The Bistro

Customer lunch here mid-​week. The food was okay, not exceptional. What was surprising was that it was empty, literally empty. Parking is horrible. The structure nearby was filled to capacity and the valet parking cost $ 8.00. The cost is not the point, the point is that the hotel validates and the valet I parked with didn’t tell me that I needed to go to the other side to receive the validated parking and then tried to charge me again when I came out to pick up my car.
In a nutshell, I won’t be going back. The food and ambiance doesn’t overcome the hassle.

I would give this place 3 ½ stars but oh well!
Nice place on top of hotel sorella. Came here for a special date. For appetizers we had pork belly with kale and I would say the dish was ⁴⁄₅ really loved the combo and the bf hates kale but he loved the dish.
My entrée was the angus beef filet with truffle mushroom sauce was the bomb! Like I seriously had a foodgasm my first bite I think the sauce is amazing and the mashed potatoes were soooo good ⁵⁄₅! Steak was good enough for my steak fetish. Bfs dish was duck with some rice I forgot the name not couscous but whatever comes with the duck plate. He reported that it was good but I had a taste and disagree. I don’t really like duck unless its peking duck is only exception. I did eat the foie gras and it was yummy as it should be. I know, who eats duck liver but not duck meat? Moi! Sides were mac n cheese very good! ⁴⁄₅ so savory… and bf ordered fingerlings which was Like literally whole baby potatos that were baked or fried idk it wasnt that great the taters seemed raw inside.
For dessert we had the nutella breadpudding and it was pretty good ⁴⁄₅ my only thing is it would be better if they really toasted the bottom of it so theres more of a texture «crunch» to something so um goey? Lol but overall I felt that it was very delicious meal and I wish I didn’t get full so fast I ate only half of everything.
So if you’re looking for a salty, savory, and sweet meal kinda cajun french this is the place to go. Decent ambience. I would totally come back for the food I ordered. Bf disagreed lol. Ah I remember now, his duck entrée came with risotto.

We booked this place for New Years Eve… Quiet disappointed with the service and the food. The Beef short ribs were red — the server never asked anyone how they wanted their meat… And to top it off the meat was cold… None of us who ordered the beef ate it…
And also when asked for togo boxes they said they ran out of it… Weird
We had to remind them about the champagne toast which was included in the meal. Not worth the 99 $ plus 20% service charge and tax… Server was not very good with water service etc

I had the best lunch here.
Landed early, starved and arrived just as they opened. Was seating in a nice roomy cozy booth even though I was lunching alone.
Had a glass of wine of the well varied wine list and, after many questions patiently answered by my server, opted on the open faced salmon BLT. Served atop of toasted rye, a schmear of goat cheese, baby lettuce, red tomatoes, a lovely piece of salmon and bacon strips. (I still crave this sandwich)
It went perfectly with the white wine I chose and I really enjoyed how perfectly it was cooked. It was served with avocado fries, I know, what? But they were soooo good. Lightly rolled in breadcrumbs and fried til super crisp but somehow the avocado was still nice and firm and green.
Had an expresso martini for dessert, which was delicious as well.
A great start to my long weekend in Houston!

Definitely four stars. Duck is outstanding. Tomato salad is first rate. Excellent food and service.

So after my last experience here, I decided to steer clear of this place for dinner. But we were restaurant hopping in the area for our different courses and I remembered how found I was of their dessert. I so wanted that crème brulee again! So we decided to give this place a second go (for dessert anyway).
The hostess was the sweetest thing and enjoyed the fact that we were there just for dessert, giggling and stating, «I haven’t had that request in a long time!» After we were seated we were greeted by a nice gentleman who offered to bring me a few samples of the port so I could select which one preferred. This was a very nice touch!
Our waitress came over and she was pleasant and professional. We reviewed the dessert menu and found in disappointment that the brulee was no longer on the menu. But we opted for the nutella bread pudding and coconut tres leches. Wow — both were so yummy! I did enjoy the bread pudding more, but just because the chocolate and hazelnut just paired so well with my port!
I wouldn’t hesitate to come back again for dessert — and it almost made me want to give them a second try for dinner. We’ll see ;)

Great restaurant, had appetizers & cocktails before a movie, was delicious.
Butchers cut was tasty, interesting.
Watermelon Salad with Feta. who would have thought!
Old Fashion, and a Cucumber Cocktail AMAZING.
Best restaurant in City Centre.

