A note about the beverage program here, which is overseen by beverage director Sean Essex. We were on the brink of ordering a bottle of well-priced, reliable Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon, but deferred when Essex smiled at us and said "We can do better." Better turned out to be a lovely glass of champagne to start, a bottle of Solane Santi Valpolicello Ripasso (incredibly priced at $28 for the entire bottle!), and an excellent, eminently drinkable Domaine de Verquiere Rasteau Syrah Grenache blend from Rhone that complemented our courses well without breaking the bank. "I put together this wine list so that people wouldn't be afraid to drink from it. It has the recognizable names, like Jordan, but also gems that I hope my customers will enjoy discovering," says Essex, who also has a nice craft beer selection, along with a cask wine program offering wine on tap by the glass.
The dinner menu includes well-priced starters, pizzas, focaccia breads, salads, entrees, along with pastas and crepes. The duck confit is already emerging as one of Martin's signature dishes. His version is extremely simple: It's just one exceptionally well prepared duck leg, which comes out on its own plate skin super crisp, just a joy to eat if you enjoy a well-prepared duck. His Costa Brava snapper was also beautiful, topped with a buttery tomato-laced sauce with roasted artichokes and lump crab meat. The snapper we had was plump and moist, its texture approximating that of chilean sea bass.
A duck cassoulet, topped with savory sausages and strips of duck meat, and served in a cast iron pan, was also very good. We loved the sausage, but the strips of duck were a bit too dry and stringy. This didn't curb the appeal of the dish, though, which was really all about the incrediblly hearty, well-seasoned, aromatic white bean stew.
Because you don't often find crepes on a restaurant menu in Houston, we had ordered the crab and mushroom crepes just to see how they'd turn out, and it's a good thing we did, because it emerged the surprise winner of the night for the way in which the flavors came together so well.
This is the great thing about the menu at Bistro Menil. The menu is large enough, with enough of a selection that you can pretty much bet on finding something you'll like. The variety also means that you can return more than once a week, and have an entirely different meal from start to finish. Add to that the convivial ambiance, the beautifully designed museum-worthy space, and you have the recipe for something that is not only of-the-moment, but also enduring -- and a wholly welcome new addition to the Houston restaurant firmament.
