She Who Feasts: Zolo's Italian Restaurant

We've been residents of Franklin for over a decade, but it took us years to venture into Zolo's Italian Restaurant in the downtown area. With its ideal corner location and painted exterior murals, it felt exclusive. We assumed the treasure hidden within would be financially beyond a casual weeknight dinner.

Once we finally stepped foot into the dimly lit establishment, we wondered why it had taken us so long. We journeyed with the restaurant pre-COVID, through new ownership, during pick-up-only service, menu changes, remodeling, and much more. We feel as though we should earn gold stars for our loyal establishment patriotism. Still, every time we indulge in our favorite dish, we are reminded that our gold star comes in the form of pasta magic within the bowl of tortellini diablo. But, let's start at the beginning.

Zolo's is a true hidden gem right off Franklin's hub of five points. This gem has been around for nearly two decades, most recently purchased by local Franklin developers Johnny Webber and Cam Harrington. On any night, once you pass the long-standing host who takes fierce pride in patron placement, you might find the senior, Mr. Webber, tucked into the corner in his overalls and hat, a gentle reminder of the greatest generation that still lives among us.

Although we have sampled many dishes on the menu and still mourn the loss of some (like the arancini), for this particular night, we decided to split our meal to stay within our Feast for $50 budget and reduce over-stuffing. We sat close to the local musician, who always does a stellar job of performing covers, and went with the classics: mozzarella sticks, Caesar salad, red wine, and tortellini diablo.

The mozzarella sticks come stacked high like cheesy soldiers ready for a marinara battle. They are crispy with a great cheese pull, a classic done well. We nibbled on the homemade garlic bread dunked in Alfredo sauce as we continued to feast on a crispy cold Caesar salad tossed lightly in a punchy and vibrant dressing with a parmesan sprinkle.

The highlight reel was and will always be the spicy tortellini diablo: a generous heaping of cheese tortellini, mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, spicy Italian sausage, grilled sliced chicken and bacon crumbles tossed in a creamy but spicy sauce. It's the sort of dish you want to gently lift and lick the bowl in private once the contents have been abolished. If you aren't one for public shaming, I highly suggest you have extra bread on hand to sop up the creamy goodness so as not to leave a drop behind. As I said, it is a very generous portion, and we have learned after a dozen years that we shouldn't order the same entrée independently because we are each only half successful in completing the dish.

Reservations are highly recommended as it is a small establishment that fills quickly as a local favorite. We were thankful they had mercy on us during this visit and allowed us to waltz to the table in the middle to feast this particular night.

She Who Feasts is a column exclusive to the Williamson Scene written by local chief sprinkle officer Brooke O’Dell. As the owner of Sugar Drop, she became known locally for her sweet treats but is a true foodie that is willing to eat her heart out anywhere. In this column, she aims to find meals for around $50 to share with the community that eating good doesn’t have to mean breaking the bank.