Zan(Z)Bar and Andy

Working on travel guides for Fodor's has been one of the highlights of my life. I never would have had the opportunity if it weren't for Andy. Fun facts about me always include that I am an editorial contributor in several of his books. Many times, it was solely my opinion and feedback that warranted the credit. Even more work was fact checking many chapters in his books which at first, seems like an easy job. Not so much. I have a lot of respect for professional fact checkers as it can be grueling, time consuming and frustrating as hell. Nobody ever wants to give you a straight answer and then they want to know why you are inquiring. It can take forever to get someone off of the phone when all you needed to know was their cross-street or zip code.

One of the few things where I actually had personal and professional investment that warranted the credit in the book was the Fort Lauderdale chapter of his Gay USA guide and mini-pocket guide Gay Guide to South Florida. This is one chapter that I was proud to work on and added many entries for restaurants.

I was never a fan of Florida and can hardly explain why without offending those who are in love with the state. I just don't care for the atmosphere in most of its major cities and when Andy and I were traveling cross-country, I dreaded the Florida portion and quite frankly, didn't want to go. This is funny to most people close to me, as it seems when you're in the Northeast part of the country, your biggest dream in life is to someday make it to Florida. Perhaps it is the tag line that it is the Sunshine State and the idea of a palm tree hanging over your head while sitting under the sun at the Atlantic Ocean. I must admit, as a kid, Florida was always what I thought was paradise. This, however, was before I had the opportunity to explore the coast of the Pacific Ocean, which by far outweighs the beauty of the Atlantic to me. This, of course, is subject to exceptions like in the Northeast corner of the country: Martha's Vineyard, Rhode Island, and Maine are among the few that stand out to me. The Atlantic lends itself to the landscape surrounding these places and the weather that comes along with it. Don't hold it against me that it's my least favorite state, please. Please.

There were a couple of rays of sunshine on my trip to Florida, though. There was the opportunity to visit my Aunt Anita in Key West and there was the extended stay in Fort Lauderdale. I never thought of Fort Lauderdale as the destination of my dreams, but it helped that Andy's friend, Richard Gray was there to sell it to me. Not only was Richard someone I would have a crush on for years to come, but he was so passionate about his city and the inn he owned. He led us to terrific restaurants, hot spots and attractions. Richard spoke so highly of his city and did a better job promoting it than any commercial. In his British accent, he always used the word "upscale" and he sold me quickly. I got to know the city intimately, which was rare on our trips, as we only stayed in most cities for a day or two. I ate my way through Fort Lauderdale and found it easy to write about what I was eating and where.

Zan(Z)Bar was a fairly new venture on Las Olas Blvd among the trendy shops and dining spots. Richard told us it was African cuisine. I didn't know what that meant and had never experienced African food. It was exciting to me to try something new and Andy agreed it was a spot we would have to hit. When I gazed at the menu, I knew exactly what I would order after only a few minutes. The zebra-striped, bow tie pasta smothered in seafood was so intriguing to me. I had never seen designs on pasta and I just had to see it with my own eyes. Sure enough, the pasta arrived with beautiful zebra stripes all over my dish. I wondered how that was possible and the chef informed me that it was squid ink. I was so excited to have such a pretty pasta. Not only was it pretty but also delicious with its octopus, crab and shrimp gracing its presence. I thought it was such a simple dish with a beautiful presentation and I never forgot it.

Years later, I see pasta with designs all over the place. Not just at restaurants, but at fun stores like World Market and even at my local grocery. Beautiful colors, stripes and even polka dots have shown up on my pasta radar. It is one of my favorite things to buy- although, I must admit, I usually save the beautiful pastas for a special occasion which never seems to arrive. I think I might start using some for everyday dishes. Perhaps when I do, I will remember the fresh, Fort Lauderdale breeze, Richard Gray, and my trip there with Andy.