[Houston] Catalan

[jscarbor]

My wife, myself and a couple friends went to Catalan a couple weeks ago and had a great time. I called a day before to make reservations and ask if a bottle of triacca valtilina superior could be decanted. A friend on egullet had suggested this wine and said to see if it could be decanted a couple hours before we arrived. We arrived at the restaurant for our early reservation and found the de canted bottle to be at the table. We started looking at the menu and decided to go ahead and order a few things from the "small plates" menu. I also ordered the Henri Billot Grand Brut Rose at that time. The sparkler needed to be chilled, I wish I would have ordered it a little earlier but... Anyway, we ordered the fois gras bon bon's, crispy pork belly, it escapes me now what else was ordered at that time. The bon bon's were just a decadent, over indulgent ball of joy! The bon bon's come out intack, perfectly fried. If you choose to not pop the whole thing in your mouth, then you are looking at a glob of fois gras juice on your plate. You can only imagine how rich these are. The pork belly, which dissapointed my tablemates last time they dined here were masterful this time. Crispy outside with a cane syrup glaze and a touch of heat to finish.

Next round was crab piqullo gratin, seared tuna with sambal, more bon bons (not a good idea), cockels, cheese and bacon grits, seared tuna with sambal chile and one dish from the "large plates", veal cheeks with sweetbreads....

Lets talk about the wine now. What a great list this is! The markups are much less than standard restaurants but all 3 that we ordered were not to be found at Specs so I will have to try a couple other avenues for these because they were all outstanding at worse and superlative at best. The Italian we drank is a little foggy to me, it was big and although I was able to save a little of it for the veal cheeks it might have been to big for other dishes we had. Still it was great and only $41! The Henri Billot brut rose was fantastic! Best sparkler I have ever had, strawberry, bubble gum are just a few notes from what I remember. Everyone at table raved over this! I want to say that was $50? Lastly, I was hoping for the Sea Smoke Pinot but they were out and the sommelier suggested the Foxen Pinot which grows many of the grapes for Sea Smoke as I was told? The bottle was opened and the scent just when it hit the glass was noticeable from 2 feet away. This truly was amazing, kind of an old leather piece of luggage scent? The flavors danced with vanilla, black cherry even some strawberry and the seductive aftertaste just gave you a big smile. ohhhhh....that wine is my happy place. $57 is getting up there but for a normal restaurant I'm guessing its an $80 bottle?

Kids getting up will try and finish later

Edited January 5, 2007 by jscarbor (log)

[Kevin72]

The Houston dining scene just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it? Those bonbons sound awesome. I'm chomping at the bit to check this place out; it's by part of the Ibiza team, correct?

[jscarbor]

The Houston dining scene just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?  Those bonbons sound awesome.  I'm chomping at the bit to check this place out; it's by part of the Ibiza team, correct?

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Yes

[FoodMan]

Click Here for the Alison Cook review in the chronicle

Click Here form the Robb Walsh review in the Press

Both very positive, especially Cook's. Now Jscarbor adds his rec as well and these pork belly popsicles and foi gras bonbons are sounding better than ever. I got to check it out soon.

[jscarbor]

The Crab dish was good but might be skipped next time in order to try something new. I would also add that the Cockels while also good will be skipped to try different dishes. The seared tuna was very good but I found the chile sambal to be an odd choise in this restaurant? I liked it and would look to order 2 of these next time. The sweet tuna offset by the spicy tangy sambal was excellent. The grits were the best I have ever had, my guess is they used real cream and that can make a huge difference. The extra order of bon bons was a mistake since 2 of the people at the table decided not to eat them, that meant the other guy and myself had 3! One is enough probably 2 is stretching it and 3 is just not a good thing. The lone big plate of veal cheaks and sweetbreads was great (how could it not be?), in fact I might a couple more big plate options a look next time?

Service: The service was nearly flawless. Maybe it was because we had 5:30 reservations on a wednesday in order to catch a play at Stages but it was great nonetheless. The waiter had all dishes that would require 4 pieces to come that way, for instance the bon bon's come 3 to an order, he gave us 4. After I left I wish I would have tipped a bit more in fact? I left cash for tip though?

[Kent Wang]

I went to Catalan with a friend on Wednesday night. I thought it was a bit expensive for what it was.

