Ziggy's Healthy Grill: Montrose Flair

Last month I reviewed Ziggy’s Healthy Grill in Houston off of Greenbriar. Soon after I posted my review, I was tweeted by Kevin Strickland @Ziggysgoodfood to come by and try out the Montrose location. So what is the difference? Well, instead of telling you it’s location, location or one is in a strip center, the other is in an old house…I’m going to tell you about our day.

For those who are not familiar with Houston, let alone the Montrose area…Montrose is known for it’s artsy folk. Kinda like what Santa Monica is to Los Angeles. When one comes to Houston, looking for an eclectic piece of antique furniture, or the hole–in-the-wall cafe’s or nightlife…it’s Montrose. The flavor of people is as different as the flavor or restaurants you can find in the inner city of Houston.

This particular sunny and hot Saturday,…hey we live in Houston. It’s always hot and humid here! You want a good hair day? Fly somewhere without humidity! We, as in my brother @DrWardBond and my girl, @lprada3 (That’s Twitter talk for those of you who are not yet with the program) had stopped off at the Galleria to do a couple of errands and already had Ziggy’s on the brain for a mid-afternoon lunch. If you are not familiar with Houston, well it’s a pretty big place…Ziggy’s is a well hidden treasure. Located at the corner of Taft and Fairview, you find Ziggy’s in a big old yellow house. Beautifully landscaped garden areas with outdoor seating and red umbrella’s. A nice contrast to the yellow and green trim. There is plenty of parking, so no worries there.

We were sitted in the main dining area. Yes it feels like home, hardwood floors, eclectic paintings on the wall by a local artist and a relatively young crowd. I didn’t feel old, but I knew I wasn’t the  youngest! It was time to have a nice cold drink and I wanted another Ziggyrita! Here at this location, instead of being frozen, the ‘Rita’s are served on the rocks, with green salt on the edge of the glass. Pretty cool and very nice presentation! It definitely hit the spot!

As we were cooling down and enjoying great conversation, which by the way consisted of talking television as we are thinking of filming here in the future for Dr Ward Bond and a few of my segments as well.

Dr. B had ordered baked whole wheat chips and organic salsa. I enjoyed the seasoned chips along with their style of salsa. Chili pepper and chipolte was prominent yet balanced. A very nice appetizer to start off with, as we were still deciding on what to order for our main course.

Myself I decided to try their chicken enchiladas and rice, @DrWardBond had been wanting to try their lean buffalo quesadillas and @lPrada3 was in the mood for Ziggy’s stuffed chicken, brocolli and mashed potatoes. I have to say, all three entrees where not only beautifully prepared but the full of flavor! One of my biggest pet peeves is food presentation. Ziggy’s has it down. Not just placement but color as well. It means alot to me anyway.

My chicken enchiladas were prepared the way I like them…full of chicken! Seasoned and topped off a ranchero sauce with two cheeses. My food wasn’t drowning in sauce, not sure why some places prefer to do this, unless they are trying to hide something or add flavor that isn’t there to begin with. Ziggy’s seems to cook like I do. No reason to over do it…make it just right! I’ve never been one for Mexican rice but what I liked about Ziggy’s, it wasn’t sticky. Lightly seasoned and the texture was perfect.

Dr B’s buffalo quesadilla’s were, how can I say? Awesome? Wow? Add those two adjectives and I’ll think of a few more. Of course I begged to try one, I’m writing a review here! The buffalo is lean and tender. What I noticed too is the quesadilla’s were not drowning in grease like most of the places I find in Houston. The buffalo meat along with the melted cheeses were wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla. Had the right about of crunch, not dry. Also this dish was complimented with a side of Mexican rice and black beans. This entree is even perfect for two people who want to eat light.

Laurie decided on a stuffed grilled chicken filled with fat free feta sour cream sauce, spinach, mushrooms and topped off with pine nuts. If you’re thinking it…yes, I begged for a bite. It’s not good to you if I write a review and not try a bite! I really like the blending of the feta cheese with the spinach and mushrooms. Compliments very well and for those who are looking for balanced healthy meal, very tasty and tender…I suggest you try the stuffed chicken. …And what wine if you’re not into Ziggyrita’s? Try a nice Riesling. I believe Ziggy’s has the Chateau Ste Michelle, priced right and very refreshing on a hot summer’s day.

When I’m out reviewing a cafe or a restaurant, do you think I’m going to leave without having dessert? Heck no! If you can’t handle a piece of pie, I’ll take yours. If you think a dish of vanilla ice cream is going to add 10 lbs to your figure, give it to me and stop your whining. I’
m not leaving till I have dessert!

…And dessert we shall have! We placed our orders for dessert and while they were being prepared, Kevin Strickland, the owner brought out a Apple and Feta Cheese muffin that has no flour. The sweetness of the apples and the salty, tangy flavor of the feta cheese kept your taste buds wanting more. I would have never thought of putting those two together but works very well here. You get your sweetness from the apple and a a bit of protein from the feta. I have to say, it’s a great muffin either for dessert or to start your day off in the right direction.

To keep the sugar flow going…mainly it was all in our heads, as the next two desserts we tried was a low fat brownie topped off with low fat, no sugar vanilla ice cream. I’m a ice cream fanatic. Usually when I see Low Fat on the side of ice cream…all I think of is no taste, and frozen milk. Throw that term on a brownie and ‘dry’ comes to mind. Also to handle the sweet tooth cravings, we also had a carrot cake cooking with low fat cream cheese and it also was sugar free. If you are not much into carrot cake like me, you need to try the Carrot Cake Cookie. I found it to be alot sweeter than a normal carrot cake. A great twist to a traditional cake idea!

Well, I have to hand it to Kevin and his crew, the brownie is what a brownie should be. Moist, yet flaky and chocolaty. The ice cream had a wonderful texture, solid like ice cream should be, yet creamy and blended well with the low fat brownie…You can call it low fat all you want…I’ll take another before I leave!

We all had a great time at Ziggy’s. From the wonderful diverse entrees, to the desserts and conversation…what else is there? Oh yeah, to come back…and do it all over again!

Don’t be a in a rush when you visit Ziggy’s. Bring your friends, kick back…have a few Ziggyrita’s or a glass of wine…and try something different. You like meat loaf? They have it. You haven’t tried a kangaroo or ostrich burger? Well folks, today is a good day to try something you haven’t.

There’s more to life than frozen pizza and drive-thru. When you’re through antiquing or getting ready to check out a local band in the area…stop off at Ziggy’s. Grab a bite to eat, that is healthy and they’ll have you craving for more.

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