Houston Restaurant Weeks - Brasserie 19

Brasserie 19 has been a place that I used to drive by regularly and was always intrigued by the sidewalk dining. It just seemed like a very cute European style cafe. I don't know why I haven't been there before as I have heard they have a yummy brunch and I am always up for that! After hearing rave reviews about their Houston Restaurant Weeks offerings, I made a reservation so I could check it out. They have a huge outdoor dining section and really bright and cheery white decor on the inside. In the middle of the restaurant they have a huge bar and a open kitchen in the back where you can watch them shuck oysters. They bring a tiny little baguette of french bread to the table that has a lovely crust and chewy inside. I started off with a Texas gin fizz made with gin, lemon and lime juice, grenadine and topped off with come champagne. It was bright and fresh, without being too sweet. The bubbles from the champagne made it extra playful.

For the appetizer course, the selections included foie gras with figs and a Gulf coast crudo. I did not try the foie gras but the presentation was lovely. The crudo was red snapper, tangerine, grapefruit, fennel, basil and Hawaiian black sea salt. The fish was pounded out into a very thin layer and then topped with the ingredients. It was a little bit odd having a layer of fish on the plate, but if you didn't think about it everything ended up blending together so well. It's a very refreshing dish and full of delicate flavors. The salt added crunch and the fennel and basil brought earthy flavors that rounded out the fish and fruit. 

One entree was the braised beef bourguignon. It was served with the traditional carrots, celery, onions and potatoes. Beef was fork tender and juicy from the sauce. It wasn't too salty, but rather was a deep, rich and very hearty dish. It was definitely one of those cold winter night dishes. The other entree was a rainbow trout almandine with crushed potatoes, haricot vert and a brown butter sauce. The potatoes had a tiny bit of crunch on the skin and the inside was almost at the consistency of mashed potatoes. If you aren't familiar with haricot vert, they are simply French green beans. They are a bit thinner than normal green beans but taste similar. The trout was delicious. It was flaky and crunchy with the almonds. The thinner batter kept in the brown butter sauce and created almost like a crust on the fish. Trout has scared me a little bit for some reason but not anymore!

Last but certainly not least was dessert. There was a lemon Bavarian and creme brulee. The creme brulee had a nice crust on the top and was very colorful with the fresh berries. The custard wasn't too thick or too sweet. It was a yummy creme brulee, but didn't really have much on the lemon Bavarain dessert! It was lemon custard on top of a bed of shortbread cookie crumbles with a toasted marshmallow on top and fresh berries. The lemon custard was delicious and the toasty marshmallow was unexpected and fun. The shortbread crumbles added a buttery richness to the dessert and the marshmallow tasted homemade. This was a dessert that I have never had before and was unique. This was one of the best meals that I have had in a while. Plus I found out through the grapevine that they have a free shuttle service to anywhere within a 5 mile radius...not bad and very convenient if you ask me. This quaint little French place should get a place on your restaurant list if you ask me because you won't be disappointed.