Roost Restaurant
This entry was posted on 1/29/2012 6:11 PM and is filed under New American Casual, New Openings.
Another entry into the locally sourced, farm-to-table, concept, this time from a Haven alumni, Roost Restaurant appeared on the scene a month or so ago on Fairview in the Shepherd-Montrose area. Small and casual, Roost doesn't take reservations and is BYOB on Monday and Tuesday evenings. We got there on the early side on a recent Saturday evening and the tables were full, although we didn't wait long to be seated. For those who need to wait, there's a two or three seat bar area inside and picnic tables outside. There are a handful of parking spots directly in front of the restaurant, otherwise it's street parking in the neighborhood.
Only beer and wine are served. The wine list was modestly priced, and we enjoyed a NICE Malbec. Of note, Nice is the name of the winery. We recently learned this winery is owned by some local guys who seek out grapes from around the world and are producing some well-rated wines. The mark-up was less than twice retail.
The menu appears to change on a regular basis. As we sipped our wine, we nibbled on the bread service (a $6 charge ) -- a warm, crispy slow dough loaf with your choice of two spreads. We enjoyed the chicken liver spread and foie gras butter. We moved on to the daily soup, a wonderfully flavored shrimp bisque. Creamy, but not overly rich, this soup was made with care and was the highlight of the evening. We were disappointed by the crispy pork belly with bbq beans. The pork belly was tough and not crispy, and the beans were lukewarm. The local goat cheesecake was pleasant but didn't knock our socks off. The charcuterie board we saw at the table nearby looked enticing for another visit. We were also tempted by the freshly made donut holes that appeared to be a very popular dessert.
We want to give this restaurant a chance. It's an unpretentious place that's trying hard to turn out creative locally sourced food at modest prices. The most expensive entree (the flatiron steak) was only $21. The waitstaff couldn't have been friendlier and the service was prompt. Give it a try.
http://www.facebook.com/RoostHouston
1972 Fairview Street
713/523-7667
