Zanzibar Blue Celebrates 15
Years
By: Wendy Wolf
Zanzibar
Blue opened on south 11th Street on April 1, 1990. The space that stretched from
305 to 311 South 11th Street had a beautiful cherry wood bar, hand-painted
wallpaper, custom made leaded glass windows and a deep blue, billowing silk
ceiling. It had previously housed the ill-fated Cypress restaurant and many said
it was a 'cursed' location. But from the very start, Zanzibar Blue was a hit. It
became the place in Philadelphia for jazz and was soon recognized as the bar
that broke the cultural barriers that had divided Philadelphia's nightlife
scene. Young, old, black, white, Center City resident and suburbanites from
across the tri-state area filled the bar, restaurant and cafe night after night.
In 1996, Zanzibar Blue moved to its current
location on the lower level of the Bellevue at Broad and Walnut Street. With the
addition on national and international musicians to the stage, Zanzibar Blue
rose to the next step in its evolution and claimed the title of Philadelphia's
premier jazz supper club.
This April, Zanzibar Blue will celebrate its
15th anniversary. It is one of a mere handful of Philadelphia restaurants that
can claim such longevity. Restaurants come and go, change their names and change
their chefs with alarming frequency. But Zanzibar Blue has weathered the
downturns in the economy, the wicked winter of 2003 and the slump in
Philadelphia's convention business. To celebrate, $15.00 entree specials will be
served Sunday through Thursday nights. Specials will include items from the
original 1990's menu; Pollo pan Do, a west Indian chicken dish with a coconut
curry sauce and Cameroon Curry, a tomato based, curried lamb stew with sweet
potatoes and peanuts.
Weekends will feature two specials; an
appetizer sampler that includes escargot strudel and 'Best of Philly' jumbo lump
crab cake, and a dessert sample that features Zanzibar Blue's signature dessert;
sweet potato cheesecake. Both samplers will be offered at the special
anniversary price of $15.00 and are intended for sharing by two or more diners.
