OPEN
By Jodie Eisenhardt | @foodiehouston
CURRENT
CUISINE: Modern American
EXECUTIVE CHEF: Nathan Friend
2 Waterway Square | 281.419.4300 | www.westinthewoodlands.com/CURRENT
Sun–Thurs, 6:30am–10pm; Fri–Sat, 6:30am–11pm
Breakfast, lunch and dinner menus are available with plenty of thoughtful,
healthy choices. For dinner, an appetizer of poached Maine lobster artfully
arranged with shaved fennel, citrus segments, avocado, orange dust and
a light vinaigrette is a wonderful way to begin, along with any of the wonderful salads, like the Baby Beet Salad with sustainable baby greens and
tri-colored baby beets along with roasted almonds, bleu cheese and a
savory roasted beet vinaigrette.
Photography by Julie Soefer
THE WOODLANDS could use more chef-driven restaurants vs. chains,
and this one comes where you’d least expect it – in a hotel (albeit a new,
fabulous one). The chic dining room doesn’t have a hotel-vibe and neither
does the menu, created by rising chef Nathan Friend. Friend is utilizing
local farmers to provide seasonal fare that reflects his point of view, which
is to let beautiful ingredients shine. While the restaurant uses some ingredients not available locally, attention to sourcing is still paramount with all
ingredients obtained from within the U.S., which is comforting, given some
of the toxicity issues with foreign seafood in particular.
Current
For mains, enjoy a variety of high-quality proteins including roasted
free range chicken, NY Strip or the fantastic whole “Genuine” Gulf
Snapper, fried whole and served with a fermented black bean sauce,
shaved parmesan and charred lemon. The delightful wild salmon sits
atop a delicate vegetable orzo and a roasted yellow pepper sauce
and cilantro. Shareable sides, including simple yet picturesque sliced
heirloom tomatoes, are welcome additions as are dessert choices like
the current seasonal rustic strawberry shortcake.
CORNER TABLE | new chef + new menu
CUISINE: Gourmet Paleo & Beyond
EXECUTIVE CHEF: Eric Aldis
2736 Virginia Street | 713.568.9196 | www.CornerTableHouston.com
Lunch: Mon–Sat, 11am–3pm; Dinner: Mon–Wed, 5–10pm; Thurs–Sun, 5–11pm.
Photography courtesy of Corner Table
Eric Aldis has landed at Corner Table after private venue “The
Marque” shuttered in March. Aldis, who once served as
Executive Sous Chef at Mark’s American Cuisine, has an
impressive résumé, but more importantly, a true passion for creating delicious food. Corner Table has been through numerous
kitchen incarnations since Bruce Molzan departed in 2014 but
is poised to return to our list of favorites with Aldis’ fantastic new
menus including small plates, lunch and dinner.
Oyster Virginia
20
L O C A L
| may 16