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UPDATE 1/30: Bobby Heugel tweeted late Wednesday afternoon that they've decided to leave my beloved crooked AC vents as is in Ninfa's main dining room, and the dropped ceiling, too. "Paint only fixes to main dining. Anti-unnecessary Ninfas changes!" he wrote. And I've learned that Jim Herd's Collaborative Projects, who did the Underbelly/Hay Merchant complex as well as Cuchara, will shepherd the refurbishment.
The inside has always mirrored the irregular outside at Ninfa's on Navigation. Photo by Alison Cook
I got pretty nervous when I ran into Anvil owner Bobby Heugel and he told me work to overhaul the original Ninfa's on Navigation interior and systems started today.
Like many Houstonians, I grew up with the rickety, no-right-angles dining rooms at the sacred Tex-Mex restaurant, which grew higgledy piggledy as the founding Laurenzo family found more and more success.
I've always loved the lopsided air conditioning ducts that crawl across the walls, and even the unfashionably dropped ceiling. It all just feels like home to me.
But sometimes home needs a new roof, and that's what's about to happen now that Heugel's company has taken on management duties at Ninfa's on Navigation for owner Niel Morgan. "I don't want to be known as the guy who changed Ninfa's," Heugel told me ruefully, "but that roof is going to come down some day soon if we don't do something."
Rube Goldberg ate here? The roofscape at Ninfa's on Navigation. Photo by Alison Cook
It's not just the roof. The vintage 1949 plumbing system for the kitchen will get changed out, and those dropped ceilings will disappear in favor of exposed rafters. "We've got to get rid of the tangled nest of wiring above the ceiling," said Heugel. And yeah, the interior air conditioning ducts that have always amused me so much will be going, too.
Other than that, the dining room will get a new coat of paint. The familiar old multicolored lanterns will stick around, though, hanging from those newly exposed rafters. I can kiss the crazy Rube Goldberg Ninfa's roofscape goodbye, though. I always felt obscurely proud pointing it out to out-of-town visitors.
New vs. old: the Laurenzo family's El Tiempo is going up across the street from their onetime Ninfa's on Navigation.
I just hope that a few lumps and bumps are left once the dust settles. It's fine for the Laurenzos' palatial new El Tiempo — now rising directly across the street — to be all perfect and everything, but the raffish imperfections have always been part of Ninfa's on Navigation's special charm. I hope the coming duel of the side-by-side Tex-Mex titans leaves a few of those venerable rough edges unsmoothed.
Heugel assures that the changes will be done "in the spirit of preservation" — and that the restaurant will remain open during the refurbishment.
I found myself hyperventilating as I read this. Repeating the words in my head: Change can be good. It will be alright. Change can be good. It will be alright.
Let's hope it doesn't end up like Carlos Mencia's Maggie Ritas. Boy, talk about 15 minutes of fame.
As for me, my new home is El Rey Tex-Mex (the former Tower Theater). See you all there on Mondays!
It's easier to find your home when you know its name...I think you mean El Real.
I think you mean El Real.
Thanks guys - typo on my part. I got so excited thinking about their Half-Off Mondays that my fingers slipped from all the saliva dripping on them in anticipation.
I love the original Ninfa's and the changes they've made so far have been positive. However, they really must do something about the restrooms - they are almost impossible to use because they are too small, always need to be cleaned, maintained, and dangerous for someone with any kind of vision or stability issue. I use them...but I don't like to.
Wish they would start with the restrooms.
Hmm. The only reason we ever go to Ninfa's these days is when ex-pat Houstonians come back to visit and insist on going because they recall how great it was, way back when. Well, for me, it hasn't been great for at least a decade. Simply mediocre. With so many better places in town, nostalgia isn't a good enough reason to spend money there. I wish them well, but I think El Tiempo (despite its ridiculous prices) will cause Ninfa's some concern. No doubt, both will be jammed pack though - you have to try really, really, REALLY hard to fail at serving Tex-Mex and margaritas in this town.
I worked briefly with Neil Morgan on Ninfa's some years ago. At the time the new CEO and Mr. Morgan had plans to raze and re-build, have their own tequila and generally modernize/'corporatize'. Love it or hate it, Ninfa's is an Institution, and was eventually shown the respect it deserves, including Chef Alex's restraint with the menu. I'm sure it will be respectfully, effectively and tastefully preserved by Neil & Bobby. I like the bathrooms. Maybe they could build others on site so we nostalgiaistas can
re-live good memories.
Making a trip back to H-town this weekend and wanted to pay the original Ninfa's a visit -- does anyone know if the restaurant's going to be closed during the overhaul?
The last sentence of the post above explains that the restaurant will remain open.
Notwithstanding Alison's reply to look at the last sentence of her article, I tried to make an OpenTable reservation for Sunday brunch and found no times available this Sunday the 3rd. I called a little while ago, asked and discovered that the restaurant will in fact be closed this Sunday.
Maybe the article should say, the restaurant will remain open throughout the renovations with occasional closings.
well, I will check that out again. Do you think it has something to do with the Super Bowl??
I fondly remember going there in '73 when it was the "in" place for brunch on Sunday, tacos al carbon and of course a margarita. We had a lot of fun and good food at Ninfa's. Wasn't the same at the Ninfa's on Richmond at Kirby - 3 strikes in a row.
That's another Carlos Mencia fiasco there. Do yourself a favor and go across the street to Little Pappasito's instead.
Great article, Alison! You're right to raise the caution flag and it seems they have already seen it. Caution is good in this endeavor. Here's wishing them all the best and looking forward to the excellent results. We love you, Alison!
As a native Houstonian, I must say the quality of my favorite had really gone down the last time I went. The final straw was when they changed the salsas and the ninfaritas. Very mediocre and overpriced.