Editor's note: During the now month-long extravaganza that Houston Restaurant Week has become, CultureMap's resident foodie — associate editor Sarah Rufca — is writing a diary of her culinary experiences around the city.
As Houston Restaurant Week moves into week number five, I wonder if the kitchens are beginning to get tired of making the same 12 things night after night.
That would explain the dinner experience at Mockingbird Bistro. We walked in to a packed house, as expected, but service seemed not rushed, but rather unmotivated.
For first courses we ordered a pair of soups. My "modern style " onion soup had the color and consistency of chili, with a cloying sweetness that overwhelmed all other flavors. My companions chilled cantaloupe soup was served with a smooth surface interrupted only by a melon ball placed in the center, and was immediately dubbed "boobie soup." My date said he loved the idea of the Italian breakfast of melon and prosciutto, but it didn't seem to translate to a soup successfully, with all the meat bits lodged at the bottom.
The waiter showed no interest that our first courses were hardly touched.
Happily, the meal got much, much better starting with the entrees. The diver scallops in a tomato ragout were big, succulent and utterly divine. The trout was equally impressive, though best when removed from the somewhat retro stacking of potato crust and ratatouille vegetables.
The desert trio did not disappoint — the chocolate truffle was rich and solid, the crème brûlée was pretty average, and the apple bread pudding was simply amazing.
All in all, the good outweighed the bad, but I'm still searching for a flawless Restaurant Week experience.
Other Houston Restaurant Week diaries:
III Forks breaks out the halter tops & the cream corn
The Grove reminds us that size matters
Lusting for Catalan's gazpacho and a happy waiter
Molé mania at Cielo & illicit chit Chaat at Indika
Mockingbird Bistro is a place to be during Houston Restaurant Week.
