CASUAL - Twigs Stix With It

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. That seems to be the motto of the folks at STIX BAR & GRILL (formerly Twigs, Bin 98 Twenty and 98 Twenty Bistro). Reincarnated three times with two major remodels in less than two years, the restaurant is moving away from fine dining to a more casual neighborhood bar and grill.

“There was a vast misconception Bin 98 Twenty was too high-end,” explains sous chef Christian Chally.

The most recent remodel removed the wine display and added more open seating, giving Stix a less intimate, more approachable feel. A large bar space doubles as a daytime dining area.

The restaurant reopened in mid-July, and things seem to be going well. The regular customers still come, and people aren’t afraid to drop by in their work clothes, or bring their families. “We’ve easily doubled our business, almost overnight,” says Chally.

The bistro-fare menu of salads, sandwiches and pizzas ranges from $6 for appetizers to $17 for main dishes. The Greek salad and the muffuletta sandwich are favorites from the 98 Twenty menu. You’ll find comfort food like chicken wings and mac-and-cheese, alongside a truffle spinach salad and ahi tuna with mango vinaigrette.

Our server recommended the fish tacos ($11), featuring grilled halibut with black bean and corn salsa. While the tacos could have used a little more zip, the accompanying Caribbean chicken soup was flavorful with a sweet and spicy kick.

I was impressed with the pizzas ($11-$12), which are hand tossed and brick-oven baked for a perfect thin and crunchy crust. We opted for the classic pepperoni, but the Italian Junker and the Taco Pizza sounded tempting also.

It’s rare for any restaurant to successfully re-invent itself, but this one seems to be working. Let’s hope it Stix.

— KIRSTEN HARRINGTON

Stix Bar & Grill, 9820 N. Nevada St., is open Sun-Thu 11 am-11 pm, Fri-Sat 11 am-midnight. Call 468-9820.