Z Rant

Like rain on Field Day and a day-​before-​your-​birthday breakup, there are few things worse than pure, unadulterated disappointment. For this reason, I try not to get too excited about trying out new places — hype kills — but Z-​Rant had me from first menu-​peek.
Panko-​crusted fried green tomatoes! Jalapeño margaritas! Eggs Benny spin-​offs! This is my brunch dream come true; steps from my apartment and never crowded when I walk by! Now I know why.
I am not one to complain about service, because people have bad days and nursing is kind of like waitressing, but this chick COULD NOT BE BOTHERED. The Jalapeño marg was weak and watery, but I would have put down three of them — if I had had the opportunity. :Crickets:
As for the food: unmemorable, lacking flavor, and, after about an hour wait with no more than 5 2-​tops occupied, not what I ordered. The only thing positive about this experience was Johnna M’s smiling face across the table. +1 for that.

Here’s a little known Cantabrigian secret– did you know that soul dance mecca Zuzu serves breakfast and lunch, under the name Z Rant? It’s nothing like that insane dance party you went to that one night– they completely transform the space into a lovely and colorful little dining room.
I LOVE the idea of this place. Unusual and tasty pre-​3pm fare at reasonable prices? Great idea!
I really liked the sweet potato latkes and the sauce it comes with. Cool variations of breakfast sandwiches are available, as well as fresh juices. There’s always a LOT of seating available too, which is rare for Central Sq breakfast dining.

I went to this place on a Sunday afternoon and decided to sit outside. The inside was really warm.
After sitting down and asking for water, it took the server ~10 minutes to bring it out. It wasn’t even necessarily busy on this day. Once I got my water, I realized that there was a dead fly floating in my water. AND every time the wind blew, tons of small leaves, etc, rained upon and possibly into our drinks! The table umbrella barely covered the table, and the sun was also partially shining on us.
But wait. it gets worse. The hella-​cheesy-​scrambled eggs I ordered took OVER ONE HOUR for the server to bring out. I could have literally taken the 20 minute train ride home, made those eggs in my kitchen, and brought them back in the same amount of time. (They did bring out a plate of hummus since it was taking so long BUT it tasted very mediocore AND the server made us share it with another random table…)
But wait, it gets even worse. The home fries I ordered were replaced by some gross green leaves, which were way too healthy for my tastes. The server said he would bring out regular fries instead BUT NEVER DID. He offered not to charge for my plate but took this as an excuse not to give replacement fries…
But wait. it gets worse. I had a $ 10 off $ 20 coupon from a groupon website. Thus, discounting my order would not really help me. Thus, I ordered a mango juice to make up for the difference. (The drink tasted artificial and might have been the worst «mango juice» that I have ever tasted.)
tl;dr: Dead fly in drink, bad outdoor seating, replaced fries with green leaves after I ordered, took over one hour to bring out food, horrible mango juice. Decent scrambled eggs.

Horrible brunch experience, decent food, not worth my 20minute trip!
Arrived at 1:40pm for brunch on a beautiful Sunday afternoon and got seated outside within 5 minutes (it smelled like alcohol in a musty room indoors). Waited 10 minutes before someone came by to bring water and finally got to order at 2pm. By 2:30 the food wasn’t out yet! (kitchen closes at 3pm)
Our server brought a plate of hummus and babaganoush with 2 small bags of cold pita bread and asked us and the table next to ours if we could share. Compliments of the chef, since the food was taking so long. I should have guessed… this was an evil ploy to buy time! (Side note: The hummus was way too runny and tart! Recipe fail!)
Our food didn’t come out until 3pm sharp. (1 hour of waiting for food freakin’ eggs!!) By then, they had «run out» of home fries. HOW does a brunch place run out of home fries? And by run out, i believe the chef decided he just didn’t want to make more potatoes for 2 people. Our server offered to bring out french fries instead. 3:10pm he returns — no french fries either… want a salad instead? Or half off your meal?
NO!!! We had a $ 10 for $ 20 worth of food coupon and our meal barely made the $ 20 minimum. We decided to go ahead and just use the coupon, ordering a mango juice and homemade lemonade. Mango juice was god awful. Definitely 100% artificial flavoring, but the lemonade was refreshing and delicious, just REALLY really sour.
The food itself was mediocre. My smoked salmon eggs benedict was served over oat waffles and to my disappointment, the eggs were COMPLETELY overcooked. No runny yolk at all!!! (Big sad face!!!) In fact, it was like hard boiled eggs over waffles. How one messes up eggs benedict… i don’t know. The waffles however, were decent.
We left grumpy and will definitely NOT be returning.

