nothin Adios, Zafra: It’s Been A Great Rum | New Haven Independent

Adios, Zafra: It’s Been A Great Rum

Allan Appel Photo

It happened about nine years ago — - three months after Dominick Splendorio opened his dream eatery, Zafra, a Cuban-themed restaurant and rum bar on Orange Street just above Elm.

The place was packed, having already developed a word-of-mouth following. A warm, gracious feeling spread among the guests, between the servers and the customers.

Amid the hectic serving of mojitos and ropa vieja, Splendorio’s then bartender tapped him on the shoulder and said, Stop. Look up. See what you’ve created?”

Splendorio (pictured above), a restaurateur in New Haven for 22 years — recalled that signature moment this week as he prepared to open for business in the run-up to what will be the restaurant’s final month.

The1,200 square-foot bar and restaurant — which has developed a reputation not only among rum afficionados but also as friendly destination to mark a graduation, a birthday, an anniversary or raise — is up for sale. Its last day will be March 28.

Splendorio is moving to South Carolina to join his family and plant love of rum connoisseurship and Cuban cuisine in some lucky neighborhood in Charleston.

It’s not a sad thing. It’s the opening of a new chapter,” he said.

He’s making the move because his wife and other family are there, and nine years running a restaurant in tasty and competitive New Haven is a very good run,” he said.

Starting back in 1998, Splendorio — after moving out of Brooklyn and a background in IT — acquired and ran a Mexican restaurant on Whitney Avenue called the Whole Enchilada. Next he opened Cafe Java on Orange Street.

But I was always inspired by Roomba,” the acclaimed restaurant, now gone, on Chapel Street. The atmosphere, the food, the spot. I was motivated to create something similar,” he recalled.

To do so he dipped into the Cuban culture and traditions on his mom’s side of the parental heritage.

I didn’t have the culinary skiills of Arturo Camacho,” he said. But when he discovered the availability of what was to become Zafra, he fell in love with its multi-colored tiling on the wall. He knew he had found the place to create the rum and Caribbean-cuisined place he envisioned.

I was motivated by being on this side of the Green,” Splendorio said.

But therein lay a challenge: We don’t have the luxury of Yale foot traffic. It was my job to get people to come down here.”

Splendorio said he has done it all these years without advertising of any kind, almost entirely through word-of-mouth, and through friendship. The warmth and sense of ease and Caribbean breeze that he associates with that heritage spill over” into the cocktails, the mojitos, and the ropa vieja, and the relationships.

At least twice a week the restaurant is the scene of a celebration — either rented out entirely or in a section, in the back beside some drums, a palm tree, and a photo of Ernest Hemingway.

A warm inviting atmosphere, that’s what I’m about. I try to create something I’d like to go to. That was the vision.”

Splendorio said he stays in touch with many of the 70 or so people who have worked for him over the years. Some consider him a mentor and consult with him about taking the next culinary steps of their own, and many have become friends. Around the time of our national turkey day each November, Splendorio and company celebrate Rumsgiving.”

It’s like a family here, with lif-long friendships,” he said. I’ve been so lucky.”

Business is good and in Splendorio’s optimistic view will get only better for restaurants in New Haven, especially in Zafra’s area east of the Green. New apartments are being built on Elm Street and on Orange at Audubon, even on the surface parking lot adjacent to the building in which Zafra — a business condominium — is located. That means more customers.

Splendorio said his wish is that someone will purchase the place and carry on based on the Zafra model he’s created, with a passion for professional but respectful service. Splendorio hopes that person will have the same feeling for rum — a sipping spirit under-appreciated and, yes, he said, with a dark history of slavery, but where one can explore the light side” as well.

The passion that Splendorio speaks of when he talks about his place translates into endless hours of work. With so many good restaurants having evolved in New Haven, his successor is going to have to be on their game, or you won’t survive. To do it right, you need to be here every minute you’re open.”

Splendorio said people interested in purchasing the business and the property, or both, should be in touch with him directly at: 860 – 227-5195, or by email at: [email protected]

He said he would like to have one more party to mark the occasion, at a to-be-determined date.

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