Houston’s newest Common Bond debuts downtown this week. Located in the Bank of America tower (800 Capitol St.), it’s the growing company’s first brasserie location.
After being delayed when the pandemic disrupted downtown's regular crowds of office workers and event attendees, the restaurant will be open for lunch with the same bistro menu found at the other locations beginning today (Tuesday, September 28), along with a grab-and-go bakery section fully stocked with Common Bond’s signature pastries, breads, and sweets that's available for breakfast and lunch. The brasserie’s dinner menu starts Tuesday, October 5 with bistro breakfast and happy hour menus to debut in the coming weeks.
Developed by executive chef Jason Gould, president Chris Fannin, and owner George Joseph, the brasserie offers a more elevated experience than Common Bond’s fast casual bistro locations. That starts with full service at dinner, which allows for a more traditional, coursed meal.
Gould’s menu takes a similarly elevated approach by adding dishes that wouldn’t work in a fast casual setting. For example, diners may begin their meal with a seafood tower that includes freshly shucked oysters, scallop crudo, crab fingers, and a poached lobster tail or a smoked duck rillette. Entree options include roasted rack of lamb, seared Gulf fish, and a sous vide beef tenderloin.
All of which leads to an obvious question: does this mean Gould is recreating some of the fare he served at Gravitas, the pioneering Houston restaurant that closed in 2012?
“It’s hard not to fall back onto my roots, but I have tried to be a little bit difference, a little more diverse,” Gould says. “There’s still elements of it, because it still bistro/brasserie food, which is what Gravitas was. Hopefully it’s a little bit familiar to people who know my food.”
Similarly, executive pastry chef David Berg has developed a handful of new desserts that will be unique to the brasserie, including a chocolate cake and an apple galette.
Fannin has sourced high end wines that will be poured by the glass from an enomatic wine system that keeps them fresh. Expect labels like Caymus, Duckhorn, Kosta Browne, and DuMOL.
“You can taste really good wine without having to buy a bottle,” Gould says. “I’m looking forward to tasting some of them myself.”
Roasted rack of lamb.
Guests can choose from five signature bowls at Honest Mary's, or create their own.Courtesy of Honest Mary's
