When Phil the Fire closed its doors some years back, Shaker Square lost not only its best and only source for killer chicken and waffles — it surrendered a slice of its African-American identity as well.
Stepping in to more-than-capably fill those shoes is Zanzibar, an upscale soul-fusion spot located next-door to Shaker Cinemas. Taking over space previously occupied by Darna Moroccan Cuisine, Zanzibar is already doing better business than its predecessor. During two recent weeknight visits, both the bar and dining room percolated with infectious energy. Word is that weekends are even busier.
Owner Akin Affrica, a third-generation restaurateur whose family runs Angie’s Soul Café, has not only spiffed up the notion of a soul food restaurant; he has spiffed up the soul food itself. The restaurant’s tagline — “Sexy, Sophisticated, Soulful” — applies equally to the food and setting, elevating what typically is an uber-casual affair into something approaching fine dining.
When the roomy space was converted from Luchita’s to Darna, it received a major upgrade. This time around, it needed very little to take it to the next level. Dark-wood tabletops have replaced the former saffron-colored linens. Plush leather furniture makes sitting a breeze. But in the midst of one of the worst Cleveland winters, God only knows why the gas fireplace isn’t aglow.
For a perfect example of what soul fusion is all about, consider the popular soul rolls ($8.85). From the outside, these crunchy, deep-fried starters resemble Chinese egg rolls. Inside, however, boneless chicken, black beans, and roasted corn deliver a fresh new twist; spicy dipping sauce kicks them up anew. Another variation on a classic is the collards and artichoke dip ($6.95), which swaps the customary spinach for southern greens. Every bit as cheesy as the original, the thick dip comes with toasted focaccia for scooping.
Compared to many of Zanzibar’s menu items, which tend to be on the heavy side, the shrimp and grits ($7.95) appetizer feels light. Smallish shrimp in a flavorful Creole sauce are ladled over soft, creamy polenta. Cilantro and crisp veggies keep the dish bright.
In a menu section titled Small Bites, the kitchen shrinks down a handful of popular sandwiches to two-bite size. We gobbled up the mini catfish Po’ Boys ($8.95), a trio of sliders featuring freshly fried fish, crunchy cole slaw, and ripe tomato. Other sammies are built around jerk chicken, fried shrimp, and salmon.
Angie’s puts out top-notch fried chicken, and Zanzibar does too. Fried to order, the chicken can be enjoyed glazed in honey ($11.95), smothered in gravy ($9.95), or our personal favorite, garnishing fluffy Belgian waffles ($7.95). The combination of crunchy fried chicken, soft waffles, sweet syrup, and spicy hot sauce is a comfort food you won’t soon forget. So, too, is the chicken and biscuits, which features fried chicken served atop split biscuits and smothered in gravy and onions.
Not everything was a total success. Salmon croquettes ($10.95) tasted no better or worse than run-of-the-mill tuna cakes made with excess breading. And side dishes — the ever-important supporting cast to soul food — never seemed to rise to their role. The mac and cheese is a tad too bland, the Cajun corn and okra tasted odd, and the grits are ruined by pools of margarine instead of real butter. We have zero complaints, however, about the savory wild rice and diminutive corn muffins.
Zanzibar has a full bar, but watch out for the wines by the glass. Some, like the Red Diamond and Seven Sisters, are clearly no bargains. Many folks simply opt for the ice-cold lemonade or Kool-Aid, which is served up in massive 32-ounce Mason jars ($2.95).
We have yet to tackle the all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch. But if it’s anything like the regular menu, it is likely filling enough to get a person through till Monday.
This article appears in Mar 9-15, 2011.
…On March 14 and March 29, 2003, Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield, Oberlin College class of ‘73, executed two $20,000 promissory notes to Phil B. Davis, Phil the Fire’s flamboyant proprietor, at prime plus 200 basis points, collateralized by an equity stake in Phil the Fire. Mr. Davis, a former deodorant salesman, failed to make a single payment on the bargain-rate loans. On October 31, 2003, the well-heeled ice cream czar and the wannabe waffle king consummated a Halloween wing-and-a-prayer loan consolidation through a $100,000 line of credit issued by Shore Bank. Mr. Davis subsequently defaulted on every facet of the original loans.
