Zia's Café to Add Dinner Service

, the Allegheny Avenue lunch spot known for its smoothies and sandwiches, will soon be adding dinner to its menu.

The dinner service will begin Feb. 1, said manager Luke Forand.

"I think it's the right time because I think people are starting to become more health-conscious and really starting to look at where their food is coming from," Forand said.

The menu won't be too much of a departure for Zia's. Forand said the entrees (most $10 to $15) will include free-range meats, wild-caught fish and plenty of raw and vegetarian options.

"It's going to be based on using seasonal and local stuff as much as possible," he said. "We go down to the farmer's market, we find some great kale, we're going to use that in a great kale dish."

The restaurant has hired two new chefs, John Michaloski and Christina Bartoli, to work with chef-owner Daniela Troia.

The cafe has hosted occasional raw food dinners, but this will be the first time the restaurant will offer regular dinner service.

Dinner will be offered on Wednesday and Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m. It will be seated service, so the cafe seats will be out of commission unless you're staying for dinner.

But the juice bar will still be open if you want to grab a smoothie or something from the restaurant's cold case. The music and blenders will still be running, so don't expect a totally serene dining experience.

"The cafe has always been something very great, very casual. We still want to keep the kind of casual feel to it," Forand said.

And if you are staying for dinner, Forand adds that Zia's will be BYOB (bring your own beverages), with no corkage fee.