It's not every day that you'll want to indulge in a fancy meal for lunch, but when you do, a lunch prix-fixe is the only way to go. For a fraction of the cost you would pay for dinner, many of the best restaurants around town offer set lunch menus for your dining pleasure. Here are our picks for the Top Five Prix-Fixe Lunches in Houston.
5. Le Mistral $10 for two courses or $20 for three courses, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. If you find yourself over on the west side of town or anywhere near the energy corridor, Le Mistral is the place to be for lunch. The popular French restaurant, owned by chef David Denis and his brother Sylvain, offers two incredible specials for the business lunch crowd: an "Express Lunch," which includes your choice of soup or salad and pasta of the day for $10; and a three-course "Business Lunch," which includes a soup or salad to start, a daily entrée and dessert. Subscribe to the restaurant's Facebook page for daily updates on what they'll be serving. Recent features on the Express menu have included items like a penne pasta with red wine bolognese and orecchiette pasta with traditional Provençal basil pesto topped with tomato coulis. The Business menu has offered dishes such as Chilean sea bass kebabs with saffron rice and beef Provençal stew, saffron rice pilaf and sautéed mushrooms.
4. Brennan's of Houston $16 to $25 for two courses, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. What could be better than dining in the recently renovated dining room at Brennan's for lunch? Indulging in a scrumptious two-course prix-fixe. The two-item lunch "packages" range from $16 to $25, and include a starter, such as their famous turtle soup, followed by your choice of entrée, such as Texas rabbit stuffed with tasso and mozzarella over sweet potato greens and blistered tomatoes with andouille country gravy. A vegetarian option is also available. While you're there, don't pass up the opportunity to indulge in one of their amazingly strong 25-cent martinis, available in a variety of flavors with the purchase of a lunch entrée (limit of three per person).
3. Americas River Oaks $19 lunch trio, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. When you want to step away from the stresses of the day, visit Américas River Oaks and let the Cordúa magic sweep you off your feet. The otherworldly decor has the effect of suspending time, while the delicious food will transport you to a tropical place where chicken is grilled with achiote, or bacon-wrapped shrimp and filet brochettes are served over chorizo Caribbean rice. In addition to these entrée choices, the trio lunch menu includes a soup or salad to start and ends with the famous tres leches or cocoa tart.
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