Zin Bistro Americana – Dinner – October 30, 2020 – Westlake, CA.

I am always amazed and surprised about all of the unique microcosms that Los Angeles and elsewhere, have to offer. Located on Westlake in the City of Westlake, Zin Bistro Americana provides a vacation-like atmosphere for all of the locals who live on the lake and own boats, and beyond. There are over 500 boats that are operating on the lake, some are just for cruising, and some belong to homeowners that have their own slips. But all are recreational and provide a much-needed dose of fun for the folks that live in Westlake. What most of the restaurants have done is to have a their own slips on the lake in the back of their restaurants. You can order drinks and food and park your boat in their slip, while enjoying your evening with Zin Bistro’s great food, on the water. I witnessed firsthand many of these fun activities; everyone is having a blast and super fortunate to have this great restaurant as a local dining option. I would call it Disneyland for adults. But don’t get me wrong there were also plenty of teenagers and kids that were also appreciating their evening on the lake. Once you’re off the boat there is a lovely patio with an outdoor dining area that looks out on the lake and had the great entertainment of the very versatile singer Jeanne Tatum. No matter where you sat you could see and hear her, so the ambiance coupled with the food was so amazing. There are not a lot of places where you can dine on a local lake and be entertained. The night I was there it was just the most perfect weather, but they also have heat lamps, and a fire pit for colder nights. Zin Bistro Americana did not disappoint, my experience was just off the charts.

With all of the restaurant closures due to the pandemic, Zin Bistro Americana reopened their inviting patio back in July, truly invigorating their already faithful clientele. Who doesn’t want to go out, feel safe, be pampered, and listen to live music?

Here’s what I tried:

Cocktails:

Belvedere Martini, served in a proper martini glass, just the way I like it. Cold, refreshing, just the perfect martini.

Pomegranate Martini, this is for the cocktail drinker that wants something fruity but not too sweet, and a drink that will surely quench your palate, just wonderful.

Cucumber Margarita, with Tanteo Tequila, they usually put jalapeno in this drink to add a kick. I preferred it without, it was light with a nice cooling effect from the cucumber, and if you’re a margarita drinker then you must try this one.

Starters:

Oysters on the half shell, these little darlings are plucked straight from the sea, and the sauce complimented the superb freshness.

Ahi Tuna, rice cake, with avocado, spicy mayo, and ell sauce. The presentation is just gorgeous; the combination of the eel sauce, and spicy mayo drizzled across the rice cakes made all the difference in the world. It just adds another element to this fantastical dish.

Lamb Lollipops, with julienne vegetables and mint pesto. This is more of an entrée size dish, so you can order this one for the table, there are 4 nice size lamb chops and the flavor will blow your hair back. It is served on top of some enjoyable julienne vegetables, all with that delightful mint pesto. A must-have!

Seared Scallop Risotto, with lemon risotto and braised asparagus. They give you one large scallop with the most delicate risotto, a dish that you wish would never end, it is just that good.

Soup:

Guinness Onion Soup, served in a gratin, with an oozing cheese topping, you can taste the Guinness in every bite, a true winner.

Lobster Chowder, super creamy, chock-full of lobster pieces, in an impeccable lobster broth.

Mains:

Chilean Sea bass, with bok choy, steamed rice, Provencal. The fish is flaky and moist, the butter adds to the overall lusciousness of this dish, another layer of great flavor. I would order this every time, truly magnificent.

Chicken Fried Lobster, with spinach, mashed potatoes, and thyme beurre blanc, this is one of their favorites among their loyal following. It’s a big serving with delectable mashed potatoes and sautéed garlic spinach. This one for sure is for the lobster lover.

Desserts:

Cheese Cake, light and delicious, a great way to end my fantastic dinner.

Chocolate Cake, served with glorious vanilla ice cream, rich, deep, everything you would want from your chocolate cake dessert.

Wines:

Cakebread, Napa Valley, Chardonnay, a nice crisp Chardonnay, this would pair nicely with the oysters and the lobster bisque.

Ferrari-Carano, Sonoma County, Chardonnay. A buttery, creamy wine, pair this with any of the seafood dishes, as well as the Lobster or Sea Bass.

Owner Rouz Yazdanyar wants everyone who comes to his establishment to be treated like family; he wants every person to be comfortable. There are lots of regulars as well as some celebrities who love coming here and do not want to be recognized. The vibe is very welcoming, a place where everyone knows your name. His Mother, “Majineh”, inspired his hospitality career, always being supportive of her son’s endeavors. He started in 1999, working at the local staple Fin’s Seafood Grill in Westlake. Rouz is a fixture in this area, and he welcomes everyone coming in just like they are his immediate family.

Chefs Phelipe Cruz and Juan Cruz, pride themselves on delivering delicious flavorful foods to all who consume. One of the great things that I noticed is that they don’t over-salt their menu items, you can really taste their fine ingredients and recipes, that did not go unnoticed and I really appreciated that little nuance. Everything I tasted was otherworldly, combining the freshest ingredients with a mélange of gorgeous tastes. Their purveyors deliver only the freshest foods six days a week. They really know how to take wonderful recipes and make them their own at Zin Bistro Americana. You can see that everyone is thoroughly enjoying his or her dining experience. My server Ricki was so accommodating, she was happy, and was always smiling, a real joy.

Zin Bistro Americana is where you can enjoy al fresco lakeside patio dining at its finest. The patio seats up to 150 customers, and they have live music every Friday and Saturday nights. The sunset was pink and purple, with lots of local boats drifting by. Romance is clearly in the air, with couples, some slow dancing, and couples out for their weekend date. You can also see larger parties of friends and families, enjoying their delicious food and entertainment, and all taking in their exceptional lake views.

My takeaway is that with everyone so nervous about Covid and the election, racial unrest, etc., it was so nice for me to be able to get out, leave all of this tension behind and truly be in the moment at Zin Bistro Americana. Enjoying everything this great establishment has to offer. They are following all safety and CDC guidelines, everything was very clean and I felt very safe. So to my readers, next time you want a mini-vacation in Los Angeles, try Zin Bistro Americana, you will be so happy you did!

Zin Bistro Americana
32131 Lindero Canyon
Westlake Village, CA.
818-865-0095
Zinwestlake.com

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