FOOD | ARTS | COMMUNITY | STYLE + LEISURE
LE MISTRAL
CUISINE : French 1400 Eldridge Parkway | 832.379.8322 | www . lemistralhouston . com Mon – Thu : Lunch , 11am – 2pm ; Dinner , 5:30 – 10pm ; Fri : Lunch , 11am – 2pm ; Dinner , 5:30 – 11pm ; Sat : Dinner , 5:30 – 11pm
Le Mistral , owned by Chef David Denis , was a pioneer of fine dining on the west side of town . I know too many people unwilling to leave the inner loop , and they are certainly missing out . Chef Denis ’ French restaurant would be a hit wherever it was . In the Energy Corridor , it is a must-go . Two different business lunch options – Express Lunch for $ 10 offering soup / salad and an entrée and Business Lunch for $ 20 offering soup / salad , an entrée and dessert . The entrées rotate daily with choices ranging from sea bass , flank steak , pork filet mignon to roasted chicken . The soups are standards : onion , wild mushroom and tomato basil . I had the onion soup paired with pork filet tenderloin and sautéed fingerling potatoes . I am a soup snob . I admit it . And this onion soup was almost perfect . The brandy flavor came through and the cheese was a gorgeous brown . It would have been perfect if I could have had two of them . It was that good . The pork filet was a good follow-up . Fork tender and with a lovely thick butter sauce . Finishing with a delicate black forest cake , I left fully sated . Looking at the rest of the menu , you could also get a good bargain with an appetizer paired with soup or salad . No need to break the bank to eat well here .
Overall , quality French food is scarce in Houston . Quality French food at prices like these is a steal . I plan on stealing more in the very near future .
Chilean Sea Bass
Paletas
With the entrées , the daily catch was a winner -- pan-seared salmon on a bed of handmade pasta with a cream sauce . Very light and filling . The Land and Sea tacos were a good pair ( grilled skirt steak and shrimp with caramelized onions and avocado cream ). The marinated steak was tender , the shrimp perfectly grilled . Beyond the paired menu , some of the favorites from Raw Bar and Dinner menu are available . My favorite was the Maida crudo , NZ sea bass with garlic , lime and soy caviar . The roe provided the perfect saltiness to the lime marinated fish . Heaven from Down Under .
The lesson learned ? A good business lunch doesn ' t have to break the bank . You can entertain clients , eat well and still have enough money to have lunch the rest of the week . The bargains are there ; you just have to look .
Based solely on the number of options , Peska ’ s business lunch is a steal at $ 25 . Given the quality of the food , I will be back . After all , I have 98 more combinations to go . february 17 | LOCAL 25