I am so happy to now have this gem down the block from my apartment!
We came here for brunch post-​St Patty’s Day (thinking it was going to be filled with hungover patrons like us and possibly a scramble to get a table at 11 a.m. on a Sunday), but alas, I think we beat the rush by an hour or so.
The food was really delicious and creative. I got the Kathy Bates (savory waffles topped with fried green tomatoes, poached eggs, and avocado sauce) while my dining companion had the cheesy eggs. Both were delicious. They were also really friendly to my friend’s gluten-​free needs, and can accommodate vegans by offering tofu scramble for any of their egg dishes (!)
We didn’t try any of the brunch cocktails (our heads were still reeling from the night before), but they looked delicious.
And I like the atmosphere! Not as claustrophobic as brunch at Café Luna, but still cute and casual.
I only knock down a star because of the spotty service. Our waiter was really, really nice and made great recommendations food-​wise, but it took us a loooong time to get much-​needed glasses of water amidst our hangovers and the refills were rare.
That said, I’ll definitely be returning very soon.

Decided to go to Z-​Rant because I had heard some great things about the Duck Duck Chicken sandwich. I was late, so when I came to the table my friend was already sipping a gorgeous brightly colored libation called a Sage Heaven (sage-​infused Knob Creek + lime + mango purée + soda = Amaahhhzing). One sip turned into two turned into ‘Kristen get your own drink’. Which I did.
When our lovely server/​bartender Georgina came back, I asked her for help in deciding. I settled on the Lil Bo Peep and my friend got the Raise the Steaks (grilled flank steak, mushroom onion ragout, brie, & arugula) and we split a side of sweet potato latkas. It didn’t really take that long to get our food, and it gave us a minute to giggle at the fabulous names of the drinks/​sandwiches.
. Every bite was flavorful. My friend was raving about the delicious chunks of steak in her sandwich, and was already planning on trying it as a salad ($ 1 more) next time. We both loved the sweeet potato latkas which were more like breaded sweet potato purée patties with some kind of fabulous chive cream. Will definitely be back

We got a random menu in our mailbox one day and my boyfriend was so intrigued he decided to go on his lunch break later that week to check it out. He loved it SO much we went for brunch that Sunday for «Diva Brunch w/​DJ Leah McFly».
It was busy but we sat at the bar. Our order was taken quickly and the food came out soon after. I tried the «Cheddar? I hardly know her!» with sauteed veggies and it was DELISH! The DJ was playing a good mix of songs and at a perfect volume I might add. The drink menu was superb as well, so good in fact we had to try one of each before we left.
All in all 2 thumbs up — no complaints here!

I think my friend and I must have hit up Z-​Rant on a bad day? We came here when it opened around 10am so we could be sure to get a table. Service was very spotty and the staff seemed a little out of it. At first we didnt’ have any silverware and then someone brought us over extra napkins too, he seemed very confused by what was going on and was reprimanded by the kind of rude owner. They had no milk available for us to put in our coffee. I can understand not having skim milk, understand not having soy milk, but what restaurant doesn’t have milk? There was only one waitress for the whole space too so the service was just not good. When we got our food I found that since my friend had ordered egg whites with her meal they decided to give me egg whites as well. Oh well, no biggie, but to make matters worse our food was cold! I have not received cold food in quite sometime, especially not at brunch. With all the competition in the area you would think they would up their game a little bit. I was actually really embarrassed by the whole experience since I was the one that recommended the place to my friend and we were so excited to check out a new brunch place.
Again though, with all the good reviews i’m thinking maybe we just hit this spot on a bad day, but I have too many other solid go to brunch places around me that this is just not worth going to again.

GROSS!!! I should have known better the minute i sat down. a glass bottle was already filled with tap water. who knows how long that was there for. we were given coffee right away which was nice, until i tasted how awful it was. we looked over the menu and decided on cinnamon waffles with a side of strawberry sauce and maple syrup. also scrambled eggs with tomatoes, peppers, cheddar cheese and a side of kofta sausage and home fries. i usually understand it takes time to take an order and cook the food but it took forever. they had 3 people working the whole dinning area. the wait was so long i went across the street to café luna and ordered 2 lattes and came back and waited some more and the food was still not done!!!
oh boy and when the food came i knew it was bad… the homefries were burnt. the pepper wasn’t even cut up small it was cut in huge slices, same with the tomato. the waffle was kind of cold. the maple syrup was litterally watered down table syrup .it wasn’t even real. and the biggest thing of all was the undercooked and cold sausage!!! the food was gross. i would never eat here again. the food literally has made my stomach upset all day. STAY AWAY AND DON’T EAT HERE.yuck.blah.

