LOCAL Houston | The City Guide April 2018 | Page 22

FOOD | ARTS | COMMUNITY | STYLE+LEISURE DINNER RECOMMENDATIONS? Truffle Risotto – loaded with wild mushrooms, earthy truffles. A delightful and tasty Paella Del Mar. Very tasty, aggressively seasoned, scallops succulent and black tiger shrimp peppery and, I am told, the most popular item on the menu. Rosemary Lamb Chops with a delightful chickpea panisse (a dish from Provence – basically a chick pea fritter, creamy inside, crisp exterior) on a generous bed of sautéed organic mushrooms and a most delightful tomato confit. Olive oil is even featured on the dessert menu in the moist, fine crumbed Olive Oil Cake, soaked in an orange-scented Moroccan syrup and sprinkled with blood orange dust. Braised Short Rib And then there is the piece de resistance, a massive boneless Balsamic Glazed Short Rib with crispy polenta and a fresh frisée salad with bacon lardons. Also highly recommended – a side of roasted carrots – sweet, succulent and ever so pretty. And lastly, tasting of spring, the sweet, sweet Strawberry Vacherin with its chards of unique thyme meringue are the perfect ending to a memorable meal. Quinoa Salad Houston's Fig & Olive joins the brand‘s six other outposts in Chicago, NYC, LA, Newport Beach and D.C. Ambience and menu development are tried and true, painstakingly developed and researched by corporate Executive Chef TIMOTHY HUGHES, who flew into town for several weeks to get the Houston crew, headed up by Houston's Chef de Cuisine TOMMY LACZYNSKI, into tip-top F&O form. In turn, Laczynski and senior Sous Chef GIYERMO MIRANDA flew here and there, traveling the F&O circuit, learning the recipes, preparation techniques and management styles. So well, in fact, that serving a whopping 450 covers on opening weekend was a piece of cake. There was no need for trial and error. F&O knows how to make it work. And Chef Laczynski and crew know how to outdo themselves as in the pristine freshness and outrageous deliciousness of the Hamachi Crudo. Glistening pieces of pink-white fish, aswim in a basil, orange olive oil. Even the waitstaff knows what’s up. Without hesitation, the waiter could tell and spell the specific olive that is used to make the much favored oil that is most prevalent in the creamy, dreamy two-ingredient mashed potatoes. FYI: Arbequina. Olive oil is even featured on the dessert menu in the moist, fine crumbed Olive Oil Cake, soaked in an orange-scented Moroccan syrup and sprinkled with blood orange dust. Fig & Olive is more than a Galleria restaurant. It is a destination location. Mushroom Croquettes FIG & OLIVE 5115 Westheimer Rd. | Houston, TX 77056 832.632.6632 | [email protected] www.figandolive.com Photographyby Shannon Ohara 22 L O C A L | 4 . 2018 4 . 2018 | L O C A L 23