NCCOAST.com Dining

Café Zito: A Taste of the Mediterranean

If you are craving fresh local seafood, homemade pasta or local grass-fed beef, Café Zito has what you are looking for. Located in the historic Bell-Philips House in downtown Morehead City, Café Zito offers local, seasonal products uniquely prepared in the style of the Mediterranean. Grass-fed filet mignon, fresh yellow-fin tuna, grilled scallops, little-neck clams and homemade ravioli are a few of their specialties. But make sure you leave room for dessert: homemade flan, cheesecake, chocolate torte and crepes are just a few you won’t want to miss.

Café Zito opened on Valentine’s Day 2005. Owners Baptist Knaven and Jennifer Kelley wanted to bring their experiences of working, living and tasting the Mediterranean to their own restaurant. Their desire was to create the restaurant they were always looking for. This led them to the name “Zito”, which comes from a Greek word meaning “searching.” Chef Baptist is known to say, “It’s all about the food,” combining the best local seasonal products with the robust flavors of the Mediterranean. But both he and his wife Jennifer agree that it’s really all about the customer. You’ll feel right at home in this cozy, charming setting where you can dine both inside and on the front porch. Kids are welcome too. They don’t have a particular kids’ menu but prefer to hear from the kids themselves what they like to eat.

Wednesday through Saturday, Café Zito offers their unique Dinner Menu. On Sunday and Monday nights, Café Zito does something a little different. They offer their Tapas Menu where you can choose from a wide variety of small dishes including soups, salads, flat-bread pizzas, fresh seafood and steak and much more. Perfect for sharing or creating your own menu, the Tapas nights are ideal for tasting a wide variety of Mediterranean flavors.

Café Zito has been selected as one of five finalists in the 2007 North Carolina Best Dish Competition. Sponsored by “Goodness Grows in N.C.”, finalists have created special dishes showcasing North Carolina products. You can taste Café Zito’s creations for this competition throughout the summer.

Café Zito opens at 5:30 nightly and is closed on Tuesdays. Details, 252-726-6676 or visit www.cafezito.com.

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