Zazios

Mixed reviews made me skeptical, but we went with a big group for Bham restaurant week and everybody loved it. Server was excellent, food was great. Atmosphere makes the place. Pleasantly surprised…

Closed as of the end of January.

A perfect opportunity to try Zazios is restaurant week. They prepared a slightly different menu, giving you a chance to try some fare not typically on their menu.
We tried three appetizers: brussels sprouts, calamari, and seared scallops. These were a perfect beginning to the meal. If we would have stopped here, I would have easily given it four stars, maybe even five. The brussels sprouts were the best I’ve had in other places. They were perfectly roasted and crispy. The insides were still hot and soft while the outsides were charred and crispy. I wish I knew how to prepare it this way. They had a bit of saltiness to it with it lightly dressed with balsamic vinegar. You have specific expectations for calamari, particularly one is that it is not overcooked, transforming the texture into rubber. However, they cooked it correctly and were delicious. The breading was light and not overpowing, but also had a slight bit of heat. Nothing to burn the mouth, but for you to say, hmm, I think there is some spice there. Lastly, the seared scallops. The scallops were also perfectly cooked and nicely browed on each side. It just lacked some texture.
We tried three entrees, starting with the Seared australian barramundi. It was seared and crispy on one side nicely. It’s a mild fish, which is probably why it has enough spices on it. I think it’s good, but I wouldn’t get it again. It was nice to try something new, but not worth the price.
Second entrée was the Braised short rib. It’s well prepared, very tender, but unfortunately, just mediocre. The flavors just don’t wow you. The potatoes, well, they’re mashed potatoes, nothing else to write about.
The last entrée was the Garganelli. It was probably the more interesting dish of the three. The flavors work well together with the prosciutto giving it a bit of saltiness and the cheese the savory heartiness.
They finished on a good note securing their three star rating. We ordered the Semifreddo, a fantastic delicious dessert. It was chocolate hazelnut with just the right texture and just the right sweetness.
The server also mentioned they would try to make any dish vegetarian if they could. It’s nice to see that they are trying to accommodate dietary needs.
I would return for appetizers and dessert, not sure for dinner again though.

Part of the problem of writing an evaluation is the extensive variety of the menu. Suffice it to say we’ve tried many different items on about half a dozen visits and they were uniformly excellent. The pasta dishes are creative and delicious, and making a small size available allows them to come as a «secondi platti» on the way to the entrée!
Service is quick, cheerful, and very competent. We have not tried the chef’s table yet, but plan to do so. The ambience is energetic, with a view of Woodward right through the windows.
This is a new favorite and well worth visiting for a great meal!

Immediately walking into the restaurant I realized it was absolutely huge! I did notice first off that out of the 50+ tables available there were only 4 – 5 filled. They had some type of corporate party going on in their banquet room that seemed to be filled with lively people. My friend and I started out in the dining room, but learned that there were no cocktail specials in there, so we moved to the bar.
Fortunately, for us we had some great wine and appetizers, all at half off. I think this is a place to go for happy hour. You can’t beat lamb sliders, blue cheese and pear pizza, and calamari for each around $ 5. The sliders were okay, I would try a different type next time, the pizza was yummy and had a nice sweet taste! I actually like the calamari a lot, it had spicy yellow peppers mixed in and added a nice spice! Stop in after work one night for a small, quiet bar scene.