Business lunch — first visit. Somewhat difficult to find — next to the hotel — and 2 stories up. Valet parking (free with stamp at restaurant) is a must.
Place was virtually empty.
A very nice and contemporary space. Lunch menu limited but decent selection. I had their City Ctr. Salad — good but not outstanding — and my client had the open face salmon BLT — which she loved.
Pricey. Service was spotty.

THIS PLACE IS TERRIBLE.
We got seated and it took for ever for anyone to come over and even take our drink order. We ordered a bottle of wine. 15 minutes late our server told us they were out of that bottle so we ordered something else. In the mean time our appetizers come out and they were fine, nothing to great. The our wine finally makes it to the table with our entrees. I had the fillet; my wife the duck. It took for ever for them to get there and when they did they were very over cooked, both well done when we ordered medium. Maybe they were under the warming lamp to long. We showed this to our waitress and she took them back no sorry no anything. Our food made it back tot the table about 15 minutes later in much better shape but you could tell they just replaced the meat. I would never go back to this place. the food and service is terrible.
AVOID.

I was so excited for a romantic dinner here. I’m a huge fan of Brennan family restaurants, so Bistro Alex was especially disappointing.
The evening started off well enough. We came slightly early for our reservation and were seated immediately right next to the window. The restaurant is cool with tall wood accents, trendy décor, and large cavernous dining room. Service starts off well, we order wine, our appetizers, and entrees. I started with the spinach strawberry salad, while the hubs gets their famous shrimp and grits. My salad was bright, cheery, and fresh with a nice mix of sweet dressing, savory goat cheese, and salty pecans. It was dressed appropriately, which is critical. My husband’s shrimp were perfectly cooked, with a small amount of heat. The grits were executed well too, but I didn’t catch any of the jalapeño or chorizo present. So far so good.
Entrees is where things got screwed up. My duck arrives well done. My husband’s filet is gray as well. Not even close on temperature. I’m normally hesitant to send food back… but really? Both dishes? There wasn’t an apology or anything, just «oh, yes, that is well.» Since it was over and not under, we had to wait another 30 minutes while they prepped a brand new meal.
Once everything came back, my duck was cooked passably well. It was clear the duck was seared off, then sliced, then placed in the oven to go to the correct temp — not correct or quality technique. The quail egg on the second go around was mildly overdone, so the yolk didn’t run the way it should’ve. The foie gras was again, passably sad. It didn’t have a good sear. Sad for such a normally succulent, amazing addition to a plate. My pearl barley risotto was delish though! It was hard to resist eating the whole damn plate of it. It was creamy, yet toothsome, and substantial.
The chocolate cake was all things you’d expect — rich, melty ganache with a nice moist, heavy cake base. My compliments to the Pastry Chef.
Overall, I’d skip the main dining room in favor of the bar downstairs for happy hour snacks. I’d give Bistro Alex another shot, but only because it’s Brennan’s.

