice cold, which disrupted the harmony and the flavors of the other ingredients. Sushi rice is best served as close as possible to room or body temperature.
I have never had rice in any type of sushi or poke bowl dish that was quite this cold. As a result, I would be hesitant to order this one again. My Rating: 3 Stars.
PEKING DUCK SALAD: Edamame, Honey Roasted Tomatoes, Crispy Potatoes, Carrots, Romaine,, and an Orange Ginger Vinaigrette. This dish was listed under the Soups and Salads section of their menu.
I love Peking Duck and have never had it served in a salad format before. I had visions of large succulent slices of roasted and crispy skin-on duck mixed in with the other salad ingredients.
What I got instead were a few thin and tiny slivers of meat in ragtag disarray with no crispy skins. I would have never guessed the meat was duck if it wasn't for the menu. What I mostly tasted were the other salad ingredients.
A Google search on Peking Duck Salad revealed several recipes when I got home. Each one included large and crispy skin-on slices of roasted Peking style duck, along with ingredients such as Hoisin Sauce and Five Spice Powder, which were absent from the version served here.
Based upon the recipes I found, the Peking Duck Salad I had here did not present the taste and appearance of an authentic and legitimate version of this dish. My Rating: 2 Stars.
CHICKEN CAPRESE PANINI: All Natural Chicken, Fresh Mozzarella, Oven-Roasted Tomatoes, and Basil Pesto in a Ciabatta Roll. Served with Parmesan Fries. This dish was listed under the Handhelds section of their menu.
I had much better luck with this one. The panini bread was delightfully crunchy, and all the ingredients in the sandwich came through nicely with a fresh and flavorful taste experience. The fries were a bit lackluster. My Rating: 4 Stars.
FRESH BERRY TRIFLE: Shortcake Trifle and Triple Cream Mascarpone. The berries turned out to be a mx of strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries.
My eyes were craving a more distinct view of the different berries. Otherwise, their flavors in combination with the shortcake and creamy mascarpone came through nicely with a light, airy, and pleasant taste and texture. My Rating: 4.5 Stars.
HOT CHOCOLATE: Steamed Milk & Dark Chocolate Syrup.
My serving was a bit bland and lukewarm with a light and thin consistency that reminded me much more of cocoa.
I prefer a steaming hot chocolate with a thicker consistency made from melted bits of solid chocolate for a richer and stronger chocolately taste. The dark chocolate syrup mix didn't quite do it for me. My Rating: 3 Stars.
Zinnia is a welcome addition to the Chrysler Museum. Their service has been exceptionally friendly and attentive with each visit.
Based upon three visits to date, I feel that their food overall needs to catch up with the quality of their service, atmosphere, and vibe, which I am hopeful will happen over time.
In the meantime, my actual rating hovers over 3.5 stars, but is rounded down to 3 stars at this time. I wish them the best of success going forward. read more