take 555
Classic French restaurant in Memorial announces anticipated debut
The Memorial area's new destination for classic French fare will debut next week. Bistro 555 officially opens to the public on September 15.
Located in the former Bistro Provence space (13616 Memorial Dr.), Bistro 555 represents a new direction for proprietor Genevieve Guy. Instead of focusing solely on Provence, the menu now includes dishes from her childhood in Alsace, the region that borders Germany, as well her time living in Lyon.
The restaurant received a comprehensive interior renovation with teal-painted walls, new lighting fixtures, and new table tops. Menus from restaurants owned by Guy's great-grandfather and grandfather decorate the walls near the open kitchen.
Nods to Guy's Alsatian heritage are sprinkled throughout the menu, too. As its name implies, the menu at Bistro 555 features just five appetizers, five entrees, and five desserts. Keeping things tidy not only suits the intimate, 40-seat restaurant; it also allows Guy to rotate dishes seasonally.
For now, starters include French classics such as Artichauts Barigoule (artichokes, bacon and white wine), Charcuteries Maison (house-made rillettes and hazelnut paté), Salade Lyonnaise (frisée, bacon bits, croutons, and a poached egg), and Escargots Maison (snails baked in the wood-burning oven and served with garlic and parsley butter). Prices run between $10 and $14.
Dinner entrees, priced between $22 and $35, also reflect the places Guy has traveled and worked in France. They include Quenelle de Saumon Haeberlin (wild salmon filet, snapper mousse, and white wine shallot sauce) as well as the very traditional Cuisse de lapin à la moutarde (rabbit leg with an oregano mustard sauce). Texans will find comfort in the NY Strip steak with shallot sauce and duck fat-sauteed potatoes.
An all-French wine list with an extensive range of by-the-glass selections remains unchanged from the Bistro Provence days. The restaurant is open for lunch Monday-Friday and dinner Monday-Saturday. Reservations are available by calling the restaurant at 713-827-8008 or emailing info@bistro555.com.
