Grant Park's Best Kept Secret
- Apr 12, 2018
- 3 min read
The title is their tagline, and it's spot on. Ziba's Restaurant and Wine Bar truly is a hidden gem in Grant Park. Originally known as the home of Zoo Atlanta and the Cyclorama, Grant Park has been thriving and striving to make its mark on Atlanta's map. With fun shops, a brewery, and a fantastic farmer's market, Ziba's has been, and continues, to fit right in.
Opened in 2010, Ziba's Restaurant and Wine Bar can be considered a bistro-esque eatery. Although it seemed off the grid compared to a lot of Atlanta hot-spots, Ziba's owner Marcie Meirndorf knew what she was doing. With the housing market starting to pick back up, Grant Park became an ideal spot for historic homes to get an update. And update they did. On almost every street that surrounds the park and the local shops and eateries, there's a swath of historic homes that scream out curb appeal. Meirndorf and her employees love to claim that Ziba's is Grant Park's best kept secret simply because everyone in the neighborhood eats there, but the calm of the area doesn't incite the big city feel that Atlanta restaurants sometimes do.
When you go, and you most certainly will want to, you can park right along the street that Ziba's building is off of. Along with the restaurant, there's a funky tattoo parlor (filled with some great artists...I would know), and a local deli. Besides the fantastic food, the restaurant's design is also inviting. The front has a large entry setup that can be opened to let the cool spring and summer air in on beautiful Georgia days.
Now, to the food. This Thursday my boyfriend and I visited on one such beautiful spring day. Going in at 11:45 a.m. let us sample the lunch menu of Ziba's, something that I had not yet had the privilege of tasting. To start with, I ordered a drink. I'm not usually a day drinker, but I couldn't resist having a fun libation off of the provided drink menu (take a look at it, you'll see what I mean). I ordered a blackberry cider that was delightfully crisp and refreshing. For my actual meal, which is the best part of any dining experience, I ordered Ziba's fun take on a bean burger. Rather than your typical black bean patty, I opted for the white bean burger which came with spinach, red onion, and a sun-dried tomato pesto. This meal was to die for. The fact that there are so many great vegetarian options is also a huge plus for me when I go to Ziba's.
As I've written this blog, many of the women-owned businesses I've gone to have been places that sell something rather than make something. Meirndorf took a risk when opening up a business in an economy that was still trying to get a footing. She took an even bigger risk when she chose to open a restaurant. Yet Meirndorf has kept Ziba's open for 8 years! The great food, fun atmosphere and design, location, and overall friendliness of the staff and customers makes Ziba's exactly what they tout it as...Grant Park's best kept secret.
If you're interested in visiting Ziba's Restaurant and Wine Bar for yourself, the information for them can be found below!
Address: 560 Boulevard SE, Atlanta, GA 30312
Phone: 404.622.4440
Comments