There are a lot of bad hot chocolates in the world. It is unfortunate but true. One of the missions of UltimateHotChocolate is not just to celebrate the good ones but to point out the bad ones too in the hope that they will be improved (or that you will stay clear of them). Just trying to make the world better, one hot chocolate at a time.
This brings me to Ziggy’s. I debated for a few days whether to write this review (and then a few more weeks whether to post it.) The reason? The hot chocolate at Ziggy’s was hands down the worst hot chocolate I have ever had in my life. And this wasn’t just me, I was with others who all tasted my drink and agreed. What made it worse was that Ziggy’s had everything going for it.
Ziggy’s is situated in a gorgeous old house on a quiet corner. It feels like it is in its own little village even though you are in the middle of trendy Montrose. Across the street is a beautiful antique store, down the road an art gallery and independent bicycle store. The terrace outside is one of the cutest anywhere filled with little black cast iron tables and chairs. The bushes around the house are covered in yellow flowers and purples ones hang from the branches of the trees above.
The menu said hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows. I smiled, this is a good sign. You wouldn’t put good marshmallows on bad hot chocolate right? So I order one.
It was all a little strange and surreal what happened next. The waiter comes out with a tall glass (blah) of yellowish brown liquid filled to the top. He then rushes off, I assume to grab my homemade marshmallow which he has forgotten. I take a sip. I still don’t understand what happened to this drink, I wish I did. It didn’t taste like chocolate at all. It kind of tasted like soy milk that had gone slightly off maybe? The waiter comes back, no marshmallows. “I have two questions” I ask with a smile, “Doesn’t this come with a marshmallow?” I show him the menu, he looks at me confused, “hmm you can have whipped cream, would you like whipped cream?” Second question I asked, “what kind of chocolate is this?”, “Its coco powder and milk” he replies …..
I must have had a stunned look on my face (and he must have noticed my untouched glass) as 5 minutes later he brought me a new glass filled with the same liquid but this time beautifully topped with whipping cream and a homemade marshmallow. The whipping cream was perfect, fresh and light, just slightly sweet. The marshmallow was fantastic, the best I have had, light, not too sweet, nice texture. The hot chocolate…same taste as before but this time it had a slightly burnt taste. I asked the waiter (who by now thought I was crazy), whether it was soy milk. He said no so I’m confused. This hot chocolate, as beautiful as it looked, was completely undrinkable. Was it just mine (both of them?)? or perhaps no one every orders it so no one knows, or maybe this is what I get for ordering a hot chocolate when its 34 degrees Celsius outside?
A power pole across the street started sparking and caught fire for a few minutes. It was followed by fire trucks and apparently blackouts around the area. But this all happened while we were sitting there, so unless electrical fires affect milk quality on a 100 metre radius, I’m still at a loss to explain what happened to my hot chocolate?
This experience has inspired me to start the Hot Chocolate Appreciate Society, or League for the protection of good hot chocolate (name to be confirmed). If you have had a bad hot chocolate, or a good one of course, let me know on my facebook page. Just trying to make the world a better place, one hot chocolate at a time.
Verdict: I love Ziggy’s and its cute little terrace. It transports you into another, very happy world.But I won’t be back for the hot chocolate. Ziggy’s, 302 Fairview, Houston, USA
Update: It seems that Ziggy’s is no longer and in its place is a new spot called Graffiti.
