So I was invited to Philippe's Patio Grand Opening...
Honestly, I haven't been back since before Chef Philippe Schmidt left his namesake restaurant. So, with the new Patio opening up and new chef, this is as good of a time as any to check out everything.
When you walk in, they have special cocktails for the evening. Very generous about alcohol flowing.
Nice and spacious patio. Perfect for Fall weather and hanging out with friends.
The servers just kept the food coming.
Drumsticks Coq au Vin, the sauce is a the bottom, and you can just grab the drumstick and dip.
This is jumbo shrimp with mango salsa. The shrimp was super delicious, we had 2 of these.
This is the pulled pork mini sandwich. Perfect, I say.
They have some beautiful oysters.
This is a curried Fried Mac n' Cheese. Once you bite into it, it has some strong curried flavors.
Beef Profiterole, it's super cute and super yummy. The beef is well marinated, highly recommended.
This is their tomato and parmesan soup. You can really just taste the cheese, and since I'm not used to consuming cheese this way. I'm not very thrilled about that.
Caprices and tomato, just like the dishes, this is thoroughly planned and executed.
This is another awesome craving job! The grilled shrimps were awesome too
This is not a fly, it's their Fennel emulsion with caviar. It's unique, but nothing to write home about.
Lamb Puff, Pulled Pork, and Ahi Tuna in a square of cucumber. Very nice together.
This is their white truffle with lime in the middle. It's very delicious and definitely lime.
This is Churro with Hot Chocolate. The hot chocolate has a little pepper to it, so it does have a kick to it. We can't stop eating it.
Here's their version of macarons... definitely not the French way. The shell was super soft, where you pick it up and it crushes in. It doesn't have the 'feet' a normal macaron does. But the flavors are pretty good. It's Sweet Potato (left) and Strawberry (right). By the time the tray gets to us, all of the chocolate ones are gone, gone, gone.
Not pictured: Black Forest Mousse - super delicious, you can tell there's a bit of alcohol with a kick to the mousse, but it won't stop me from getting it again. Plantain chips with Tuna Tar Tare, well marinated Tuna paired with the chips very nicely. Grilled shrimps.
The patio concept is definitely nice. Not only to make additional seating, this is a more casual side of Philippe. The only thing was that they did not get the electric box set up for the outside before the grand opening. As you see on the photos, as the night goes on, it gets darker and darker; that's because they did not have electricity, so there's no light and no fan. I understand they were trying to capture the good weather, since it just rained, mosquitoes were out in the full force having the fan would've been nice. Meanwhile, we were dining in the dark. Romantic as it may be, we were being eaten too. We were promised by the manager that when we come back it'll be all fixed.
On to the food, it's not the French Cowboy's way anymore. As a matter of fact, it's not French at all. So whatever you knew of Philippe's food, scratch that out of your mind, and open the mind of a nicely paired fusion. Food is delicious, doesn't matter which type of cuisine it is, just go and enjoy it. I knew the new Chef (former Chef de Cuisine) was on hand, but everyone wanted to rub elbows with Chef Manuel Pucha that I can't even make it to the front of that line. Definitely go with an open mind and see Pucha's creativity.
Also check out their Master Chef Lunch, which for $20 you get 3 courses for lunch, it may be limited but you are promised to have great food. They also have lunch to go, which is convenience for me, because it guarantees to have good lunch in a jiff.
Philippe
1800 Post Oak Blvd
Houston, TX 77056
713-439-1000
http://www.philippehouston.com/
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