Houston, TX – It has been a good long while since I last posted to this foodie blog. The reason? I ate an incredible meal at Le Gavroche in London, wrote glowingly about it and have not had a spectacular meal nor the motivation to write about a restaurant since. That is until last Tuesday. Earlier this month I was hanging out in Doha at an oil industry conference multi-slacking on my BlackBerry with Twitter when @FeastHouston offered a Roast Suckling Pig with all the trimmings for 6-8 people. I just happen to know 6-8 people who are fanatically interested in fine cuisine in general, and roast pork in particular, so we immediately booked a table. We were treated to a fantastic meal (thanks James!) with excellent service (thanks Meagan!) and, all-in-all, a lovely evening to celebrate the end of 2009 with good friends.
Feast is a collaboration of partners Richard Knight and James and Meagan Silk who have brought both a world of experience and an excellent restaurant to Houston. I had first heard of Feast from my wife who had enjoyed a meal there with friends and was sure it was my kind of menu. Chef James Silk’s connection to Fergus Henderson of the book ‘Nose to Tail Eating’ and St. John restaurants fame in London clinched the deal. I’ve eaten at Henderson’s St. John Bread & Wine in Spitalfields (and was star-struck to be seated next to Michelin Star chef Angela Hartnett MBE) where my dining partner and I pronounced both the adventurous food and the experience outstanding. Feast looked like my kind of place.
Tuesday’s dinner started with a warm reception from the staff and assorted cocktails for the guests. It seemed appropriate to distribute a few starters around the table to whet our appetites and we selected the smoked salmon, pork rillettes and the albóndigas; all excellent and served with their homemade bread. Some salads were also distributed to the more health conscious of the group. It was at this point of the evening, prior to the actual arrival of the roasted guest of honor, that we made our wine selection. Having done a bit of pre-dinner searching for the right pairing, we perused Feast’s well-stocked wine list and decided to focus on a single Spanish winery, López de Heredia, where we selected both red and white riojas. Good choices both.
Then the pig arrived and we were in awe. There, in all his (or her?) glory, was a delightfully roasted-to-a-turn suckling pig stuffed with a tasty dressing and accompanied by bubble and squeak, brussel sprouts and braised red cabbage with apples. Meagan set down a carving knife and large fork and we set about the DIY dismantling and plating of our new roasted friend. The table, which had been engaged in lively conversation, became a wee bit silent as the succulent morsels of roast pork and crispy skin were distributed. Seconds were had by all and some members of the group, who shall remain nameless, actually left their seats to make sure the cheek meat did not go to waste. And the crispy ears were rewarded to the best behaved guest for her canine friends at home. It was just perfect melt-in-your-mouth roasted pork…a highly recommended meal and experience.
We finished the meal with assorted desserts including an excellent version of my personal all time favorite, Sticky Toffee Pudding, and after dinner drinks. It was an outstanding meal by any measure and the service was crisp, warm and attentive…James and Meagan made it seem like we were dining in their home. We are looking forward to returning soon to sample their regular menu of two halves where there are both Feast favorites and daily specials. And hopefully some of those adventurous ‘nose to tail eating’ opportunities.
You can find Feast at 219 Westheimer Road, between Taft and Bagby, in Houston, TX 77006. Call +1 (713) 529-7788 to book a table. You can see their menu on the Blogroll link above or at http://feasthouston.googlepages.com/home. Email them at feastcompany@gmail.com and follow them on Twitter @FeastHouston!
