European corner cafes are sometimes called "le zinc," which refers to
their zinc-covered tables and counters. John Secretan, Zinc Cafe &
Market's owner, borrowed the expression for his three popular
vegetarian cafes.
John's first cafe is on Ocean Avenue in Laguna Beach. There's
another on South Cedros in Solana Beach. The third is on Coast
Highway in Corona del Mar. He wanted a relaxing environment for
neighbors to feel comfortable. As in Europe, he uses only the finest
in-season fruits and vegetables. (He's a third-generation
vegetarian.) Zinc serves breakfast, lunch and dessert daily and, new
to Laguna only, dinners Thursday through Saturday.
Corona del Mar's Zinc Cafe & Market opened in November. The large
cafe has indoor and outdoor seating. The decor is in calm taupe and
beige tones with vaulted ceilings and, of course, zinc-covered tables
and counters.
Zinc's casual, relaxed atmosphere has so much appeal to those who
have leisure time, as well as busy residents who rush in for coffee,
gifts and gourmet foods to go. The cafe and market are separate. The
market side has self-serve lunches to go. (Soon it will have more
refrigerated foods.) The coffee bar serves premium Peet's coffee and
six of the highest quality whole leaf teas -- never tea bags.
The market specializes in hand-selected home accessories and
takeout foods for small and large groups. The selection includes
imported fine porcelain, pillows, cookbooks, vases and beautiful
candles. Containers are filled with different foods daily. There
could be anything from delicious roasted tomato salsa to
unforgettable Tuscan white bean soup. It's well known for its Zinc
vinaigrette and homemade granola (a mixture of oats, pecans, almonds,
wheat germ sesame seeds, coconut, orange rind, butter, brown sugar
and vanilla).
Customers can order food at the counter and then pickup drinks.
Food is brought to tables by servers. Prepared foods can be purchased
at one of the registers in the center of the cafe, menu boards hang
above them, and lines form behind the center door. Free refills for
self-serve coffee are offered on the far side of the bar. For the
breakfast and lunch rush, there's a quick-serve drink and pastry bar.
The all-vegetarian menu, heavy on dairy products, has an
overwhelming selection. There are appetizers, muffins, scones and
pastries, soups, sandwiches, salads, entrees and desserts. Most
restaurants with extensive menus have a hard time succeeding at every
dish, but Zinc manages fine. Even people who aren't vegetarians love