Bham Restaurant Week, 3 courses for $ 30, 3 of us at 7pm on a Monday and this is the 1^st time we all have been here. 1^st off the restaurant was way bigger than i thought it was going to be for some reason and we got sat next to the large window which was fun.
so our waitress comes up to our table and sets down bread with 2 spreads and asks what we would like to drink and then walks away. i don’t know about u but i always like when they 1^st ask «have u been here before?» and if u haven’t they tell u about the place and rattle off a few great drinks and dishes to try. and also if your gonna drop off something other than butter for my bread please tell me what it is so we don’t have to play «the taste guessing game.» i did ask and it was a olive spread and a hummus spread… nobody likes olives at the table but we did still try it and the hummus was just hummus… notting to exciting probably rather have some homemade bread with butter instead though.
****let me add here our waitress was very nice and when asked questions she answered with details.
i started off with a Purple Lamborghini Martini it was sweet and tasted like grape koolaid, yum. someone else got a Pear Martini that was pretty strong and we all agreed needed a little pear purée added. later i order a Tuscan Sun Martini very lemony and good, i enjoyed my drinks:)
1^st course we all got included Scallops with a truffle-​balsamic vinaigrette very tasty with NO Sand (good sign). Fried Brussels Sprouts with sea salt and a reduced balsamic which i don’t eat Brussels Sprouts ever BUT these were so yummy i could eat it like popcorn with a fork. also got Fried Calamari which was good and came with a garlic butter to dip. portions were huge enough to share:)
2^nd course we got Chicken Marsala, Garganelli and Seared Australian Barramundi, i tasted them all and all were great and huge portions again, i ended up taking half my pasta home and btw i would go back again for that Garganelli dish which had prosciutto, peas, roasted peppers and grana padana.
3^rd course dessert we all got the same thing called SemiFreddo which we all butchered the name pretty good i’m sure but it was a good laugh. so this dessert was a rice crispy base, chocolate torta, salted carmel and peanut brittle which was good after all i ate the whole thing but i feel like a monkey could of made that dessert it was pretty plain. but the other picks were Tiramisu (boring to me) and a House Made Gelato. i feel like they need to step it up in the dessert area… maybe the regular menu has better ones but still they need to step it up alllll the time.
all and all i enjoyed my meal and would like to come back and check out the chef table and try out more of those fun drinks. do i have to come back anytime soon? no, it’s not like a «OMG i have to go back asap kind of place»

Met some friends for dinner Saturday night and had a solid meal. It was our friend’s choice. Based on the Unilocal reviews I wouldn’t have picked it myself.
I do understand why this place has such mixed reviews.
On one hand, the food was solid but not so impressive that you’d remember it. I did appreciate that most of the menu items were available in smaller sizes or larger sizes. It gave everyone in our party a chance to try a couple of things. I had fried Brussels sprouts to start and scallops for my main meal. I enjoyed both, but if I went back I would have tried to find something else to order. It’s weird.
The décor is modern-​trendy, but I found the weird swivel chairs comfortable.

So let me explain my check-​ins. My bf and I went here once but realized nothing sounded good to us so we left. The second check in was recently for my dad’s birthday. Here is my issue — it’s so expensive! And for what? Everything sounds normal and nothing really sounds creative or interesting. If you’re going to do Italian, you need to pick between classic and modern and stick with it. I feel this place tries to be modern but can’t quite make the jump. So here is my rundown:
– The tuna carpaccio was way to thin to the point where the flavor of the fish was blatantly overpowered by the capers and tapenade
– The cheese plate was decent but our options were semi-​hard white cheese #1, hard white cheese #2, and harder white cheese #3. What happened to a soft, a hard, and a blue?
– Although I eat a little fish every so often, I’m for the most part vegetarian. My options were asparagus, asparagus, and goat cheese. Now I get wanting to do local ingredients but c’mon. Asparagus isn’t that good. There was an asparagus appetizer, asparagus in two pasta dishes, and asparagus in the vegetarian main course. That’s a lot of asparagus.
– I ordered the talleggio ravioli (with asparagus of course) and it was really just ok. It came in a cream sauce and the ravioli barely had any filling.
I will say that the servers are very attentive, helpful, and nice. It was my dad’s birthday so I brought a cake in before the reservations and they were kind enough to put candles on it, bring it out to us, cute pieces, and even divide it so we could all take some home. This is what gave them 3 stars instead of 2. Unless my dad wants to go back, I don’t think I’ll make a point to go.

Dinner with family from 17 to 70 and everyone found something delightful. The chocolate desert plate was amazing. We had Tuna sashimi to cheese plates and steak and it was tasty and pretty.