This review is based on the fact that I paid $ 49 with my groupon. In return i got a 3 course meal for two, with shared appetizer and desert.
Would I ever go again, paying full price. Never.
The ambiance here is pretty nice, considering how you have to walk upstairs, feeling like a fancy hotel resident. When seated, we were impressed by the heavy dining wear, the glass walls and the dimmed lights. Considering how we were next door to a club, female dinners got to have fun with the dress code… Although, beware this club Mona Lisa, posed a problem. Half way into the romantic dinner, complemented with an intimate conversation, the club’s band started paying their music. It was loud enough to clash with Bistro Alex’s romantic vibe and the french melody playing in the restaurant. Listening to two clashing songs bothered me, but with conscious effort, the annoyance will pass.
Now lets talk about the FOOD!
I did my research on Unilocal, (of course) and there were so many glowing reviews about the crab cake. For some reason, I was hesitant to believe they were going to be this amazing. But it was! I’m still shocked. There was so much crab inside. Seriously. So much. It is not your typical crab cake. A then the sauce, complemented the crab perfectly. It stood out with a «wow factor» and yet did not overpower the crab’s freshness. I just wished it was 2x bigger. It was too small to share.
Secondly, I ordered the Duck! Take it from me, I grew up eating duck and this dish was still able to impress me, but not as much as the crab cake. I am trying to remember exactly how it tasted. I remember how tiny the foie gras was, about the size a quater, if not smaller. Still, I truly liked the dish. It came with this type of grain, like a mash up of brown rice and grits. As for the duck, it had some sweet undertones. Definitely moist with a nice balance of skin, fat, and meat. Also a nice balance of flavor and freshness… hmm. maybe, as i came towards the end of my meal, i grew tired of my plate, but i’m so glad i picked it. My bf who picked the beef, was only slightly impressed by his. It lacked flavor, while the texture was pretty tender.
Go with the duck.
As for desert, I couldn’t believe what a disappointment the chocolate soufflé was! I love soufflé and this is nothing like it (and if you want to try real soufflé, check out my review for Max and Julie) This cake, tasted like it came frozen and then the thawing process got messed up. I didn’t even taste like real chocolate. Sigh. i want to give the restaurant the benefit of the doubt, and say it was a defected cake. How on earth can an expensive restaurant serve something which tasted so stale.
In my reservation online, I mentioned how I wanted a «corner set with a nice view» and how it was my boyfriend’s birthday. Both comments were failed to be considered. Instead, the hostest looked at the reservation and gave me a weird look. Then we were seating in the middle of a lane, meanwhile a large section of the restaurant, with corner seating was empty.
Also the waitress’s service, started out great. Fantastic even. The lady was sweet, helpful, and made us feel very comfortable. She made sure we got the best recommendation and a fresh basket of bread. Although… by the end of the meal, after my bf found out his mother needed him home, the waitress got caught up with a conversation with the neighboring table. I guess her charisma was infectious. This literally lasted 30 minutes, up to the point, we had to ask another witnessing waiter to hand us the check. He gave us a formal apology and the waitress an incredulous look. Despite all of that, we still gave the girl a 20% tip.
In the end, I would go back if they had another groupon. The crab cake, duck, bread, and generally the ambiance was amazing. So worth $ 49 on a college girl’s budget.

We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner at Bistro Alex. The service was excellent, the food was exquisite and the view/​décor was beautiful. I am glad we finally came a tried this place (on a weekday so as to avoid the ridiculous City Centre rush on Friday and Saturday nights!) We went all out on this dinner — cocktails, appetizer, soup/​salad, entrée & dessert, so be prepared for the full report!
We started with the cocktails (both the Sazerac and Mojito are very good) and the calamari appetizer, which I must say, was some of the best we’ve had in a long while! The batter was perfect (not too much and not too salty) and the calamari itself wasn’t too chewy. The remoulade sauce it was served with was decadent heaven, creamy and salty, but a dab’ll do ya!
We then had a cup of the soup of the day and the beet salad, both of which were also successful. The beet salad wasn’t what I expected — with more greens than beets, but the green apples, vinaigrette, greens and beets all combined for a wonderful flavor.
As for the entrees, we had the Yellow Fin Tuna and the Maple Leaf Farms Duck Breast. Wow. We had to simply not speak as we enjoyed the perfection. Both were cooked exquisitely — the duck super tender and moist without being overly greasy, and the tuna such a lovely red and a great flavor. And the paired sides of risotto with each were the perfect complements to the meal.
We also ordered a side of the Mac & Cheese, which clearly we couldn’t finish, but it was also very good, though I would not recommend taking it home. There is so much cheese it doesn’t reheat well!
Lastly, since we were stuffed, we asked for the crème brûlée to-​go and that was the one part of the meal that we were not so impressed with. It wasn’t that it was cold, it was a strange aftertaste that it had that we weren’t a fan of.
This is certainly a great place to go for date night. Again, the service was wonderful, you get a view of the pool area and City Centre skyline, open window, cool décor and exquisite food. They deserve every one of these 5 stars!

