take 555

Classic French restaurant in Memorial announces anticipated debut

Genevieve Guy is ready to welcome diners to Bistro 555.

Courtesy of Bistro 555

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.

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Stay trill, owls

Bun B serves up smash hit smash burgers at Houston's Rice University

Photo by Quit Nguyen

Bun B is bringing Trill Burgers to Rice University.

Faculty, students, and staff at Rice University will have a fresh new dining option when classes resume for the fall semester. Trill Burgers will open its fourth Houston-area location on campus beginning Monday, August 17.

Located at the Rice Memorial Center, the new Trill Burgers will serve the restaurant’s signature smash burgers, which are available in either beef or vegan versions. That starts with the OG Trill Burger, made with two smashed beef patties, pickles, caramelized onions, Trill Sauce, and American cheese on a Martin’s potato roll. A vegan version uses plant-based smashed patties, vegan sauce, and vegan cheese. Burgers will be sold individually or as a combo with fries and a drink. Students will be able to use their campus dining dollars (Tetra) to purchase their meals.

Bun B, a Houston hip-hop legend and co-founder of Trill Burgers, has long had ties to Rice University. In 2011, 2013, and 2015, he served as a distinguished lecturer, co-teaching Religion and Hip-Hop Culture with Anthony Pinn, the Agnes Cullen Arnold Distinguished Professor of the Humanities.

“This is truly full circle for me,” Bun B said in a statement. “To bring this brand to Rice University where I once taught is a major moment for Trill Burgers and for myself.”

In addition to Trill Burgers, Rice is also home to locations of breakfast favorite Dandelion Cafe and salad and sandwich concept Local Foods Market.

“We are excited to build upon this long-standing relationship while giving the Rice community an authentic taste of Houston,” Beth Leaver, Rice’s assistant vice president of housing, dining, and hospitality, added. “Trill Burgers brings a distinctive and celebrated part of Houston’s culinary culture to the Rice campus. I am often asked about adding a great burger option, and this partnership fills an important gap in our dining portfolio.”

While the restaurant is open to the general public, its proximity to the original Trill Burgers location (3607 S. Shepherd Dr.) means it will likely appeal primarily to people who are already on campus. Initially, the restaurant will be open from 11 am-5 pm.

Opening at Rice comes at a time of continued growth for Trill Burgers. In December, the restaurant opened in Missouri City. It is expected to open a new location at Westheimer and Hillcroft (7616 Westheimer Rd.) as soon as this month.

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