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Cafe Annie [Closed]
This entry was posted on 2/3/2008 12:39 PM and is filed under New American Upscale.
We hadn't ventured to Cafe Annie since starting this blog, other than to try Bar Annie, which was underwhelming, at least from a food perspective. And one of us had a so-so meal in the dining room about five years ago, so we just hadn't been inspired to return. But a birthday gave us a reason to try one of Houston's longtime fine dining institutions. (The birthday celebrant is ignoring the years since she remembers Cafe Annie when it was on Westheimer.)
The place was packed. Both the dining room and the bar area were hopping which made for a fun atmosphere. We were seated in a prime spot in the main dining area where we could see all the action, noting a number of Houston's boldface print types. Although we don't fall in that category, we were treated very well. The service can't be faulted, although, of the two wines recommended by the sommelier, one of them was 10% higher in price than the already pricey upper limit we gave him. The other was in range. We'll forgive him since his selection was a very good one. And we were in a celebratory mode. But, we'd like to note, as a general observation on dining out, that we don't particularly care for that approach; they know you're unlikely to counter with "no, we told you up to $___."
The menu continues to lean toward Southwestern (f/k/a "New Southwestern" but, now, not so new). They're still serving the goat cheese and black bean terrine and crab tostada appetizers. Both of which seemed more innovative in the 1980s, but we understand that Cafe Annie loyalists won't let the chef take them off the menu. Our food was very good. We shared an appetizer of raw white elf mushrooms with steak tartare, sauced with chipolte egg dressing. We'd never heard of those mushrooms, but they had a unique meaty, salty flavor, almost reminiscent of tuna. We would have preferred a little more dressing. The steak tartare, although excellent quality meat, was not seasoned enough, resulting in an interesting, albeit not perfect, pairing with the mushrooms. Our entrées were roast suckling pig and pheasant. The pork was moist and flavorful, with a Thai twist of coconut. The cinnamon coated pheasant was better, nicely crisped but very juicy, generously portioned, and sided with polenta garnished with a chorizo topping. We finished with an o'kay, but unremarkable, fresh berry cobbler.
Would we pick Cafe Annie over Mark's? Probably not. Tony's? Maybe, but probably not. It seems the crowds continue to flock to Cafe Annie based on reputation alone, even if the food doesn't hit on all cylinders. Nonetheless, we are very glad we returned to this restaurant. Our overall experience was befitting of a birthday celebration. We hear the restaurant is moving, and we'll look forward to checking out the new location.
1728 Post Oak Boulevard
713/840-1111
http://www.cafe-annie.com/
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