We’re always grateful for our Foodies who advocate for local restaurants, and who make us aware of places we need to visit. We’re no strangers to Z Grill & Tap, but we were unaware that as of March 16th of this year, it is under new management! So, needless to say, we were a little surprised when we got a phone call from the new owner inviting us to come meet them and learn about the small changes they’re making to Z Grill & Tap to make it their own.
I have to gush a little bit about the new owners, Shawn & Zara Mash, who come to Flower Mound all the way from Caligari, Italy. While we were talking to them about this new venture of theirs into the restaurant business here in the States, it was clearly evident how much they love each other and how much they want to make Z Grill a welcoming and pleasant environment for locals.
Shawn mentioned that their goal is to make Z Grill feel like a second home for their customers – and that they want to make Z Grill famous for their incredible hospitality, food and atmosphere.
So, we’ll first tell you about the few small changes they’re making to the restaurant – and we promise, they’re all good!
Shawn and Zara love that Z Grill is a place were residents can come to enjoy live music, so they want to give us even more to enjoy! They plan to have live music four nights a week – with everything from jazz, to dance to soft rock. And they want to bring in musicians from all over the metroplex to entertain their customers.
They’re also doing a half-price happy hour every day from 11:00am-7:00pm when all of their well liquors, draft beers and house wines are half-priced. And they do a reverse happy hour every Monday and Tuesday from 9:00pm-11:00pm.
Another change they’re making is adding a few menu items inspired by their Italian background – to include some of the classic Italian favorites like ravioli, lasagna and tiramisu.
But Shawn and Zara recognize that there were lots of things customers love about Z Grill, so they’re making sure those stick around. And one of the most important things they decided to keep in the change of management is Chef Benny, who has been an institution at Z Grill for 15 years, and who has had a supreme influence in the menu development there.
And with Chef Benny staying, customers also get to continue to enjoy some restaurant favorites including (my personal favorite) the Crab-Stuffed Chilean Sea Bass and the Chocolate Cake.
Now, let’s talk about the experience we had while we were there this week. We’re very privileged that all of our local restaurant owners always treat us very well when we visit them, but Shawn and Zara truly rolled out the red carpet for us today. We’ve never had a meal prepared for us and served on white linens before! That was a real treat!
Chef Benny and his team prepared several appetizers and entrees for us to enjoy during our meal – in an effort to show us all that Z Grill offers in terms of their delicious and extensive menu.
Our appetizers consisted of the Seared Ahi Tuna, Crab Cakes, Filet Mignon Canapes, Loaded Potato Skins and Coconut Crusted Shrimp. I cannot say enough good things about their canapes – they might be one of my favorite reasons for coming here. And the coconut crust on their shrimp is to die for – it has a perfect crunch and just the right amount of sweetness.
And for our entrees we were served the American Burger, the Shrimp Fettuccine with Chipotle Cream Sauce, the Flat Iron Steak, the Salmon with Soy-Chai Risotto and the Pork Medallions. Everything had such a great flavor – we especially loved the soy-chai risotto. That was amazing!
Moral of the story is, whether you’ve never been to Z Grill & Tap or whether you’re a regular customer, we encourage you to head over there and meet the new owners, Shawn and Zara. You’re sure to see in them the same pure hearts and passion we saw while we were visiting with them, and that’s enough to make you want to support them and their restaurant. Throw in Chef Benny’s incredible culinary creations, and you’ve got a winning combination!
We’re thrilled to have Shawn and Zara here in our area and look forward to many more meals spent with them in the future!
*Z Grill & Tap is located at 2321 Cross Timbers Rd, Flower Mound.
Jay Marks updates the Foodie Friday blog each week. Read more at https://iamjaymarks.wordpress.com/tag/foodie-friday/
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