LOCAL Houston | The City Guide April 2018 | Page 28

FOOD | ARTS | COMMUNITY | STYLE+LEISURE
OPEN
By Carlos Brandon
BCK KITCHEN & COCKTAIL ADVENTURES
CUISINE: NOSTALGIC AMERICAN
933 Studewood St., Houston, TX 77008
832.831.7155 | www.eatatbck.com
In the restaurant business, original concepts are
needles in a haystack. More often than not, new
openings fall into one of two categories, the lat-
est food trend or a new twist on the classics. At
BCK Kitchen & Cocktail Adventures, the latest
concept from the team behind Bosscat Kitchen &
Libations, Head Chef Jeff Fernandez and Exec-
utive Chef Peter Petro want diners to relive their
childhood with a nostalgic culinary experience
like no other.
Every item on the BCK menu is a modern, refined rendition of
something you probably enjoyed in your childhood. Certain items
marked with a star represent a childhood memory specifically cho-
sen by one of the owners or managers. Take, for example, the
Mac-n-Cheez-it, a bowl of baked mac-n-cheese topped with a crust
of crumbled Cheez-It crac kers, a personal favorite of Chef Peter.
Even more delightful, the Pasghettios, real-life adult Spaghettios
made with anneletti pasta and 44 Farms hot dogs. It doesn’t stop
here. The BCK burger is a double patty cheeseburger on a sesa-
me seed bun that is eerily reminiscent of a very famous American
burger weighing in at a quarter of a pound… if that certain famous
burger got a makeover from a world-class chef.
Desserts and cocktails keep the party going strong. The Dr. Feel-
good is a Dr. Pepper and rye whiskey cocktail served in an actual
Pasghettios
Dr. Pepper can. Desserts at BCK are meant to be shared, so take
a couple of extra friends with you and order both the Swiss Roll
and the Strawberry Shortcake. Yes, these are chef renditions of the
Hostess classic, Swiss Rolls and America’s favorite pink popsicle,
the Strawberry Shortcake.
It may seem ironic that Houston’s most original new restaurant con-
cept is really just recreating all your favorite childhood junk food,
but the quality and creativity of BCK cannot be overstated. On the
wall next to the kitchen is a Local Favorites board where diners are
encouraged to write down recipes and dishes from their childhood,
which Chef Peter has promised to selectively recreate and serve
from time to time. BCK is a true kitchen adventure that is sure to
make a lasting mark on the Houston restaurant scene.
KING’S BIERHAUS
CUISINE: GERMAN/AMERICAN
2044 East TC Jester Blvd,, Houston, TX 77008 | 281.990.3042
The Heights’ favorite place to grab a brat and
a brew recently introduced a Sunday brunch
menu that is every bit as Bavarian as its im-
pressive list of German beers. The BierHaus is
primarily a patio bar in the spirit of Houston’s
other popular beer gardens, but with a charm-
ing German twist. Inside, waitresses in dirndls
(think traditional Oktoberfest costumes) carry
large steins of Stiegl and Spaten across a din-
ing room that is part Beowolf’s mess hall, part
hipster hangout.
| www.kingsbierhaus.com
Open for about a year now, King’s has be-
come one of the Heights’ most popular day-
time watering holes, making the addition of
Sunday brunch a natural choice. The heavily
German-inspired menu includes many tradition-
al sharing plates, among them the nine-item
Schmatz Sampler with cranberry brie and beer-
wurst salami. Or try a golden brown and salted
beer pretzel dipped in a house specialty: ba-
con-bier-cheddar dipping sauce. The cheddar
sauce is a standout, part Tex-Mex queso, part
bacony goodness, it goes with a warm pretzel
like, well… warm pretzels and beer.
The brunch entrées range from the traditional
eggs benedict to unique house specialties,
many of which feature schnitzel in a variety of
forms. My choice was the hangover sandwich.
Clear in its objective, this wiener schnitzel sand-
wich features bacon, Swiss cheese, mayo and
a slightly runny fried egg; guaranteed to cure
what ails you. Or keep the party going with
CUISINE: FRENCH COCKTAIL LOUNGE
4321 Montrose Blvd., Houston, TX 77006
713.521.2002 | www.barvictor.com
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L O C A L | 4 . 2018
Hangover Sandwich
VICTOR
Houston has no shortage of bars, that is certainly
a fact. But what the city, and frankly, what the
states could use more of, are proper cocktail
lounges that merge nightlife with fine dining. The
streets of Paris and Rome are lined with quaint little
lounges that serve light bites and cocktails late into
the night to the sound of live music and raucous
conversation. Victor, a new French lounge con-
cept on Montrose, aims to bring the same night
owl culture of Europe to the streets of Houston with
a brunch cocktail like the Manmosa,
a half liter of hefeweizen, bubbly, and
OJ. My wife went gaga over the Nutel-
la iced coffee served cowboy style with
a splash of whiskey. The Sunday drinks
menu is a refreshing option for those
who want to avoid a heavy pint ear-
ly in the morning, but still like a boozy
brunch from time to time. Whatever you
end up choosing, head out to King’s
BierHaus this weekend to get your Sun-
day Funday on the German way.
a music lounge and cocktail bar that impresses on first sight.
Opening just two doors down from Cafe Azur, one of the city’s
newest and most exciting French Mediterranean concepts, Victor
will be the side dish to Azur’s main course, providing pre-dinner
cocktails and after hours nightcaps with small bites and live music.
Named after the famed writer-poet Victor Hugo, the ambiance and
decor are undeniably high-end French chic. Co-owners Vincent
Sinard and Jean-Pierre Glieze bring their love of French cocktails
and culture to the Lone Star State, while not forgetting to tip their
proverbial cowboy hats to the local culture. The Epicee is a classic
Grey Goose and St. Germain cocktail with lime juice and ginger
beer, only with an added kick of jalapeno ginger paste that adds
more than a little spice to this wonderfully curious potion. Worth
mentioning as well is the Tequila Soleil, which I would say falls
somewhere on the scale between a tequila sunrise and a shaken
margarita, with definite French infusions. Don Julio Blanco, lime
juice, grapefruit, congac, dry curacao, agave nectar and fleur de
sel make a tart and refreshing tall drink that stands apart from the
classic straightlaced cocktails one might expect in a smokey, dimly
lit lounge.
Victor proves that the diversity of Houston’s gastronomic culture
knows no bounds. From pho shops and taco trucks to the very best
in chic French Riviera nightlife, a trip around the world takes only
a day in this town.
The Exotic
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