Houston Fine Dining

[FoodMan]

Prompted by the "Where's the Houston Crew" thread , where it was mentioned that we should have a fine dining thread , and the "Texas Forum" thread here goes this one.

The latest fine dining spot I've been to in Houston was Mark's and I have already posted the review under the Houston Restaurants thread but here it goes again:

"- Lobster salad. Garlic and herb roasted lobster tail, served with a variety of citrus, shaved mangoes, and lightly dressed greens.

- Texas Diamond H Cross Quail and Foie Gras Over ginger-spiked butternut squash, accented with a huckleberry vinaigrette.

- Spring corn soufflé served with lobster and crawfish, oyster mushrooms and Avruga caviar in a shallot Chardonnay sauce.

-Roasted Escolar over fork mashed lobster potatoes, asparagus and crispy sesame shrimp in a Cabernet Sauvignon sauce.

- Roasted Maple Leaf duck, served with wild rice, pearl pasta, roasted figs, raspberries and mangoes.

-Dessert:

Chocolate Mousse layered Crème Brulee

Chocolate Hazelnut Tort with roasted hazelnuts and white chocolate Sabayon.

Wine: A red Pinot – Domain Vincent Gerardin, 1999 “Les Gravieres”. I had to drink most of the bottle myself since my wife is pregnant and cannot participate in this pleasure . Thanks to the laws of Texas we took the re-corked bottle home with us and I enjoyed the leftovers the next day."

Another restaurant that was mentioned in that thread was Zula. Last time I was there was a while ago and it was a great experience even though I do not remeber exactly what we had. I'm pretty sure we had the crab cake (The BEST) and we also had a lobster risotto which was very good. Due to a certain...mishap we ended up having our wine for free that night and the manager and staff were very professional and prompt in handling the situation.

Between the above two places I would say Mark's is my favorite for both the atmosphere and the food.

This weekend we will be having dinner at "Aries" whose chef was one of F&W best new chefs this year. Anyone been there????

Other palces on my list (if the budget permits):

Simposio

Visio

Rouge

Boulevard Bistro (if Pope does not close it first)

House in the Hights

Anyone been to any of these?? Please share.

FM

[jscarbor]

In Houston I think that De Marco near Mark's is a must. Anything and everything is great. I like it more than Mark's, and that's saying something because I think Mark's is up there in the top couple of restaurants.

I haven't been to Simposio in a year or so but I can tell you that I have never had an avg meal there. I think everything is wonderful. I would try the grilled calimari for appetizer. For the main dish I remember a very good pork chop. I also remember his rissotos being the best I have had.

Blvd Bistro will be closing very soon so I would head over there now. The food is very good. I really enjoy the sunday brunch with the chicken chili noodles or the outstanding gourmet burger on a lavender focacia. Alas if it does close I believe another rest run by Pope will be opening in the Midtown area.

What about trying Zula downtown? Its great. Again I haven't been in a year or so but it is first rate. Very good fois gras dishes and beef done right as well. I also remember a very good fish dish.

One of my favorite newish places is Hugo's I rec anything from the squash blossom menu (If its still available), the ceviche, soups, emenada's, rabbit, the little chicken dish. Also the choc flan is a highly rec dessert along with the churros and hot choc. Hugo's grinds there own cocao beens and makes the choc by hand.

[FoodMan]

What about trying Zula downtown? Its great. Again I haven't been in a year or so but it is first rate. Very good fois gras dishes and beef done right as well. I also remember a very good fish dish.

One of my favorite newish places is Hugo's I rec anything from the squash blossom menu (If its still available), the ceviche, soups, emenada's, rabbit, the little chicken dish. Also the choc flan is a highly rec dessert along with the churros and hot choc. Hugo's grinds there own cocao beens and makes the choc by hand.

I'm hearing more and more good stuff about Hugo's so I will put it on my list for places to go to soon.

Fifi sorry, I cannot help because personally I've never been to Rio Ranch. I do believe someone mentioned that their steaks are pretty good once though. So maybe a nicely grilled steak should be ordered rather than the CFS.

FM

[dngovy]

I also had the opportuntiy to visit Aries this past weekend as well... had the regular tasting menu and veg tasting menu, took a lot of pictures... i'll try and post my thoughts sometime this week

[FoodMan]

I also had the opportuntiy to visit Aries this past weekend as well... had the regular tasting menu and veg tasting menu, took a lot of pictures... i'll try and post my thoughts sometime this week

Unfortunatly we could not make it there this past weekend due to the fact that my MIL a.k.a babysitter was ill so there was no one to take care of the baby. I called and rescheduled for this coming weekend (fingers crossed).

dngov, please post your thoughts and comments.