According to Cuyahoga County Court records, Phil the Fire’s tax returns, prepared by leading public accounting firm SS & G, show a loss of nearly $50,000 in 2002. In an amended July 19, 2004, brief attached to the extensive litigation spawned by Phil the Fire’s demise, Phil B. Davis declares on line #93, “Defendant never claimed that the operations of Phil the Fire on Shaker Square had yielded a profit after its first year of operations.” The Ohio Department of Taxation affixed eight liens totaling $69,555.63 to Phil the Fire’s Shaker Square carcass. The Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation weighed in with unpaid claims of $7,265.37.
Mr. Davis’ Shaker Square operation inherited the retail storefront formerly occupied by Hungarian strudel purveyor Lucy’s Sweet Surrender, a 49-year Buckeye neighborhood fixture employing a bevy of elderly, veteran strudel kneaders. On assuming the balance of Lucy’s ten-year lease, Mr. Davis seized $75,000 in specialized bakery equipment belonging to Lucy’s proprietor Michael Feigenbaum. Lucy’s never fully recovered and, according to Mr. Feigenbaum’s Hotel Bruce web posting, is “living on fumes.”
On Sunday, March 26, 2006, the Cleveland Plain Dealer ran a front-page expose detailing the implosion of both the Shaker Square and downtown Phil the Fire and Waterhouse Restaurants, established with the financial backing of fugitive Atlanta hedge fund manager Kirk Wright. I, not any member of this body [Oberlin City Council], was the original source for that story.
Wanted on state and federal mail and securities fraud warrants for allegedly absconding with $185 million in investor assets, Wright targeted novice minority investors, particularly professional athletes with significant discretionary income. Equipped, according to the New York Post, with “a materialistic streak that would make Madonna blush,” Wright’s illicitly acquired auto collection included a Bentley, a Jaguar, an Aston Martin, a BMW and a Lamborghini. A March 9, 2006, Wall Street Journal article reported Mr. Wright’s financial seductions occurred in “suites he rented at Atlanta Falcon football games.” Since February 2002, SCA’s financial patron, Home Depot co-founder Arthur Blank, has owned the Atlanta Falcons. According to Phil B. Davis’ Cuyahoga County court filings, Davis “met twice with Wright in Plaintiff’s Atlanta office.”
In a short, tumultuous five-month life-span, Phil the Fire’s illiquid downtown Cleveland gravy train racked up well in excess of a million dollars in unpaid debts and forfeitures — including over $15,000 in Ohio workers compensation liens — was on a C.O.D. basis with vendors and, according to Phil Davis’ July 28, 2004, court filings, had a chronic negative cash flow. Channel 19 reporter Scott Taylor ran an investigative piece broadcast March 14, 2004, on Phil the Fire Gateway’s imminent meltdown. On March 23, 2004, the IRS slapped a $226,259 tax lien on Phil the Fire for failure to pay federal withholding taxes. On April 15, 2004, Phil the Fire employees picketed outside the swank downtown eatery to protest their untendered paychecks. Although Phil Davis’ initial capital contribution to the Gateway Phil the Fire restaurant was a nominal $100, as set forth in the operating agreement, Mr. Davis retained a 60% ownership stake. On March 31, 2004, as the downtown Phil the Fire hemorrhaged cash and the chickens came home to roost, Mr. Davis borrowed $20,000, via a promissory note, from Phil the Fire’s talented chef, Alexander Daniels. Despite receiving $50,000 from Mr. Wright on April 26, 2004, in an impetuous, global out-of-court settlement, Mr. Davis defaulted on the bulk ($15,000) of Mr. Daniels’ unsecured loan and a contracted $11,000 culinary consultant’s fee…
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