I want to start off with a disclaimer: my husband and I had a groupon for this dinner which I think put a damper on the service. I guess they thought we weren’t going to tip on the full amount and therefore didn’t give us the attentiveness that the other tables received.
This was a Tuesday night around 8:30pm so there weren’t very many other guests. I wouldn’t think that you’d have to compete very much for the staff’s attention under these conditions, but almost every time I tried to make eye contact with someone they’d just look right over me.
The waitress came by, took our order for a bottle of wine and brought it fairly quickly. We ordered our appetizer (calamari) and entrees (yellowfin tuna and filet minon) and sipped our wine.
We arrived quite hungry because we had heard about their delicious house made bread and even saw them bringing out baskets to the other tables… but it never got around to us. After about 15 minutes post-​order placing we stopped the waitress and asked if we could trouble her for some bread while we wait for our appetizer. Keep in mind, about half that time was spent trying to get somebody to look at us or stop by the table. Once she stopped, she said that they had run out of bread (what!?) but she would go to the back to see if she could do something special for us. I was pleasantly surprised by this, how nice of her! But after about another 10 minutes she comes out with our calamari and a few pieces of bread that the chef somehow got a hold of. I honestly think they went to the super walmart and got a baguette — it tasted extremely processed. So, not only was the bread kind of pointless now because we already had the appetizer, it was completely dull and disappointing to boot.
The calamari was middle of the road — seasoned well but chewy. I didn’t finish my half of the dish which is fairly shocking because I love calamari, but even more surprising was that my husband didn’t finish the rest of mine. This does NOT happen, people! EVER!
The yellowfin tuna dish was disappointing: the rice it was served with lacked inspiration, the dish as a whole was missing a good sauce to tie everything together, and I’m not sure if the tuna steak was overcooked or what but, instead of having the beautiful ruby red color that most tuna has, it was a weird bright pink. Maybe overcooked? Inferior product? I have no idea, I just know that’s nothing I’ve ever seen before. The highlight of that dish was the baby bok choy — though they could do themselves a favor by toning down the soy sauce.
I will say that the filet minon dish was spot on. It had nice sauce and just the right amount of mashed potatoes and portobello mushrooms. It was great! We were definitely wishing that we had gotten two of those!
Dessert was a depressing end, unfortunately. I had the chocolate soufflé cake and my husband ordered some vanilla bean ice cream. I do not have any idea why they called it a soufflé cake… souffles are light and airy with a rich taste but this was heavy and dense with a mild taste! It was also served with a raspberry sauce which I was excited about because chocolate and raspberry is my absolute favorite combo… but the raspberry was too intense, almost like a jam or something, it just wasn’t playing nicely with the cake.
I’m glad we tried it but I was certainly not wow-​ed by any means. And Bistro Alex, if you’re not going to treat groupon holders like normal patrons, DON’T DO GROUPONS!

Say hello to Brennan’s much sexier little sister, Bistro Alex. I was very skeptical of Bistro Alex because of my sub-​par experience at Brennan’s, but thank goodness I didn’t pass it up. The food is a solid 4 stars, but I think the service pumped it up to 5.
The ambiance was very romantic. Lights low, sitting in a booth kind of romantic. Stephen, our waiter, was VERY patient with me… seeing as I’m very indecisive. He helped me pick out the crabcake to start, and the duck entrée. My date got the pan seared filet.
MIND BLOWN.
I’m very picky about my crabcakes, but they made sure not to pollute it with a bunch of breading or mayo. It was just jumbo lump goodness with a red pepper sauce. The duck was just perfect: pan seared, medium rare, pan seared FOIE GRAS on top… Anyone who knows me knows I have a slight obsession with foie gras. The duck confit risotto was pretty good. I’ve never really loved duck confit. And the foie gras fondue? Do you need to ask me how crazy in love I fell with it? My date’s filet was cooked perfectly to medium-​rare. It came with a smoked potato mash, port wine reduction, mushrooms, and bone marrow truffle butter… *moans*. Who is coming up with this stuff?
Our waiter was very helpful in choosing a bottle of Arguile Pinot Noir to go with our meal and it was a great accompaniment. Perfect wine, delicious food, sexy atmosphere, superb service.
Brennan’s? You’ve become overrated.
But helloooo Bistro Alex ;)