FM

[FoodMan]

Here goes my long anticipated review of Aires. We dined there this past Saturday.

Dngovy, We are still waitting for yours.

ARIES: FINE FOOD, CASUAL DINING

No question about it, food at Aries is excellent and chef Tycer sure knows what he is doing in the kitchen. With that said two things were a little disappointing, the wine list and the service.

Let’s start with the wine list, it is very pricy. We were looking for a decent red to have with our meal but the cheapest strong red was $50, and the one the sommelier recommended to complement our food was $90. I am a firm believer that any restaurant no matter how fine the food is should have bottles in the upper 20s low 30s. This has been the case at all fine dining establishments we’ve been to, including Mark’s and Zula in Houston. With that in mind we decided to go the by-the-glass route and picked a Shiraz that was adequate.

Service at Aries got both myself and my wife confused. Maybe we just had too high of expectations for this place. We expected a level of service to match that we’ve seen at other fine dining establishments (again Mark’s comes to mind in Houston). To elaborate, I would expect the waiter(s) to be very knowledgeable, very attentive, “on the ball” sort to speak. Instead our waitress made us feel we were eating at a “Houston’s” or “Cheesecake Factory”, meaning she was a good waitress but certainly not a fine dining establishment caliber and certainly not on the same level as the food or the wine list price tags. To illustrate further, our waitress asked us what we would like to drink even before we saw a menu!!! “Hello my name is ----, what can I get you to drink?” What’s up with that?? This might work at Bennigan’s but certainly not here. She took about ten minutes from the time we got our menus till the time she came back to our table and ask “Would you like to hear about our Caviar special?” When asked if she prefers the duck or quail on the menu, rather than giving an informed professional answer, she simply suggested that the duck is “much better” with an “excellent Madeira sauce”. Again this is not the type of tailored answer I was looking for. I did actually order the duck she recommended but when my entrée arrived, yeap it was the quail. I understand that this is a mistake that could happen anywhere but it really added to my feelings that the service is a little spacey. We actually had a total of 2 waiters who in between them had about 10 tables or so. Now that is a lot of tables and it might be the reason the service is so casual. To be fair the manager did stop by to apologize and offer to replace the quail with the duck which was going to take another 20-30 minutes and a remake of my wife’s dish as well. I declined, thanked him and told him I will enjoy the quail with no problem. When the bill arrived my entrée was taken off the check which pleased me. By the end of the dinner we concluded that maybe that is how Aries is, a casual fine dining establishment. Next time we will lower our expectations down a notch and enjoy the food.

I do not have detailed explanations for what we ordered because our waitress forgot to give me the copy I requested. The tasting menu was what I had in mind, but taking a quick look at it made it clear that I am better of picking several things off the menu. It simply was not that interesting, the vegetarian tasting menu actually seemed a much better option but I wanted some meat. So, after being served two delectable amuse of halibut mousse on top of wafer like crackers from the chef we started with two appetizers. A very rich and delicious tasting veal sweetbread dish with coffee glaze and green onions on top of potato rounds, the texture and taste were perfect. Another app was tortellini stuffed with goat cheese and served with a brown butter, traditional and well executed. The entrees were my aforementioned quail dish, two roasted quails stuffed with bread pudding on top of roasted zucchini. This dish was fantastic even though I was expecting a Peking duck!! My wife ordered the braised pork with mustard greens, A piece of loin and a piece of pork shoulder (I think) braised and very succulent. It was served with perfect mustard greens and a nice brothy sauce. This dish was remarkably homey and quiet large, very good as well. For a dessert we had two coffees and Chocolate Profiteroles. The Profiteroles were not the traditional Pate a Choux puffs stuffed with chocolate mousse but rather the puffs were made with dark chocolate in the batter and were a little crispy. They were stuffed with a smooth and light custard and drizzled with chocolate sauce, they were both a surprise and a delight. Along with the check we were given small dessert amuse (cheesecake cubes, raspberry chocolate tart cubes and small molasses cookies). Aries also provides the guests with mini pecan cakes neatly wrapped to take home in lieu of mints—a nice touch.

Would I be back?? Yes, the food was great. I will simply enjoy good food prepared right and tip the busboys extra, they made sure our water glasses were always filled up.

Elie

Edited September 29, 2003 by FoodMan (log)

[dngovy]

Great write up foodman!

Sorry to hear that you got such poor service on your visit. My gf also complained about the lack of service and professionalism the first time she dined there (over a year ago). Fortunately for me, on my visit I got an excellent waiter. I believe his name was Bob. He is an older gentleman with a beard. A very knowledgeable waiter. As each dish came out, he came by to explain each dish and answered any questions we had for him.

