Much of the artwork at Zaza's has no color. Black-and-white photographs dapple the walls—everything from Rat Pack portraits to Ansel Adams landscapes, the monochromatic tones offsetting the surrounding gold paint and wood accents. These pictures lend sophistication to the dining room, but they also provide a counterbalance to the vibrancy of the food—a mix of northern Italian recipes that feature pasta, meats, seafood, and thin-crust pizzas.

Like an overambitious werewolf, the menu changes weekly, cycling through dishes such as housemade crab-stuffed gnocchi and signature plates of bone-in rib eye. An appetizer of a whole baked artichoke might lead into succulent bites of veal tenderloin, or perhaps helpings of jumbo shrimp wrapped in the linguine of the scampi broccoli olio. Daily specials add yet another element of unpredictability to the restaurant, though catering and party platters remain planned in advance and private private parties are always a phone call reservation away.