Melon Carpaccio and the Strawberry Chill
Chef-owner Dustin Teague has rolled out new veggie-forward dishes to complement the cooler sunny weather. There’s fried eggplant that’s described by the waiter as “cheese sticks but with eggplant instead of cheese.” (And she’s not wrong.) The melon carpaccio is served with a large serving of burrata, which also makes an appearance in the classic and fresh caprese salad. And cheese-lovers rejoice! There’s perfectly gooey whipped feta on the menu as well.
Vegetables also take a starring role in the entrees. The spaghetti alla puttanesca — with olives, tomatoes, capers, lemon, basil and parmesan — is tailormade to be enjoyed on a patio with a cold glass of white wine. For something meatier, try the seared salmon with white beans and leeks.
Liven things up with one of the new spring cocktails: The cereza limeade is made with tequila and sotol from Marfa. Or opt for the berry smash with mezcal, thai basil and charred lemon. Cheers!
Panzanella Caprese Salad
Cereza Limeade
Whipped Feta with the Love and Happiness cocktail
Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
Seared Salmon
Tea Time
Look past the fleur-de-lis-embellished room dividers and expansive, beautiful paintings. Forget for a moment the sounds of sizzling escargot and decanting of wine. And imagine that instead of perched in a leather-upholstered bar chair snacking on a warm baguette with whipped butter, you’re in a sticky red-pleather booth eating a juicy hot dog. The iconic Houston brand James Coney Island sold off its Galleria-area building in 2022, and at the end of last year, after a lengthy reno and expansion courtesy of architecture and design firm Gesnler, Midtown mainstay Artisans made the move to the now super-chic building.
Here, guests can expect Executive Chef Jaques Fox’s same dedication to both traditional and innovative French cuisine as was displayed at the Louisiana Street restaurant for 12 years. Fox cites the allure of the Galleria area to both locals and visitors alike, and the proximity to other noted fine-dining options like Pappas Bros. Steakhouse and Trulucks’, as factors in the move.
Each dining area of the open-concept restaurant has its own distinct feel; the cozy bar is warm and inviting, and the private dining room looking out onto the intimate patio has discrete sliding doors. The previously mentioned Table du Chef is located in the back corner of the restaurant, behind the main dining space that boasts roomy winged chairs and high-backed booths.
A three-course pre-fixe menu, with selections that change daily, is offered for both lunch and dinner, in addition to several a la carte plates. The lunch-only foie-gras-topped burger is a treat, while at dinner, duck confit with orange-chili sauce is a must-try. Weekend brunch brings a croque-monsieur served on a house-made croissant with a creamy dijon-bechamel sauce. For extended enjoyment, six- and seven-course meals are served with optional wine pairings at the chef’s table.
“Dining at Artisans is a passionate art form,” says Fox. “It’s a fusion of exquisite French cooking and technique with our special touch.”
At lunch, a short but sweet dessert selection includes a treat du jour that might be a creamy, layered, shortbread and hazelnut bar — but at dinner, patrons get their choice among 10 tarts, cakes, eclairs and more. The tiramisu is served with candied orange peel, while the chocolate mousse boasts spongy red velvet cake and macerated berries. A dainty scoop of fresh-fruit sorbet complements any and all of the above.
It remains dark and moody inside the new Artisans, which makes it easy to forget that you’re a mere few yards away from the hustle and bustle of Westheimer — and even easier to forget that this was once a gleaming white hot dog stand.
Getting cozy with a martini in Artisans’ main dining room
Le Saumon Fumé au Caviar with a poached quail egg
A petite opera-cake dessert
Live jazz situated near a painting of a rooster, Artisans’ mascot
Denise Reyes and Matthew Healey (photo by Katy Anderson)
The “Mirror Ball” theme came alive for guests, arriving via a red carpet appointed with mirrored arches, to a Wortham Grand Foyer draped from floor to soaring ceiling in shimmery silk. “Jaw-dropping decor by The Events Company transformed the space with sky-high silver drapes, tinseled chandeliers and mirrored, holographic tablescapes accented with fuchsia blooms,” gushed a rep for HGO. “The theme was on display at every turn, from table centerpieces to cocktails.”
Given the chairs’ culinary connections, dinner was a dining experience, per expectations. MAD and BCN exec chef Luis Roger presented chilled tomato and cherry gazpacho as an amuse-bouche, followed by a vividly colorful passion fruit salad, and sous vide grass-fed filet. “Dessert was a MAD favorite: the peanut nougat, Spanish wine, and salted-caramel Chocolate Bar, accented by a scoop of gelato from Rocambolesc, another Houston spot owned by the Ball chairs,” noted the company rep. In a lovely extra touch, the gelato was served tableside by members of the Program, a program that provides professional opportunities to young adults with intellectual disabilities and autism.
Entertainment for the evening — which raised a whopping $1.3 million to support the opera company’s community outreach initiatives — included a rendition of “So Long, Farewell” by the young singers set to appear as the von Trapp children in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music, which opens next week at HGO. Also, Grammy-winning mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard, playing Maria in the show, offered a rousing performance of “Habanera” from Bizet’s Carmen, backed by members of the HGO Chorus.
After dinner, Nashville-based Universal Crush drew a crowded dancefloor with gotta-dance ditties like “We Are Family” and “Celebration.” After-party libations were served in disco-ball tumblers.
Boldface guests included, welcomed by the chairs and HGO honchos Khori Dastoor and Patrick Summers, included Beth Madison, Anne and Albert Chao, Margaret Alkek Williams, Jim and Dancie Ware, Janet Gurwitch and Ron Franklin, Elizabeth and Ilyas Colombowala, Isabel and Danny David, Cynthia and Tony Petrello, Jim and Molly Crownover, Betty and Jess Tutor, Ana María Martínez and Gaby Attal, Duyen and Marc Nguyen, Beth Muecke, Carey Kirkpatrick and Joel Luks.
Alejandro & Alisa Magallon, Ana Maria Martines, Gaby Attal (photo by Michelle Watson)
Margaret Alkek Williams and Patrick Summers (photo by Katy Anderson)
Albert and Anne Chao (photo by Michelle Watson)
Betty Tutor, Ann Ayre, Dr. Rachel Ellsworth (photo by Michelle Watson)
Alejandra and Hector Torres (photo by Michelle Watson)
Jim and Dancie Ware, Tony and Cynthia Petrello (photo by Michelle Watson)
Beth Muecke (photo by Katy Anderson)
Mark and Duyen Nguyen (photo by Katy Anderson)
Constance Rose-Edwards (photo by Katy Anderson)
Drs. Warren and Rachel Ellsworth (photo by Michelle Watson)
Maxwell Ocansey, Allyson Pritchett, and Brian Dunham (photo by Michelle Watson)
Elizabeth Colombowala and Isabel David (photo by Michelle Watson)
Eric Lewis and Jeff Gremillion
Myrtle Jones (photo by Katy Anderson)
Rebecca & Thom Brandt, Sarah & Bryant Lee (photo by Michelle Watson)
Jeff and Rachelle Ball (photo by Katy Anderson)
Khori Dastoor, BenJoaquin Gouverneur (photo by Michelle Watson)
Monique & Ed Gore (photo by Katy Anderson)
Nick Allen, Jo Allen, and Louis Allen (photo by Katy Anderson)