Anyways, I'll save the rest for my write up. My apologies for not writing it up sooner. Work has been taking a big chunk of my time lately. I promise i will get it all organized and posted when i get some time this weekend..

[fifi]

I haven't been in a while but I do have to recommend to all of you the Brennan's Jazz Brunch on Sundays. It came up in a discussion with a friend this evening. That is probably one of the most delightful dining experiences to be had in Houston. I love the formal service. Of course, I have to have the turtle soup, possibly one of the most delicious foods on this planet. I am somewhat stuck on Eggs Sardou so I really can't comment on the breadth of the menu. There is just something so retro about the whole thing. The food, the service, the jazz, the "buzz" in the room without being annoyingly loud... I get the feeling that I am at the turn of the century... like the previous century and I am having an Edwardian experience. (Yes... I know... Edwardian predates jazz, but that is how it feels to me.)

[FoodMan]

A very knowledgeable waiter. As each dish came out, he came by to explain each dish and answered any questions we had for him.

That is all I was asking for

Fifi I have to try that jaz brunch sometime, love that Turtle soup too.

FM

[slbunge]

It may not qualify in your book as 'Haute Cuisine' but I have eaten at Ashiana restaurant (Briar Forest at Dairy Ashford) twice during business trips to Houston and I recommend it highly. Each time there, we asked the server to have the chef do a sort of tasting menu for the table. The first time there, we focused on seafood and the main entre was a beautiful grilled lobster. Several small courses before that with grilled seafood and wonderful sauces. The second time, our main entre was lamb and it was also very good.

Nice wine list, well appointed dining room, attentive service.

[FoodMan]

It may not qualify in your book as 'Haute Cuisine' but I have eaten at Ashiana restaurant (Briar Forest at Dairy Ashford) twice during business trips to Houston and I recommend it highly.  Each time there, we asked the server to have the chef do a sort of tasting menu for the table.  The first time there, we focused on seafood and the main entre was a beautiful grilled lobster.  Several small courses before that with grilled seafood and wonderful sauces.  The second time, our main entre was lamb and it was also very good.

Nice wine list, well appointed dining room, attentive service.

Ashiana is certainly one of Houston's fine Indian dining restaurants. Great food and service. I am glad to know the chef will do a tasting menu upon request. I will make sure to ask for that sometime.

FM

[jess mebane]

I haven't been in a while but I do have to recommend to all of you the Brennan's Jazz Brunch on Sundays. It came up in a discussion with a friend this evening. That is probably one of the most delightful dining experiences to be had in Houston. I love the formal service. Of course, I have to have the turtle soup, possibly one of the most delicious foods on this planet.  There is just something so retro about the whole thing. The food, the service, the jazz, the "buzz" in the room without being annoyingly loud... I get the feeling that I am at the turn of the century... like the previous century and I am having an Edwardian experience.  (Yes... I know... Edwardian predates jazz, but that is how it feels to me.)

I second the Brennan's shoutout, and if you like the slow, private feel of Brennan's, you might also enjoy the dark woods and non-clubby, clubby feel of River Oaks Grill. Dear spouse and I walked in about 15 mins. to close one evening, and everyone from the valet to the piano bar to waitstaff was gracious and smooth in a laconic manner that made you feel wanted, not just welcomed. It was sexy, and expensive, and very, very good. I've said before of the place that they treat you like Bogie and Bacall--late night icons rather than obstacles that must be overcome to replenish the sugar pats and ketchup bottles....

And Edwardians didn't make Jazz because they were too busy making love, cher, so it's virtually the same thing set thru a different medium......

[fifi]

Oh, yes... River Oaks Grill. That brings back memories. A very dear friend (now deceased) and I would dine there on the average of once a month. As he was a "regular" it was always a warm and welcoming experience. I haven't been back, but you remind me that I should.

[theabroma]

Is anyone familiar with Le Mistral? Does it qualify as haute, and if so, how haute is it? It came up in conversation recently here in Dallas, and I am curious.

Fifi? Do you know it?

Theabroma

[FoodMan]

Is anyone familiar with Le Mistral? Does it qualify as haute, and if so, how haute is it? It came up in conversation recently here in Dallas, and I am curious.

Fifi? Do you know it?

Theabroma

Ok, let's re-define (can the title be changed by a moderator maybe??) this thread and I think you did this a while back Theabroma. I think the word haute was not the correct choice here (my fault of course). This is more of a thread about fine dining in general fussy Haute Cuisine which I am not sure we even have here in Houston.

Do we need to discuss what that means at all?

As for La Mistral, I am afraid I'm not familiar with it.

Elie

[theabroma]

Is anyone familiar with Le Mistral?  Does it qualify as haute, and if so, how haute is it? 