«Brunch on me,» she says. I accept.
«Heard of Z Rant?» I shake my head.
«Read this menu,» she demands. I oblige.
Overflowing with ZuZu’s quirk, the brunch/​lunch scene transforms the Central Square cornerstone from high-​octane nightlife in to a subtle dining experience among the boisterous character of The Middle East.
The pun-​laden menu offers more than a smile over names like Porkage In A Pear Tree (pork tenderloin, pear, bleu cheese, cranberries, arugula + cashew pesto), Soylent Green (an ironically meatless ‘wich) and Duck, Duck, Chicken (explained below) — the sandwiches promise flavor bursting combos not easily found elsewhere. Only one way to find out…
My Duck, Duck, Chicken orgifies slow-​roasted duck, chicken liver & fig paté, mushroom ragout and arugula, with a money shot of grapefruit vinaigrette. Oh my, what did I jut type? Let’s leave it. To call the ‘wich decadent would be an understatement; it’s a cannonball of unctuous cholesterol, umami and a kiss of tart ‘n’ bitter. I’d imagine the sandwich to be better on the standard baguette, whereas my charred sourdough brought nothing to the table except edible packaging.
I have a hard time swallowing $ 13 for a stand-​alone sandwich, and while any side can join the meal for $ 1.99 (killer sweet potato latkes are a no-​brainer), you’ll be pressed to find a panini lunch for under $ 10. The bump up from a 3.5 comes courtesy of an amazing house Bloody mix (roma tomatoes are the secret!) and the very drinkable Whiskey Business — Early Grey infused Makers, Aperol, crème de cassis and a splash of citrus. Crazy repeatable.
Quick note: Lunch runs through the week, but bennies and waffles off the brunch menu are Sat/​Sun specific.

Sunday Brunch:
I went it at 10am (when it opens). There was only one other group there at the time so seating wasn’t an issue. The place seems to be fairly low key Sunday mornings (or at least this morning). Waiter was awesome; very friendly and attentive. The layout is pretty open so even on a full day it wouldn’t be crammed (common complaint for some brunch places).
I ordered the Go Green! egg-​white Scramble (basil-​marinated portobella /​fried green tomatoes /​fresh mozzarella /​basil cashew pesto) and my friend got the Kathy Bates Bennie (Eggs benedict that consists of 2 crispy oat waffles, fried green tomatoes, poached eggs, hollandaise-​of course-​and avocado smash). Portions were very generous. Eating buddy loved his eggs benedict. I had a bite myself and they were yummy. I liked my scramble as well. Sweet potato latkas were good; very comfort food-​like. My only critique was the amount of liquid in my plate. I’m guessing cooking with that much veggies, some fluid comes out but it made the eggs a little wetter than I would have liked (mostly an issue towards the end of the meal). It was all still delicious but definitely would have liked less water. The excess water could have also accounted for the egg tasting a bit bland. To be fair, I love salty so I am very sensitive to food that is under-​salted even a tad.
Anyway I would certainly come back! I really would like to try a waffle next time (got my eye on the sweet cinnamon waffle with nutella ice cream). We both enjoyed our brunch and its very chill ambiance provided an ideal place for my college friend and I to catch up on life.

This place is really cool and different! The menu is imaginative with clever and funny names for everything. So far, I’ve only had The Hangover breakfast sandwich but I totally plan on going back to try more stuff. The person next to me had a pulled pork sandwhich that looked AMAZING!
I could tell their orange juice was fresh squeezed. I really appreciate it when a place takes the time to make their own OJ instead of using the frozen or carton junk.

What a great place!
No matter what I try there, it’s always amazing! The lamb is really soft and flavorful, the eggs benedicts are amazing, especially the special they just had, the caprese. It was a combination of poached egg, roasted tomato, basil, mozzarella, and hollandaise sauce that worked so well together. Probably one of the best benes I’ve ever had. Also, make sure to try a bloody mary!
But of course, there is my go-​to sandwich. The Hangover is egg, avocado, and bacon goodness. It’s the only hangover I actually look forward to getting.