Crab cake: ⁴⁄₅ — the only breading was on the outside to make it crunchy. It was full of lump crab meat with a great delicate flavor.
Cheese board: ²⁄₅ — the cheese wasn’t a good mix.
Butcher’s board: ¹⁄₅ — For $ 15, we received 3 different kinds of meat — but just three slices. One was just like lunch meat — turkey maybe? This was the most disappointing part because normally something creative gets put into it — like the presentation and side items– but not here.
Scallops and Risotto: ²⁄₅ — the scallops were delicious however the risotto was incredibly bland and mushy. The shrimp were cut up, so you don’t even get a whole piece.
Red Snapper Special (with zucchini cream sauce): ²⁄₅ — The fish was cooked nicely but just blacked. The waiter failed to mention that otherwise I wouldn’t have ordered it. The bed of veggies were bland. There was nothing special about this dish.
Mac and Cheese with Bacon: ²⁄₅ — we had to add salt because again, it was bland.
Sourdough bread — the bread was definitely sour and it didn’t go well with the garlic chunks. I would have liked it either sourdough with butter or just garlic bread — but not sour garlic bread.
We were really disappointed as this is a sister restaurant to Brennen’s.
Service: ²⁄₅ — our waiter was clueless about the menu items and wine, but was very nice.
Ambiance: ³⁄₅ — Hotel Sorella is beautiful. The chairs in the restaurant make you feel really short, as the cushion is worn down (even though it is a new restaurant), so we sat very low.

I went to Bistro Alex a few months ago for a birthday (my birthday) lunch. As my employer is located near City Centre, I’ve dined at almost every restaurant there, save for Bistro Alex. Hmmm, could this be a case of «save the best for last?» First, Bistro Alex has a very interesting interior design. Floor to ceiling windows, a wall of wood planks that continues onto the ceiling and traverses the length of the restaurant, and even a wine wall enclosed behind glass. As for the food…
I had the Bistro Alex Steak Frites. This was a grilled filet with Chimichurri sauce and truffle Parmesan fries. The steak was good. Juicy, tender, basically what I expected it to be. I can’t remember exactly, but I think the fries were just average, but with truffle Parmesan, maybe a little above average. On to the dessert.
For dessert I tried the Raspberry Cheesecake. I’m hardly ever disappointed by cheesecake. Actually, one of the few times I’ve had bad cheesecake was at Cheesecake Factory, but this review isn’t about the sub par cheesecake there, so I’ll get back on topic. This dessert was simple but with a very interesting presentation. On one side of the plate, Cream cheese over a Graham crust and below a cone of toasted meringue. Or was it whipped cream? I don’t know. I brushed most of it aside because it was too much. A winding trail of raspberry sauce led to a few lonely raspberries on the other side of the plate. Very good.
One mark against the lunch was that a glass of wine was spilled on our table, and my arm, and my watch. (waterproof yes, but wineproof?) Accidents happen, but it seemed like our waiter didn’t really care about the spill beyond replacing the drink. Anyway, back to the food. Bistro Alex also offers a three course business lunch for $ 22, which is less than my 2 course lunch. Definitely not a bad deal if the quality of food is consistent with what I had. The restaurant is definitely at the top of City Centre’s offerings.