Theabroma

I think the word haute was not the correct choice here (my fault of course). This is more of a thread about fine dining in general fussy Haute Cuisine which I am not sure we even have here in Houston.

Do we need to discuss what that means at all?

As for La Mistral, I am afraid I'm not familiar with it.

Elie

Hello, Elie!

No, the thing fartherest from my mind was anything to do with semantics. I am not familiar with Le Mistral and just wondered who might be and if it would qualify as a fine dining experience. Or a white table-cloth, or fancy, or whatever we wish to call it ... eg: not Denny's or Houston's or something like that.

BTW, are there any places in Houston that offer narghili or water pipes?

Regards,

Theabroma

[RebeccaT]

Wanted to add a review of T'afia, since we went there last night for my birthday. It was sublime!

We started our meal with cocktails made with ratafia - mine was called Ratafia Royale and was made with champagne and strawberry/meyer lemon ratafia, and DH's was called Ratafia-tini and consisted of black currant ratafia, Absolut Kurant, and lime juice. Both were amazing! I left there wondering if I could make ratafia at home...

DH and I both selected the Tasting Menu with a Texas wine pairing for each course. Here's what we had:

* Cucumber Tzatziki and Artisanal Feta - The tzatziki was made with local goat's milk yogurt and fresh herbs, and was perfectly refreshing paired with local goat's milk feta and homemade sage crackers.

Wine Pairing: Becker Fume Blanc, 2002 (Fredericksburg) Fruity but acidic, made a nice foil to the cucumber and salty feta.

* Shrimp and Roasted Pepper Bisque - This was unreal. Monica goes very easy on the cream, making this bisque, served just above room temperature, velvety without being at all heavy. Served with just a sprinkling of chives, this was possibly my favorite course.

Wine Pairing: Peregrine Pinot Noir, 2001 (Ft. Stockton) This was easily my favorite of all the wines we tasted. It had an earthy, almost chocolatey bouquet, but tasted light and complex.

* Tempura Squash Blossoms - These were delightful. The squash came from a vendor at Monica's weekly Midtown Farmer's Market, and the little fried pillows consisted of chopped squash blossoms with risotto and herbs, coated in panko and deep fried. They were served over paper thin strips of squash that had been lightly sauteed with olive oil and fresh herbs (dill and thyme). They were savory and light-tasting, but filling.

Wine Pairing: Travis Peak Due Ami, 2003 (Marble Falls). A slightly richer white, this was very smooth but still quite dry.

* Gulf Crab Cakes over Guacamole with Lemon Beurre Blanc - This was my least favorite course, but was still delicious. I think it had to wait us as we finished the previous course (we were chatting with our server) and might have suffered a bit in a warming oven. Still, these crab cakes were barely held together with bread crumbs, and were perfectly browned and full of sweet lump crab meat. The guacamole was good, but what really made these cakes shine was the lemon beurre blanc, which Monica makes with a preserved lemon essence.

Wine Pairing: Becker Claret, 2002 (Fredericksburg) This wine was a very close second to the Peregrine for my favorite. Fruity, light-tasting, but with a wonderful, lingering finish.

* Selection of Organic Pastries from Pastry to the People - These included homemade, vegan marshmallows, an amazing square of baklava, a wine-poached Texas peach and a soft rich praline. My favorite of all of these was the baklava. Wine Pairing: Haak Port (Dickinson) A lovely port that was the perfect finish to our wonderful meal!

I am reading back over my write-up here, and I realize that my descriptions do not do this meal justice. I mean, who here hasn't had tzatziki, or crab cakes? I think that what I loved the most about this meal was not the innovation, but rather the simplicity of each course, and the knowledge that the chef had made decisions to showcase the local ingredients available to her. The menu was perfect for a hot late-May evening, and I am fully aware that were I to return in September, or December, that the menu would be completely and totally different each time, but just as perfect. And I will most certainly be back.

[curryADD]

without trying to sound stupid.....(here i go)

I live in The Woodlands, but since it's summer will be visiting Houston more frequently. Does anyone know a good place (around the P.F. Chang's or Cheesecake Factory price bracket) in the fine arts district? Or by the theatre district?

[jscarbor]

This would probably be a question to ask in a different thread since the thread is about Haute Cousine.

That being said here it goes:

Miss Saigon in the Village area serves up vietnamese food in a little more stylish way then say Cali or Mai's. The vermicilla with pork and egg rolls is great. So are the sandwiches.

Cafe Rebelais also in the village area serves excellent french bistro fare at a great price.

Shiva, also in the Village, has very good Indian Food.

[FoodMan]

Curryadd-

It might be a good idea to start a new thread about this, but I second the Cafe Rebelais suggestion.

Elie