Revisiting three Houston restaurants with new menu focus
Houston Chronicle
August 21, 2017 Updated: August 21, 2017 4:53pm
POTENTE
THE CONCEPT
Opened in February, this high-end Italian restaurant from Astros owner Jim Crane experienced some wobbles during its infancy but now has sure footing since chef Danny Trace, formerly of Brennan’s, was hired several months ago. His menu is larded with indulgences – bring on the black truffles shaved tableside.
THE SPACE
Sporting a big-money look, Potente offers cushy dining-room elegance and a private wine-room option. But its dramatic bar – huge, almost magisterial – steals the show.
THE FOOD
Start with black grouper crudo with crushed pistachio, watermelon radish and a dollop of paddlefish caviar. Carpaccio of Strube Ranch wagyu with sunchoke relish and pickled chanterelle mushrooms also does the trick. Move on to house-made pastas (agnolotti with jumbo lump crab and brown butter powder, for example) or bolder dishes such as branzino with whipped cauliflower and Burgundy grapes or rack of lamb with Tuscan beans and Italian sausage. Big steak options, too, of course.
THE DRINKS
Craft cocktails and an arsenal of top-shelf whiskey are a given. But the wine list begs to be noticed – everything from Dom Perignon by the glass to a $3,500 bottle of Screaming Eagle Cab is available for high rollers.
ONE MORE THING
Trace also oversees operations at Potente’s sister restaurant, the adjacent, more casual trattoria Osso & Kristalla.
THE DETAILS
1515 Texas, 713-237-1515; potentehouston.com
HELEN GREEK FOOD & WINE
THE CONCEPT
Executive chef William Wright has made the first major change in the menu since the restaurant opened to raves in Rice Village in July 2015, with a deeper immersion into modern regional Greek cuisine.
THE SPACE
Unchanged since it opened, the clever design by Erin Hicks makes good use of a tall, tight, brick-clad space.
THE FOOD
Though classics remain – the ultimate Greek salad, feta-brined chicken, grilled octopus – the new meze-focused menu offers small and sharable plates. On the docket: mussels in ouzo and wine sauce with fennel and mustard; grilled Halloumi cheese with ouzo-soaked watermelon and a pistachio/mint pesto; saffron lamb and beef meatballs with egg/lemon sauce; marinated feta with pepperoncini and Aleppo pepper; and a salad of fava beans, peas, baby artichoke and asparagus with Greek yogurt and an oil and lemon emulsion. Bonus: build-your-own gyro platters in pork and feta-brined chicken.
THE DRINKS
Let co-founder and sommelier Evan Turner take you through the wonders of an all-Greek wine list, the second-largest in the country.
ONE MORE THING
The Helen team also operates Helen in the Heights, a casual Greek taverna serving gyros, souvlaki, pastitsio, moussaka and more.
THE DETAILS
2429 Rice, 832-831-7133; helengreek.com
PESKA COCINA LATINA
THE CONCEPT
A reboot of the former Peska Seafood Culture in the Galleria area, with a new chef, Chris Loftis, and a menu that now highlights Mexican flavors while keeping a strong focus on seafood and meat.
THE SPACE
The retail marketplace at the entrance is gone, and the one-sided bar is now expanded to a more welcoming bar open on all sides.
THE FOOD
Loftis’ menu includes appetizers such as smoked whitefish guacamole; Gulf fried oysters with Valentina aioli, bacon and pepperoncini; smoked short rib empanadas; yellowfin tuna tostada; octopus a la plancha; and queso fundido. A few entree options: seared snapper with fried artichokes; ancho chile blackened redfish with lobster cream; pecan-crusted grouper with jumbo lump crab and lemon butter; coriander crusted tuna with curry corn; and grilled hanger steak with Mexican gnocchi, queso fresco and cilantro salad.
THE DRINKS
Think cocktails with a Mexican spin, such as the mezcal margarita or the tequila Old Fashioned.
ONE MORE THING
Happy hour 2 to 6:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays means oysters on the half shell for $1.50 each; small plates priced at $6; half-price wine by the glass; and $7 cocktails.
THE DETAILS
1700 Post Oak, 713-961-9229; peska.us
