My wife and I heard about Zoe from a couple at another of our favorite restaurants (Divine up on Roosevelt). They spoke very highly of it, and they're weren't kidding - it's fantastic. We finally got around to eating there last night.
We had the ricotta gnudi appetizer, the beef short ribs and a pork dish called "The Whole Hog", followed by a dessert called "Thyme for Peaches". Everything was spectacular. Zoe's is one of those rare restaurants where everything you put in your mouth elicits a reflex reaction in which you automatically close your eyes, hold the food in your mouth, and just moan at the sheer pleasure of the flavors.
The peach tart came with "olive oil gelato", which initially had me wondering whether this was yet another example of some pretentious yuppie restaurant throwing together things that didn't work. I mean, ice cream made from olive oil?? But the combination of the gelato and the peach tart was unbelievably good, especially paired with a Pacific Rim late-harvest riesling.
Service was wonderful and very friendly. Zoe's is a little loud, though not unbearably so; and if you go after 830 pm on a weekday it calms down quite a bit.
All in all, we were both hugely impressed with this place: it's definitely a beacon of creativity and good taste in Seattle.
Pros: Spectacular food, great service
Cons: A little loud, but not unbearably so
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