Mockingbird Bistro

A GuestLife Houston
Great Restaurant

Nestled in a quaint neighborhood of townhouses on the cusp of the River Oaks district, Mockingbird Bistro is a Houston treasure, named “one of the best new restaurants in America” by Esquire magazine. Award-winning chef and owner John Sheely, a 25-year veteran in the restaurant business, gives his diners comfort food at a sophisticated level typically found at world-class restaurants. His menu includes an elegant list of dinner entrées including salmon, duck, leg of lamb and prime steak, an economic lunch menu, an award-winning wine list, and an extensive dessert menu including crème brûlée, dessert wines and cheese tasting. The wait staff is courteous and efficient, and Sheely has hired an expert wine director and a terrific manager, all of which combine to give his establishment a real touch of class.

My personal experience began with a slow roasted beet and endive salad with Cabreles blue cheese, walnuts and walnut vinaigrette, a perfect combination of tastes, the unusual taste and sweetness of the beets offsetting the slight bitterness of the cheese all accompanied by a satisfying crunch. The entrée was bistro perfection; a mountain trout sautéed with brown butter haricots verts and roasted fingerling potatoes. The chef’s expertise painted a veritable masterpiece both for the palate and for the eye. For dessert, the cool, flourless chocolate cake with raspberry coulis and white chocolate ice cream topped with fresh berries struck just the right balance of sweet and tart, and left me cheering.

So what is best about Mockingbird — its delightful atmosphere, its delicately prepared entrees or its expertly devised appetizers and desserts? You decide. Mockingbird is a not-to-be-missed Houston delight.

Menu Highlights

Appetizers

Crispy Kataifi Shrimp
With a carrot/jicama slaw and spicy tropical fruit chutney

Crispy Calamari
With remoulade and sweet and spicy glaze dipping sauces

Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras
With poached Forelle pear and a Riesling glaze

Entrées

Mountain Trout
With crawfish beurrenoisette and spring bean salad

Ahi Tuna
Grilled rare with sautéed baby spinach garlic mashies and balsamic glaze

Roasted Rack of Lamb
With caponata, winter squash and Texas goat cheese

Desserts

Cheese Tasting
With assorted artisinal cheeses

Warm Bittersweet Chocolate Torte
With mango sorbet

Granny Smith Apple Bread Pudding
With cinnamon ice cream and caramel sauce

pictured above: Roasted Duck Breast & Leg with Butternut Squash Risotto, Trio of Shellfish with Diner Scallop, Maine Lobster and Gulf Shrimp, and Rack of Colorado Lamb with Texas Goat Cheese.

Mockingbird Bistro:
1985 Welch (at McDuffie),
Houston, Texas 77019,
(713) 533-0200.
Open for lunch from 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday;
Dinner 5:30-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 5:30-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

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