For dessert, there's nothing better to follow up with than the sanguinaccio fritters. They're round, sugar-coated doughnuts filled with a glossy chocolate ganache that's enhanced with a bit of pork blood. Yes, you read that correctly -- and while these fritters may not be for the squeamish, they are indeed warm, intense, deep, sexy and decadent. Just try them once and you'll become a believer. A quenelle of horchata ice cream lends creamy calmness, while a few toasted pecan halves make for some crunchy playfulness.
Happily working one's way through the menu with a reasonably priced bottle of one of the many American wines standing attendant is a good way to spend an evening. Pax probably doesn't turn tables frequently throughout the evening. No one's in a hurry to leave. Why would they be? It's the type of place that makes you want to blow off the after-dinner movie and just keep dining and imbibing until they tell you to go home.
Pax is fun. Inside it's not romantic or quiet. The raucous noise level measured at 95 decibels on a Saturday night visit. That's the same level a person experiences standing on the sidewalk when a car zips by, except at Pax, it's a constant dull roar until business slows down late in the evening. There's an easy way to avoid it, though, at least as long as the nice weather holds: Sit on the patio. A second visit there was quiet, and it was incredibly easy to have a good conversation.
It's absolutely necessary to make reservations. Pax is not a particularly large place -- about 150 seats including the bar and patio. When the weather becomes cold for the short winter months, the patio seating in front of the restaurant may not be viable, either. Also, it's open only for dinner. No lunch means more competition for seats at dinner, although seating at the old-fashioned marble-topped bar counter is often available, and enjoyable. While it's too bad Pax is not open for lunch, Houston time and again proves fickle when it comes to going out for the midday meal.
If you're going to course your way through dinner, there are two choices when selecting a wine to pair with the wide range of flavors. Go by the glass and swap it up as you go, or settle on a bottle with sufficient acidity and flexibility that it won't overwhelm delicate flavors but can stand up to the headier ones. Riesling, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel and Petit Sirah all fit the criteria. MadCat Cellars X-1 Petit Sirah blend (from Pax Americana's own Shepard Ross) went well with the steak but was not so overpowering as to destroy the firm, white and subtle Gulf Barrel Grouper that we'd also ordered.
Pax Americana is one of the most innovative, memorable restaurants to have opened in Houston this past year. Even at its young age, it is well on its way to earning the accolades that are sure to come.
Farm fresh eggs with herb salad $12 Roasted bone marrow $14 Carrots confit in sorghum $12 Heirloom green beans $12 Gulf barrel grouper $19 Grilled gooseneck round $19 Braised Berkshire pork collar $19 Chocolate custard with lemon mint sherbet $9 Texas wildflower honey panna cotta with hazelnut sandies $9 Sanguinaccio fritters $9