Zoi’s Builds A #8

Two expertly cut slices of house breaded chicken cutlet were submerged in the deep frier. A handful of bacon sizzled on the frying pan as Mario Minor, a veteran chef at Zoi’s, sliced through a hard roll with practiced ease.

With his flat brim pulled down, the sandwich maker conducted himself with the quiet intensity of a concert pianist. Another cook shared the limited space. Without a word, they maneuvered around one another, their respective ingredients, and this reporter.

Zoi’s, at 338 Orange St. between Audubon and Grove, does not advertise, relying instead on word of mouth. Its owner, Peter Maniatis, is adamant about allowing the sandwiches to speak for themselves.

The place won best sandwich and breakfast for the New Haven Register’s Elm City Best of 2012 — perhaps in part for the Sweet Pete, which features bacon, egg, cheese, and caramelized onion on pumpernickel toast. The restaurant came in third for its salad and brunch.

According to Maniatis, locally grown ingredients factor into Zoi’s success. He and his staff are constantly tweaking flavors, tasting their culinary experiments, and giving out free samples. Taste buds change, after all. Maniatis also credited his veteran staff.

“They’re on another level in this town,” he said. ​“They don’t even have to talk to each other [in the kitchen].”

That was the case as Minor applied housemade chipotle sauce in generous swirls upon both buns with the flare of a gunslinger. By the time he had added a couple circles of golden-smoked mozzarella on the top bun, the cutlets were freshly prepared.

Finally, the bacon was nestled between the cheese and the chicken, to better isolate the flavors.

One wedge of pickle and a complimentary order of coleslaw later … and the #8 sandwich was on its way to the customer.

Zoi’s trains and pays its employees more like craftsmen; as Maniatis explained, he could hire a new cashier every other week, but that is not his strategy.

“We have a guy who cuts chicken, for example, and to him it’s not just doing that — it starts with the cutting, but you have to feel the chicken. He becomes a specialist,” Maniatis said. ​“You give them a little freedom and trust they’re looking out for the team.”

Zoi’s has expanded twice in the past six of its 13 years in business, tripling its space as Maniatis found customers wanted to stay to eat. Its latest expansion was to include an outdoor patio, well shaded by trees and protected from Orange Street’s bustle. Maniatis is already planning an urban vegetable garden expansion in the future.

The eatery also maintains its popularity by literally catering — and delivering — to its customers. When the inevitable lines form out the door for lunch, two of the cashiers take orders down the queue so meals are ready by the time the patrons reach the register.

“Hugging the customer,” Maniatis called it.