The wait staff here makes me want to be a better person. Friendly, humorous and accepting of my annoying habit of needing (a lot) of guidance with food decisions. Plus, it’s a Madonna Brunch– KIIIIND OF adorable.
We did the:
Sweet Potato Latkas with chive cream (2 for $ 4) — delicious but the portion was small for the price and I def wanted more chive cream. Don’t skimp a girl on the chive cream.
Papa Go Green– basil cashew pesto/​eggs/​basil marinated portobello ($ 10)
A little bland, but we ordered it with tofu so that could have been our fault. Fried tomatoes weren’t very fresh.
Like a Pear –poached eggs/​hollandaise/​pulled pork ($ 14)
Absolutely delicious. Portion, again, is a little small.
I’m Cheesy for You– eggs or tofu with three cheeses/​argula/​ ($ 9)
Tasty but a little forgettable. I enjoyed it, but I won’t be rushing back for another.
The restaurant itself is so plum adorable. I’d like to return to give them another try. The menu sure is inventive and fun (which I’m into) but I think they need more flavor. Several of the items we got needed that extra umph of flavor.

Stopped by Z Rant for a Friday afternoon lunch. The place was pretty empty, which was fine because my food came out quick. I tried the Duck Duck Chicken Sandwich on french bread. It is roasted duck with a fig and chicken liver spread, it was absolutely fantastic! Even if you are a little grossed out by the fig and lover spread give it a chance,

I fell for this place the moment I walked in. It’s got a great chill atmosphere with a lot of eccentric flavor. It’s not very big, which provides and intimate setting. The wait staff was also very friendly and provided good recommendations. We were there for brunch, and were thoroughly impressed by the chicken pot pie. Good mashed potatoes, no watery broth, and delicious buttery pastry top. There was also a dj that was playing some really good throwback songs. My friend and I kept interrupting each other to say, «I love this song!» All around good place and I will bring friends back.

There’s been all sorts of hubub, chitter chatter and other varieties of talk about this crazy Duck Duck sandwich that was at a new place that seems to be living in an old place. I had to check it out.
Karl’s Rant is a weird, name, but that’s ok, because it’s Central Sq, and keeping it weird is what Central is all about. So, no concerns there. They are serving brunch and lunch in the dining room of Middle East empire central– Zuzu. The wonderful brothers who own the whole operation are known for giving upandcomers opportunities, and this seems to be yet another sweetheart move on their part. They saw a couple of folks who wanted to take a shot at brunch and lunch and they gave them a chance. Also good. So far we’re up.
So, what’s this Duck Duck thing I keep hearing about?
Well, I’ll tell you. It’s a roasted duck sandwich, dressed with chicken liver pâté– not sticky gross chicken liver pâté either– this stuff is creamy, and rank and yuuuuummmmy!
Yes, I am a fan. And I tasted my friend’s Roast Beast (hee hee!!!) and that was yuuuuuummmmy too.
And it’s in Zuzu, which I love.
And it’s sandwiches, which I love…
and yes, it rocks.
Yay! New lunch place to love in my hood! Can I get a W00T?!?

I give this one star but with room for improvement. From the time that I ordered to the time that I took my first bite of food I had to wait 45 minutes. I had to track down the waitress to find out if there was any status on the order (she did not check on me and my friend to make sure that we were alright). We were told that they were backed up however we only saw about 6 people and most of them had arrived after us. Once the food was served it was ok. Not worth a 45 minute wait.
The drinks are good. They were solidly tasty. I could go for a liquid brunch and not have a problem. I will wait a while before returning in hopes that they get everything organized.

Just went for brunch today based on a friend’s recommendation. SUPERB, inventive, delicious selections. I had the Go Green — a scramble with a homemade basil pesto and perfectly marinated mushrooms, topped with fried green tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. Got a side of cheese grits that were about as accurate as it gets. The food is fresh, interesting, and yummy. And the coffee’s not bad!
The atmosphere is hipster as hell but the waitstaff is friendly rather than surly. Definitely a cozy place for the LGBTQ crowd (the disco brunch will feel a little like an evening at the Midway) but not too crunchy-​granola.
PLEASE NOTE. The service was a little sloppy this morning but, these guys opened less than 48 hours ago. If you go in the next few weeks, be patient in terms of service since they’re a brand new business… They’re still getting their feet wet. The food is definitely worth a little wait or scatter-​brainedness, and I have no doubt things will be running ship shape in no time.

