It looks like new restaurant Beso (2300 Westheimer, 713-523-2376) may be more permanent than a kiss in the dark. Chef Arturo Boada and staff have moved from the now-shuttered Solero’s to Bill Sadler’s latest creation, which is located where Two Chefs Bistro used to be. The fancy French food of Two Chefs has been supplanted by Beso’s tapas-style dishes and delectable entrées. Under the menu’s “Besos del Mar” section, you’ll find the tuna mediterraneo ($18.95). Boada starts with a big slab of sashimi-grade tuna fillet, quick-grilled on both sides and then sautéed in white wine. Added to the sauce are capers, mushrooms, artichokes, tomatoes, garlic and sliced black olives, which are key to the dish’s flavor, giving it a mouthwatering component. The entrée is Mediterranean in flavor but oddly reminiscent of childhood tuna-fish sandwiches. An upscale — and down-home — dish.
This article appears in Dec 11-17, 2003.