The anchovies were $6 and came with five small anchovies and eight olives in olive oil, that's it. For the same price, the anchovies dish at Dolce Vita was a much better value with more anchovies and a bevy of vegetables.

The charcuterie plate was OK. One major flaw was that everything was cold. The African sausage and terrines were rather mute in flavor, further compounded by the temperature. Foie gras torchon served cold was very delightful and unique as I'm used to it served hot and melting. The plate also included some pickles that were a bit too sweet but had an excellent bouquet of spices -- I think there was clove and/or nutmeg. I was also hoping for more Catalan or Spanish inspired charcuterie. Spain has such a rich tradition of charcuterie that I felt was neglected for the rather unfocused array of international charcuterie styles.

Morcilla black sausage was good, but the fennel kraut that came accompanied it was even better. Crisp cabbage, not mushy like most kraut, with bold fennel flavor.

Service was perhaps a bit too attentive. We only ordered three dishes in the hour and a half we were there and the server repeatedly came by to check on us and ask for orders. She could've just simply walked by and made eye contact without having to interrupt our conversation.

I don't think I will return until I'm prepared to spend a lot of money and can appreciate their vast wine menu.

[tetsujustin]

I know it's just a matter of taste, but I found the foie gras bon bons to really... just be a waste of foie gras. it didn't have the seared outside edge that really so good on pan seared, or the delicacy and smoothness of a torchon or terrine. it tasted like batter and foie gras fat. Maybe I'm the one that doesn't understand it, but any sort of complexity rather than just in-your-face foie gras fat and foie fat flavor just didn't appeal to me. I can see why people like it though.

The wine list is spectacular, and really not all that expensive considering the prices next door at cova (which are still fair) and what's down the street at max's (which are horrid) they had a red and green vineyards wine that I've been looking for forever and even if it's a restaurant with spanish tendencies, it doesn't have exclusively spanish wine.

My favorite dish was the pork belly, sweet, savory, delcious.

Otherwise I thought the food was "okay" for the price, though I would definitely sit at the bar, have a small dish, and drink a nice bottle of wine. The small plates have always tasted better to me, and main courses just seemed to be a major afterthought.

I like it, but like Kent, I would go to Dolce Vita before Catalan for same quality, though tastier food, and I know it's a difference in cuisine, but what they're striving to be I think is more or less the same.

[jscarbor]

I know it's just a matter of taste, but I found the foie gras bon bons to really... just be a waste of foie gras. it didn't have the seared outside edge that really so good on pan seared, or the delicacy and smoothness of a torchon or terrine. it tasted like batter and foie gras fat. Maybe I'm the one that doesn't understand it, but any sort of complexity rather than just in-your-face foie gras fat and foie fat flavor just didn't appeal to me. I can see why people like it though.

The wine list is spectacular, and really not all that expensive considering the prices next door at cova (which are still fair) and what's down the street at max's (which are horrid) they had a red and green vineyards wine that I've been looking for forever and even if it's a restaurant with spanish tendencies, it doesn't have exclusively spanish wine.

My favorite dish was the pork belly, sweet, savory, delcious.

Otherwise I thought the food was "okay" for the price, though I would definitely sit at the bar, have a small dish, and drink a nice bottle of wine. The small plates have always tasted better to me, and main courses just seemed to be a major afterthought.

I like it, but like Kent, I would go to Dolce Vita before Catalan for same quality, though tastier food, and I know it's a difference in cuisine, but what they're striving to be I think is more or less the same.

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I've had the fois gras bon bons when they weren't so good. Its just a different way to get your fat on.

The shrimp and grits are pretty good, in fact the grits are really good no matter how they are served.

[Bill Miller]

Alison w/ the Houston Chronicle gives it three stars--give me a break--it's ok, but up there with Marks, Annies, Brennans? Maybe one star. The jalapeno sauce with the calamari she called brilliant was too tart--it needed sugar to soften, like you do with tomatillos--why did I say that? No heat. Service and wine list is great. Menu is limited. I had better calamari at Churrascos, and why doesn't she (or he ) review Simposios?

Edited September 29, 2007 by Bill Miller (log)

[jscarbor]

I bet simposio gets a revisit after itopens itsnew placeif it has not already?