Panko-​fried Sweet potato latke!!!
I’m writing this review based off of a special tasting that they offered last week, so I haven’t actually been to an ordinary service at the restaurant yet, but I’m excited to go to one soon! Overall, the menu is exceptional and its offerings are creative– especially the breakfast/​brunch menu, and where can you find a place with a truly original breakfast/​brunch menu? Instead of trying to repeat and perfect stuff you can get everywhere else, Karl’s Rant tries to play with reinventing traditional staples and offering up entirely new things. At the tasting, the following foods were offered:
Sandwiches:
1) «Duck, Duck Chicken»
Slow-​roasted duck /​chicken liver & fig pâté
raw red onion /​mushroom ragout
grapefruit vinaigrette
–This is as good as it sounds. Easily a flagship sandwich.
2) E#5 «Roast Beast»
Horseradish-​roasted beef /​whipped garlic
sprouts /​cheddar /​bleu cheese &
neufchatel spread
–I’m not a big fan of roast beef, so I probably wouldn’t order this in lieu of the duck, but the toppings on this sandwich really made it delicious! I was surprised that I liked it, honestly. The beef itself didn’t strike me (maybe needed more salt on the beef?), but I think it’s more because I’m not a beef fan; my friend loved the beef.
3) G#7 «Soylent Green»
Panko-​fried green tomatoes
fresh mozzarella /​arugula /​olive oil & basil-​marinated portabello mushroom
–Worth it for the name alone! What a funny name for a vegetarian option! This was delicious, although I think the tomato was a bit hot for me when it first came out. Let it cool for a little first. The mushrooms really worked well with the green tomatoes and the mozzarella added some nice texture.
Breakfast/​Brunch
1) «Pie There»
Flaky puff pastry /​eggs /​chorizo
spinach & arugula /​muenster
– basically, like a well-​made quiche wrapped in puff pastry. The cheese (or maybe it was the pastry?) made it a little oily, but I liked it that way. The flavor profile really worked well with the pastry, since usually I feel like quiche’s tend to get overpowered by their crust. The crust really added some earthiness while letting the eggs and the fillings shine. The muenster is a clever cheese here, since it really works well with the eggs and pastry. This really felt unique to me and I’d definitely order it again.
2) Sweet Potato Latkas (side order)
–Honestly, one of the best things I’ve had in a while for breakfast. I’ll be shocked if this doesn’t start appearing elsewhere. The flavor profile is exceptional. It was served with a chive neufchatel on top that really helped tie everything together. I’d order 3 – 4 of these for breakfast, if I didn’t worry about people looking at me funny (they might be doing the same though!)
3) Kiss My Cheesy Grits
–A little watery, according to what some of my friends said. I havent had grits too often, but I enjoyed them. They are mixed with a sharp cheddar and blue cheese that worked nicely together. Definitely cheesy. These felt a little decadent for me, and if you’re on a diet I’d avoid them (the reason I don’t get grits that often). If you’re splurging, definitely worth considering though!

4) Smokey Bones (Eggs Benedict)
Sweet Potato Pancakes /​Roma Tomatoes
Poached Eggs /​Smoked Salmon
Hollandaise /​Capers
–Delicious! The Hollandaise here was spot on, and all of the ingredients mixed together nicely. I think the capers were a bit strong for me, but I’m not the biggest capers fan usually. That said, one or two of them really did offer some great flavor notes that surprisingly tied the salmon and hollandaise together well. The tomato felt like a little bit of a delicious side item, as opposed to mixing into the flavor notes, but it was a refreshing pallet cleanser and I enjoyed it. I could eat the pancakes all day– they were a bit more subtle in this dish with the strong flavors, but they were as delicious as ever and worked in nicely. If you want to try this dish just for the pancakes, I’d suggest getting them on the side. This dish is great, but get it for the entirety of the dish and not just for the pancakes.
5) «Cheddar? I Hardly Know Her!»
Savory Jalapeño Waffles /​Jalapeño Cheddar Cream
– Decadent, and delicious! I’d have NEVER thought about cheese on a waffle, but these flavors were amazing. The cheese sauce was a bit heavy for breakfast, but I thought it was perfect for a brunch item. This was a perfect accompaniment for the Bellini I ordered. I’d easily get this again.
Overall, I felt spoiled at this tasting. I think that the atmosphere, vision, and menu of this restaurant is unique and showcases an interesting array of flavor profiles that should appeal to both foodies and regular customers alike. They’ll be offering a disco brunch on the weekends, too! I am really excited to try that sometime!
*** I went back today and they read my review. They delivered me improved grits with a touch of chile-​pepper