Christy’s reopens with a new look. Here’s what changed at the Coral Gables steakhouse
A coat of paint, fresh artwork, new cocktails and the same menu: Christy’s Steakhouse in Coral Gables is ready to reopen.
The restaurant, which closed last March at the start of the pandemic and was sold this summer after 42 years, will reopen Feb. 9 with its longtime managing partner as the new owner. It will also feature 10 seats in a new outdoor dining area. To celebrate the reopening, the restaurant will offer four items that have been on its menu since it opened at the same prices as that first day in 1978, owner Chris Klaic said.
“It’s just a little thank you for our longtime customers,” Klaic said.
The restaurant’s fate was up in the air for several months. Founder Charles Hauser sold the building last year for $4 million and then the Christy’s name to Klaic. But Klaic shopped around for other locations before the new building landlords agreed to a favorable lease to keep the restaurant in its same spot.
To mark that re-opening, Klaic refreshed the restaurant, which has stood on the same corner, off Ponce De Leon Boulevard, for the last 43 years. He brought in a high-end designer who broke the news to him: The restaurant looked dated.
So she added splashes of lighter colors to the dark, clubby steakhouse with the blood-red walls. New cool gray paint and refinished mahogany woodwork highlights contemporary artwork by artists such as Elizabeth Sutton, Brian Poli-Dixon, Kornelius and Jorge Alvarez. They replace classic Cuban art that Hauser took with him when he sold the business.
“The places looks so much younger, cooler,” Klaic said.
What’s the same is 90 percent of the staff, including chef Morales Francois, who has been on board since 1994, Klaic said. The restaurant will also offer several items at Day 1 prices: New York strip or filet mignon for $9, Caesar salad for $1.25 and French onion soup for $1.50.
“The food was never the issue. Why try to reinvent the wheel?” Klaic said.
The restaurant is taking reservations through the Resy app and online.
Christy’s
Address: 3101 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables
Reservations: ChristysRestaurant.com; 305-446-1400
This story was originally published February 8, 2021 at 4:18 PM.
