LOCAL Houston | The City Guide December 2017 | Page 24

And then there is the ultimate dessert, the thinnest, the crispiest, the most buttery of crusts with a delicate fan of apple slices all baked to a deep autumnal brown. Apple Tart In fact, the whole menu feels marvelously and rightfully autumnal. A stunning and rich saffron fennel sauce, its earthy orange color highlighting sautéed scallops – a visual feast. Tender squab is accompanied by assorted mushrooms and a roast of colorful baby carrots – a plate of elegance with a crispy fried carrot frond garnish. An elegant square fillet of halibut accented with just a touch of citrusy sauce, a mosaic of thin baby zucchini slices all sitting pretty on a panisse. With its crispy exterior and smooth, nutty interior, the chick pea delight from southern France is so perfect it almost stole the show from the fish! LUCIENNE AT HOTEL ALESSANDRA 24 L O C A L | 12 . 2017 Every item on the menu calls my name. There is the perfect bordelaise sauce on the succulent Angus ribeye that has all the right accompaniments – roasted bone marrow and potatoes cooked with foie gras fat. Risotto with butternut squash and a soft egg, quail with lentil and duck sausage, lobster with fennel bread pudding. I want to return again and again. Five- and seven-course tasting menus are available should you be so tempted. And then there is the ultimate dessert, the thinnest, the crispiest, the most buttery of crusts with a delicate fan of apple slices all baked to a deep autumnal brown, topped by a scoop of rich french vanilla ice cream and a sweet calvados sauce. So, so, so good it hurts. From start to finish – flawless. 1070 Dallas St. | Houston, TX 77002 713.242.8555 | [email protected] www.hotelalessandra-houston.com/lucienne At dinner, the current crepe preparation with its fluffy cauliflower filling and deliriously seductive and wondrous Gruyere cheese sauce is a must. At night, the foie gras gets dressed for evening with sautéed apples and calvados. 12 . 2017 | L O C A L 25