Grapevine - Colleyville - Southlake | December 2023

Dining

BY JONATHAN PERRIELLO

Joe Murphy, a lifelong restaurant operator for multiple corporations, had kicked around the idea of opening up his own restaurant for many years. After surviving the COVID-19 pandemic as the vice president of restaurant operations for Cine- mark, Murphy and his wife, Carmen Vega, poured their savings into opening Zaros Mexican Grill y Cantina in Colleyville, he said. The details Murphy opened Zaros in January, taking a modern approach to a Mexican atmosphere with clean lines and crisp blues apropos to the restau- rant’s name, which means “sapphire” in Spanish. Murphy’s wife named it after both of their birthstones, he said. “It was important to me that we looked and felt dierent than the average Mexican restaurant,” Murphy said. Murphy also wanted to serve cuisine that com- plemented the quaint elegance of the decor without feeling exclusive, he said. “We want it to be upscale food and service in a casual environment,” he said. What’s on the menu While the menu still oers classic Tex-Mex options, such as enchiladas and chimichangas, it also touts unique dishes, such as the Mi Madre’s Flank Steak, a soy and brown sugar marinated ank steak leaned on a bed of Mexican mashed potatoes with minced sauteed vegetables and a side of elote, he said. The sta also puts consideration into the pre- sentation of each dish with artistic arrangements of food and selective use of garnishes and micro- greens, Murphy said. “People have to go, ‘Wow,’ when you bring it to the table,” he said. Why it’s special Serving beautiful and avorful food is just one piece of the three-legged philosophy guiding Zaros, Murphy said. The other two components are providing a friendly and accommodating service, and—perhaps most importantly—building relationships with the customers and Colleyville community. This sentiment was on display when the restau- rant heeded feedback on its autas—stued corn tortillas—which some customers called dry and a Zaros Mexican Grill y Cantina makes modern twist on Mexican cuisine

Surf and Turf, which includes a 7-ounce petite let topped with chimichurri, three grilled shrimp, and served on a bed of poblano rice and roasted vegetables.

PHOTOS COURTESY ZAFIROS MEXICAN GRILL Y CANTINA

Zafiros has a full drink menu, including a flight of margaritas.

The menu offers classic Tex-Mex options, such as enchiladas, chimichangas and ribeye fajitas.

little overdone, he said. The team responded by ensuring each tortilla was lled end to end with pro- tein and vegetables to prevent any empty portions from overcooking. The chefs also gave the autas more avor, removed the garnish and added queso to the dish, which led to a better-tasting dish with a presentation to match, Murphy said. At the community level, Zaros has made dona- tions to the Colleyville Public Library for its summer reading program and is involved in Colleyville Chamber of Commerce events, he said. “We care about the community and will be as involved as we can be. As we grow we’ll certainly be able to do more,” he said.

G L A D E R D .

5204 Colleyville Blvd., Colleyville www.zarostx.com

GRAPEVINE COLLEYVILLE SOUTHLAKE EDITION