Let me start by saying I went back and forth between two and three stars but with a $$$ restaurant my expectations are higher.
We started with cocktails before dinner and I ordered a coconut mojito. The drink itself was fine but the mint in the bottom of the glass was discolored and not fresh (they should have either not put it in or recommended another cocktail). On their menu they mention the farms and/​or farmers markets they utilize but nothing said «farm fresh» to me.
We then ordered the beef carpaccio and cheese tasting for appetizers. The carpaccio was fine the cheese was disappointing. Now I will admit, I am a little bit of a cheese snob and after the absolutely stellar cheese plate at The Boathouse up north I expect to be a little disappointed but here is my problem: The server did not tell us what cheeses were on the platter when she brought it to the table (and the menu also does not tell you). When we asked her about the cheese assortment she misidentified the bleu cheese as a goat cheese and when we asked her (3 times!) was she sure she stuck witht the goat cheese answer-​then we started worrying about food poisoning… until the manager came over and told us it was indeed gorgonzola.
I ordered the lasagna for dinner. Although it did not taste bad, the pasta was was mushy almost polenta like. I had someone else try it just to confirm and they agreed. I did not try anyone else’s dinner so I won’t comment but no one complained.
So here is my summary: I really wanted to like Zazio’s and I think with some tweaking like training their servers (I hate when a $$$ server is not well versed on a menu), attention to detail on food quality and presentation they could really be successful. I liked the décor and I might go back for cocktails there but not for dinner.

Really quite tragic.
10 people, lunch, one of two tables.
Service. Kinda slow but not terrible.
Food. Everyone agreed. Kinda heavy and greasy and salty. Made by a cook, not a chef. I had the burger. Medium rare is not medium rare.
Design. Ok this is the fun part. The place was designed by an out of work clown who owns a resale shop near cedar point. The inside is literally 15 year old décor. And even 15 years ago it only lasted a year. The hot pink, teal, and orange seating would make Phiilip Michael Thomas cancel his reservation. Hard to believe a bunch of people, probably a bank, and a design firm would settle on this laughable atrocity.
Go for fun. Wear your ray bans and order light.
Boom!

After driving by Zazios multiple times and seeing that it was constantly hoppin’, we finally gave up resisting the lull of the bright, pulsing flourescent lighting that emanates from this place and went — like flies to a zapper.
But we were not zapped, starting with the fact that we were seated in the «bar area» even after making at 6:30 reservation, and culminating in the 40 minutes I had to wait between ordering and being served a soupy, lackluster zuppa di pesce. The two mussels in the dish were just the shells and missing… well, the mussels themselves, and the «fish» consisted of tiny, overcooked, ruined pieces of salmon. I was attempted to ask the server if they forgot to put in our order and at the last minute scraped the remains of some other diners’ dishes together and lopped broth over it to serve.
It did not seem like our fellow patrons were having that great of a time either — passing by the chef’s table on the way to the ladies’ room I couldn’t help but notice that the atmosphere would have been fitting for a funeral. The chef himself seemed like he was stifling a yawn in between tosses.
Sigh. «Not your typical Olive Garden?» Darn straight not. I’ve been served crappy, frozen food three times in a row there (another review for another time), but I would still pick dining at the ‘olé OG any day over Zazios!

Went back last night-​still solid! Not too much to update, but yay! I’m a BIG FAN of the calamari and their pizzas! Pizzas are about the size of California Pizza Kitchens, but bigger and better-​enough for 2 if there are salads and such first.
I was very pleased with the service-​we had about 12 people and our waitress was on top of her game… don’t ask me how but she split up bills individually without being asked and got them ALL RIGHT. I was a good server back in the day, but damn, not that good!
Overall, another positive expierence and everyone was pleased with their dishes. Another mad props to the homemade pastas that come in ½ portion sizes-​I am in love with their meat sauce now and really glad I didn’t get the full portion because I would have devoured it all.