Alex what happened?
Service: twice our waiter had to ask because he wasnt sure. One ques was okay bc it pertained to a voucher. The other question he had to go ask someone bc he didnt know what the «Flat of the day» was. It was pretty slow, as well. After our meals, we would just sit there for a while waiting for someone to clear our plates. And it was slow in the restaurant, too… I mean there were probably only 2 other tables.
Food:
— Flat of the day — mushrooms + truffle + manchego cheese + greens + balsamic vinegar… yummy dish, however, my husband felt a lot of the greens were wilted.
— Grilled black Angus filet + roasted garlic yukon gold potato mash + caramelized onions & mushrooms + truffle mushroom butter + port reduction — (we dont usually order steak unless we’re at an actual steakhouse… but we had free entrees, so we had to get the most expensive!) steak was cooked just right (med rare). However, flavor was a bit lacking. If there were more sauce on the plate, it probably would’ve been okay. Potatoes were yummy. Caramelized onions were typical.
— Blackened Gulf Fish & Jumbo Lump blue crab + creamy smoked corn maque choux — fish was cooked perfected and still crispy throughout the meal. Crab meat was dry. The corn maque choux was delish. Again, my complaint here was that there wasnt enough sauce on the plate. The fish and crab tasted bland without the sauce.
— Pomme frites — a friend of mine has a thing for restaurants that serve fries in a cone, so I tried it out for her. Ive had better fries at McDonalds. They also gave me a tiny single serve bottle of ketchup. What was I suppose to do with that? The hole is rather narrow to dip, I had a bowl, not a plate for my entrée and I did want to make my fries soggy but pouring ketchup all over it. The only good thing about the frites were the pieces of shaved parmesan, but it didnt stick to the frites, so it was kinda pointless.
— Bananas foster on waffle — Bacardi Rum Tossed Bananas with Brown Sugar, a Cinnamon Waffle & Vanilla Bean ice cream — so apparently bananas foster was actually created by Brennans in NO, so Im assuming they have this recipe down… I dont really eat bananas foster, but is the sugar suppose to be completely melted or is it suppose to be gritty? The flavor was good and the portion of the waffle and ice cream was adequate… I was just questionable about the sugar.
Overall, it wasnt bad, but it lacked the «wow» factor I had the last time I was there. I still would come back only because I want my hubby to try out the duck breast that I had raved about.

Absolutely one of the best meals I’ve had in Houston. Ever.
I went to Bistro Alex on New Year’s Eve for lunch. It was mostly empty which can sometimes mean substandard service in some restaurants but not on this day. Our waiter was excellent throughout our meal but not hovering.
The décor is beautiful, just take a look at some of the photos. It was bright and light during the day, I’m interested to go back in the evening to see what it is like.
The food was outstanding. The butter garlic bread that was served before the meal could have been my main course it was so good. My butternut squash soup was poured over a cayenne dusted marshmallow. It may not sound good to some, and I was skeptical but it was amazing! I couldn’t stop thinking about the soup after lunch, and I don’t even typically like soup! The snapper special was delicious and my husband had a hard time letting any of us try it, he loved it so much. My smashed shrimp poboy with onion rings was really good! I wish I had room to eat it all. My father loved his salmon and cleaned his plate with the bread. There wasn’t a single bad dish among the four of us. All the portions were a really good size. The desserts were good. The strawberry shortcake, bread pudding, and cheesecake were all delicious.
I appreciate the validated valet parking. If you don’t want to do the stairs, there is an elevator near the front desk of the hotel. Also, you can park in the garage and just use the walkway to the hotel.
This is one of my new favorites in Houston! I love finding such an awesome restaurant! I will be back for that Butternut Squash soup very soon!

