Even Just A Few Days After Reopening, Zebu Is A Delight

Billing itself as the heart and soul of the town, Zebu Forno reopened its South Street doors this month after a nine-month break. Like a Panera with personality, Zebu bakes its bread on site—in the forno, or oven—and serves a healthy selection of soups, salads, sandwiches and pizzas.

Two days after an opening is not a fair time to evaluate an establishment, but my editor and I were eager. As I waited outside for him to arrive, R.E.M was playing on the speakers—a good sign. I took a menu, and before setting foot inside decided on the eggplant delight: pan-fried eggplant, baby arugula, fresh mozzarella and balsamic vinaigrette on 7-grain bread.

Zebu has about six tables outside, but on this hot day, we opted to eat in the air conditioning. Exposed brick and ducts give the establishment a cool, modern, industrial feel, an ideal refuge from the summer sun. The staff was friendly–I began by asking them what their favorite sandwiches were. They recommended the chicken pesto sandwich, which is what my editor ordered. Oven-roasted pesto chicken topped with provolone and bruschetta on semolina bread was ideal, as he was looking for a lean, healthy, high-protein sandwich.

Though tempted by the chicken panini–with bacon, fresh mozzarella, romaine and balsamic vinaigrette on a rosemary-infused foccacia—I stuck to my eggplant.

Eggplant doesn't carry much flavor, but this not only tasted fresh, but it was fried without being heavy or oily. The mozzarella, too, was fresh (though I was told it is not made on the premesis, which is understandable), with the perfect amount of salt and flavor. These were both complemented well with a generous amount of green arugula, a healthy addition to this sandwich. The grilled bread had a good nutty flavor, no doubt baked in the forno earlier that day.

I didn't taste the chicken pesto, but John said several times how much he enjoyed it. We both chose the same beverage: Boylan birch beer from a soda fountain. Props to Zebu for using a New Jersey-based company for its soft drinks. Founded in Paterson in 1891, Boylan is now based in Moonachie, a short 30 miles from Morristown. And unlike most sodas, which are now sweetened with subsidized high-fructose corn syrup, Boylan sodas are made with real cane sugar.

The menu says all sandwiches come with a choice of chips and an apple, though we were just given chips. That was fine by me. I took my bag to go, and the salty carbs made a good post-run recovery snack over the weekend.

Perhaps it's the chips-or-apple-as-a-side and the freshly baked bread that prompted me to make the Panera comparison. But with only three locations all in New Jersey (Freehold, Morristown and Red Bank), Zebu is hardly as cookie-cutter as the nationwide Panera, and its menu is more diverse and original (see French toast with vanilla cinamon batter for breakfast, or Sicilian-style pizza with San Marzano tomatoes and whole milk mozzarella).

My editor reminded me that in my C'est Cheese review, I lamented a missed opportunity for ice cream. Zebu serves gelato, all made on the premises with a recipe from Milan and ingredients imported from Torino. This time, I didn't miss dessert. The almond flavored, chocolate-chip-laced straciatella was tempting, but I instead opted for the coconut—a creamy, satisfying dessert with lots of coconut bits and fewer calories than ice cream. A perfect ending to the meal.

While perhaps on the hearth, the heart and soul of the town that it markets itself as, Zebu Forno serves a fresh, satisfying meal–and I look forward to trying that French toast some day.