A small group of friends and I decided to check out Zazios after it was placed on the Free Press’s Top 10 New Restaurants of 2010. Overall, it was alright. The food was pretty basic in my opinion. I ordered a spaghetti dish and, quite frankly, I could have made better spaghetti at home. The salad was good, but not spectacular. The calamari appetizer was alright. Everything was just okay… nothing special.
Our service was alright. There was a glitch with our appetizer and we didn’t end up getting it until after our meal. But they took it off the bill and apologized for that.
The one thing that really makes me not want to visit this place again is the jarring décor. The colors look like something out of a Lisa Frank folder from the 90s. It was hard on the eyes and detracted from the food. I do think it’d be neat to sit in their arena-​style kitchen, but honestly I’m not in any rush to do that.

From the moment we walked into Zazios, we were treated like celebs. They open at 5:00, and since we had a 5:00 reservation, we were briefly ushered over to the bar. The bartender was very friendly and offered up the wine and cocktail list. I had a fantastic Ventana Sav Blanc and the bartender was not stingy on the serving. Soon, our table was ready and we were ushered into the dining room.
Our assistant waiter quickly offered water, brought bread, and explained the yummy spreads. Next, our waitress came over and went over the specials.
What impressed me most about Zazios was the option of half and full portions. This allowed us to really sample the menu. We ordered potato stuffed ravioli, a sausage dish, shrimp scampi, and prawn. Everything was fantastic and we finished things off with two yummy desserts.
The ambiance in Zazios is terrific. You can watch the chefs prepare your meal via flat screens and the Miami color scheme will make you quickly forget that it’s winter time in Michigan.

Was here for chef’s table for a HungryDudes food shoot. It was delicious and entertaining. I’m not sure what why people are giving this place bad reviews.
We had a very nice 5 course meal paired with various wines. If you finished your wine fast, they gave you a second glass. Bonus.
We got to watch all of our food cooked right in front of us by the executive chef. He taught us how he cooks all of it. He used the wood fire grill for the strip loin.
I’m not a big fan of the neon all over the place but they don’t have that atmosphere at the chef’s table.
Bottom line: Do the chef’s table. It’s $ 65 for the food and live cooking entertainment and $ 30 for the wine pairing.

We went on a Thursday night around 830 — place was pretty empty but the chef’s table area seemed like it was hopping. Friends recommended the place for drinks — we were running late in meeting up so we decided to just eat dinner at Zazios rather than our original plan to eat and just have cocktails.
We were seated at a 5 top table that they told us we could turn into an 8-​top. What they forgot was the put 8 place settings; rather they just pushed 3 chairs into the table. It took the 4 of us almost 20minutes to figure out what we wanted to eat — there was never a server who presented the menu, any specials, or explain what some of the ingredients were (I am a BIG believer that you should always ask if you aren’t sure — you are paying for the food after all). I don’t even remember who was our server since we had 3 different people try to deliver food to our table before we had even ordered.
We ordered the prosciutto tray as our appetizer — mediocre. My boyfriend and I ordered salads to start — his had WAY too much dressing and mine had hardly any. BUT good crutons. Since I had expected the salad to be a little more filling, I had order a small order of the gnocchi.
It reminded me of eating puffy spaghetti-​Os; I finished my dinner within 3 – 4 forkfuls. I know that I had ordered the small version but… seriously? I ended up eating Mcdonalds on the way home. With the amount we spent — I should have been full at least until breakfast
Décor was very. neon. Service was below average for the cost of food/​drinks. Food was average to below average.

