Birmingham welcomes ZANA

The Tallulah Group, which owns Birmingham’s Tallulah Wine Bar & Bistro and BESA in Detroit, has added a third restaurant to their portfolio. ZANA will make its debut at the end of October in the space formerly occupied by Bird & the Bread and Vinotecca in downtown Birmingham. Partners Mario Camaj and Johnny Prenci plan to establish their restaurant and bar as ‘the’ neighborhood gathering spot by offering something for everyone. “Our priority at Zana is to become a staple in the community. We want people to come and visit us two to three times a week,” said Prenci. They describe their menu as “modern American with a European flair.” Specifically, the dishes will be influenced by Italy and the Adriatic coast. The menu, which will be overseen by Chef Jason Bamford, will feature an array of seafood, pasta, steaks and caviar service, but diners can also expect to see burgers on the menu as well. On the interior space, designer Sabrina Buchanan of BASE Designs has mixed a palette of light and neutral textures and materials including mosaic tiles, gold trim and contemporary lighting accented with florals, plants and mossy green velvet cushions. The partners point out that as guests walk into the main dining room, they will notice three distinct gathering areas: situated at the front of the restaurant is a four-seasons enclosed patio with floor-to-ceiling windows offering street views; an elegantly appointed bar is stationed along the left interior wall; and at center stage is the main dining and lounge area, anchored from above by a massive hand-blown glass chandelier from the Czech Republic. There’s seating for 15 guests at the bar and the main dining room seats about 125. In addition, a large event space has also been remodeled into a light and bright area that features marble tones highlighted by gold sunburst pendant lights. The event space is perfect for weddings, showers, reunions and business gatherings for up to 150 guests. 210 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham zanabham.com