Foodie News
Big changes for Ziggy's: Downtown locale closing, name's switching and Montrosegetting madeover
Ziggy's Healthy Grill has a new name.Ziggy's Bar + Grill/Facebook
Gratifi is also giving the Montrose location a bistro-style makeover ineverything from the furniture to the menus.
Healthy isn't what it used to be. After decades of being known as Ziggy's Healthy Grill — and more recently as Ziggy's Bar & Grill — the Montrose restaurant is changing its name and its concept.
"When Houston was the land of the giant chicken fried steak, being healthy was unique for a restaurant," owner Kevin Strickland says. "That started changing a few years ago when more people and more places became health-conscious. We decided it was time to broaden our reach."
The downtown Ziggy's will close at the end of this week, a situation Strickland blames on the light rail construction.
Ziggy's is now known as Gratifi Kitchen + Bar, and Strickland says the restaurant has slowly transformed over the part year into "more of an American bistro."
(The downtown Ziggy's location will close at the end of this week, a situation Strickland blames on the unending light rail construction downtown.)
The name Gratifi may take its trademarkable spelling cues from Triniti, but Strickland says that the difficult process to come up with a new name came down to one simple statement.
"We want people to have a gratifying experience," he says.
The changeover to Gratifi is almost complete, but over the next three weeks the restaurant will be getting a subtle makeover with new furniture and fixtures in a mix of modern and turn-of-the century aesthetics "to honor the craftsman-style house."
As for the updated menu, Strickland highlights his updated burger lineup, which includes creations like La Niña — a grass-fed beef patty topped with tomatillo ketchup, roasted green chiles and fresh spinach, created last year as a talisman to encourage some rain during the drought. At brunch, Gratifi has shelved the stuffed French toast and replaced it with a more sophisticated pain perdu slathered with an almond custard and baked.