This restaurant was terrible from beginning to end. I cannot explain how terrible it really was. First, we walk into the bar to try to find a seat, there were none so we put our name on the list. Eventually a seat opens up and the table and chairs are dirty and disgusting. Thankfully the hostess had a table ready before we had a chance to order, because I don’t think I could have eaten in an area as dirty as it was.
We sit down and are greeted by a pimply awkward teenager, who was our «servers assistant», this was the only time we saw him all night. I am a big fan of pork belly and was excited to see it on the menu. My friend and I decided to order some sort of balsamic tasting which included parmesan, beets with gorganzola, and pork belly with fig each paired with a different balsamic. The only good thing on the plate was the parmesan (and its the only thing they didn’t touch!). The pork belly was so unappetizing, it was gray in color and did not look right. I decided to try it anyway, and it was gross. The beets were mealy and not tender at all, they had zero flavor.
After that experience, I decided not to order an entrée but my friend did. She ordered the duck breast with spinach, golden raisins and polenta. The only good thing on the plate was the spinach. The duck breast was tough and still had a thick, and I mean thick, layer of fat around it. My friend felt sick after taking a few bites. She even had to switch wine glasses because she could taste the duck on her glass!
Now comes the best part… We explain to the waiter the experience we have had throughout dinner, he apologizes and tells the manager… the manager does nothing but take our gelato off the bill (woo hoo?). He stood and looked at us from afar and never once came and spoke to us about our terrible experience. He was too busy snacking in the kitchen! They have this place set up in a way that you can see into the kitchen at all times and this manager was pulling off pieces of bread, eating it, then going and slicing some bread for customers without washing his hands or anything. I was so grossed out. If I saw this before I ate, I would not have even ordered.
For the most part, our waiter Matt was alright. Though towards the end of the night he became overly friendly and would not leave our table. I kept giving him short bitchy answers to get him to leave us alone but he wouldn’t budge! Servers need to understand that sometimes good service is learning when to leave people alone.
I am so upset about this terrible experience at Zazios. I will never ever go back again, and I wanted to make sure none of you do either! I really never write reviews, but this warranted one. DON’T GO HERE! SAVE YOUR MONEY-​ITS A WASTE!

What a disappointment! Don’t waste your time with this place! My fiancé and I had planned a fun night out in Birmingham and were so excited to try this new «hot spot.» As much as we wanted to like Zazio’s…it just didn’t happen.
When we walked in, we were not even offered a table, only a spot at the bar or around what seemed like a bar area at the kitchen. So sitting at the bar, we perused the menu and seriously NOTHING looked good. Maybe we weren’t expecting Italian food? So then bartender brought over an appetizer menu so we thought we’d try at least something to get a feel for this place. We ordered the Fritto Misto (calamari) and Polpette (some meatball concoction). Um the calamari was nothing special, we tasted more of the fried batter than anything else. The Polpette was different tasting and square… lots of fennel. We even went as far as to order a 3^rd appetizer, da’ Beef since we were still hungry and unsatisfied. Uhh, absolutely no taste to those little sandwiches, no sauce with the beef and no taste to the focaccia.
All in all, we really wanted to like this place but between the over-​the-​top décor and the poorly prepared food, we won’t be going back.

Had dinner at the Chefs table last night. Not really your normal chefs table (sitting in the kitchen private dining exp) — more like a demonstrational kitchen surrounded by stadium seating. The executive Chef Matt Schellig, cooks for you and explains each of the 5 courses. He is a good showmen (part Shamwow and part Emeril Legasse) and informative and his passion for cooking really comes through. I learned quite a few things.
The 5 courses were good to very good. The highlights were:
— hawaiian schrimp which had a wonderful honey, orange, marsala glaze. Perfectly cooked and the accompanying cous-​cous was excellent.
— breaded (seasame seeds) veal tenderloin was excellent and flavorful and perfectly complemented by the with arugula and tomato salad.
— citrus ricotta gelato was an excellent conclusion — light and flavorful.
All preparations were simple and very well executed.
There were 2 vegetarians out of the 12 ppl eating which really made no sense to me — it is a fixed menu that is being prepared in front of you, you should eat what is being prepared. Clearly Chef Matt was irritated about having to prepare alternative plates for every course. He slung faintly disguised insults at the 2 diners nearly every course — which I found entertaining. However, the vegatarians were good sports and seemed quite happy with the food.
It was pricey for the amt of food but when you thrown in the entertainment value of the exec Chef cooking for you it’s reasonable.
Service has a few kinks, the chef table format seemed a little new to the servers but nothing egregious.
I would defintely go back, but probably to sit in the dining room.