Feast Houston

I was a little nervous about trying Feast.  Even though Feast has been named one of Bon Appetit's 10 Best Restaurants (2009), dishes such as "A Rabbit Skeleton" and "Bubble and Squeak" had me a little unsure of what I was getting myself into for dinner.  Let me assure you...no worries at all!  The food was fab!  Feast, which calls themselves, Rustic European Fare, is very authentic European - from the food to the service. 

My dining partner started off with Scallops St. Jacques: Scallops with mushrooms, Cream Brandy Sauce topped with Cheese.  He loved it so much that he was literally scrapping the cheese off the shells (the cheese turned out to be Old English Cheddar). ($9.25)

I started by ordering the Salad with romaine, cucumber, radish, celery, herbs and raisins.  ($7.25)  The salad was not impressive by looks, and I was feeling disappointed.......until I actually tasted it.  The salad exploded with flavor in my mouth!  The herbs (I tasted mint and parsley for sure) grabbed the salad by the horns for a delicious, refreshing start!

The French Onion Soup was hearty and savory.  Very thick with sweet onions, beef stock, and pork stock! Nothing sissy about this soup.  ($8.25)



Back to the Bubble and Squeak. It is actually a harmless, delicious side dish, containing pan fried mashed potatoes with cabbage and brussels sprouts, which were perfectly cooked with excellent flavor (nothing bitter about these brussels sprouts).  This dish is ultimate comfort food.  And, I would take this Bubble and Squeak over a good mac and cheese any day!  Where does the name come from?  Apparently, when the dish is pan fried up, it sounds like a squeaky bubble.  ($3.45)

We ended with a sweet Sticky Toffee Pudding ($8.95).  Served with Clotted Cream.  Excellent spice flavor with chopped dates.  The brown sugar reduction poured over the top gave it the sweet toffee flavor.  The dessert paired very nicely with the Port. 

 I enjoyed the no frills dining room of Feast.  The service was great.  The food was excellent.  An exceptional way to spend a meal.   And, one final note -- lucky residents of New Orleans are getting a Feast New Orleans, scheduled to open tomorrow!

219 Westheimer Road
Houston, Texas 77006
713-529-7788
www.feasthouston.com