Since we had such a good time at Monnalisa bar last time, we decided to go ahead and try Bistro Alex for dinner. We went on a Wednesday night at 6. We made reservations, but didn’t really need them since the place was pretty much empty. I wasn’t impressed with the décor, it was OK, but nothing to write about. So, let focus on the food. This is what we ordered:
Strawberry Salad– 4 stars
Salad was delish, the only thing was the blue cheese was a little overwhelming.
Flat bread (Mozzarella, Tomato, Basil) — 4 stars
It was really good, no complaints about it!
Crispy whole striped bass– 2 stars
It looked interesting and even a little scary (please see pic). I did not enjoy it since the outer layer was so extremely salty in some part that it really made me not want to eat anymore. The veggies it’s served with were good.
Crème Brulee– 3 stars
The texture was not as soft as I like. The taste was OK and the portion was a good size.
Margarita– 2 stars
My first one was plain disgusting, I think it just tasted too bitter from the excessive use of lemon. They changed it and the second was much better.
So, there you have it. We had a good time there and our waitress was very sweet. The food was not amazing and I wouldn’t say it is worth the price. After dinner we just walked over to Monnalisa bar and a waiter brought us the Crème brûlée we had ordered. I am sorry to say I am not impressed. Whenever I decided to spend thirty something dollars for an entrée, it’ll probably not be at Bistro Alex.
**If you want to eat outdoors, you can just order your food from Monnalisa, just ask for a menu!

All the buzz about Bistro Alex is true. Locals from everywhere — as far west as Katy all the way to East through Downtown — must check out Hotel Sorella’s resto, Bistro Alex.
It was an intimate but exciting dinner, we had. Course after course; bottle of wine after bottle of wine. I dined here back on the eve before Christmas, and alas, I can say that I’ve fully recovered from this filling feast.
The menu is recreated daily by Executive Chef Juan Carlos Gonzalez and his team, as you’ll find that the menu is reprinted on crisp, brown paper — disposable to some, but this gal was sure to take it home in memory of one of the best meals ever. You can expect an influence of Texas-​Creole flavors in most of the dishes, like Smoked Pheasant Gumbo, grits and Texas wild shrimp, but all still beautifully presented and overly generous in size.
Along with the giant bowl of butter-​stuffed bread with a side of housemade jam, we started off with multiple small plates. I was feeling adventurous, and upon the recommendation of our friendly and well-​versed server, I chose the escargot, which came poached and served in a piping hot tray of three different tastings: garlic Parmesan, truffled mushroom, and bourbon bitters. This was my first time experiencing escargot, and I’ll admit that is was exquisite. The gumbo could have used some more spice, but I know that’s just my personal taste since I prefer extremely hot fare, and I was pleasantly surprised that rotella pasta (ahem, wagon wheels) was used for the Macaroni Au Gratin. We also noshed over some flatbread — a great way to tease the taste-​buds and start off that first bottle of wine.
Choosing an entrée was near impossible, but with others dining in the group, I was relieved in knowing that I’d be able to explore the menu some more (read: pick off others’ plates). My entrée was the Beef Short Rib Osso Bucco. Stating that «the meat fell off the bone» would be an understatement. It melted off the bone, and onto the goat cheese grits, oyster mushrooms and buttered leeks with truffled bordelaise that is sat upon. And to think, it only got better. Of all the items I tried: Crispy Whole Red Snapper, Grilled Black Angus Filet, and Boudin Blanc Crusted Black Grouper, it was the Orange Molasses Lacquered Duck that literally forced me to sit back and enjoy this moment of ecstasy. Coupled with cornbread pudding, duck bacon and Creole Shrubb Caramel, and we’ve official got my favorite dish on the menu.
But wait. There was more. Dessert can’t me missed. If you must, take half of your entrée home because the «no room for dessert» excuse would be a tragedy. Of all that I sampled, the Calvados Caramel Apple Crisp a la mode (vanilla bean ice cream and toasted pecan Streusel) forced me to «call dibs» on the plate. Sorry, I couldn’t help it. And to think: The pastry chef started her successful career by selling handmade tamales in the streets of El Salvador… (Wait, I think I need to try her tamales.)
Also attractive is the atmosphere. The wine storage sits behind a glass wall that also serves as the entrance walkway; the ceiling is comprised of beautifully cut planks of wood; booths are sleek and modern. It’s the perfect spot for an anniversary/​date/​dinner celebration, corporate meal or informal night with comrades.
Bistro Alex, I will be back.