Lost and Found

It's not easy to find The Lost River Grille (7620 Katy Freeway, 713-680-2800), since it seems to be connected to Spellbinder's Variety Theatre in the Marq*E Center. Its discovery is worthwhile, however, for the decor alone: a surreal, dreamlike interior unlike any other place you'll ever visit. In this whimsical fantasy world, human and animal sculptures and figurines are scattered about in a style that can be best described as art nouveau meets Las Vegas. An appetizer that will ensure you won't encounter any vampires along the way is the garlic flan ($8.95). Loads of cloves of roasted garlic have been pureed and blended with melted cheese, then topped with finely sliced roasted red bell pepper and finished with a rich mushroom demi-glace, which helps round out the flavor. Roasting the garlic softens the punch and adds an unexpected sweetness so that vampires will be the only ones kept away. Dinner only.