The owners of Étoile Cuisine et Bar, Chef Philippe Verpiand and Monica Bui, have created an inviting, warm European environment where both traditional and seasonal French food are front and center. "We want to dispel the notion that French food is heavy and pretentious," says the team, recently transplanted to Houston from San Diego, where they owned the famed Cavaillon Restaurant. Everything about Étoile Cuisine et Bar, from the inviting outside facade to the intriguing interior design to the high quality service, is meant to convey a feeling of truly being in France. With Chef Philippe's take on a seasonal menu using a French technique, it's a place where fine food lovers come together, not on a special occasion, but to enjoy every day.
Houston’s Café Rabelais serves sumptuous French cuisine in its classic, European-inspired eatery. Fantastic starter options include the mouth-watering smoked salmon plate, the white bean and vegetable soup, as well as a variety of decadent cheese plates. Café Rabelais’s specialty dinner entrées include the seared duck breast with Szechuan demi-glace, the seared snapper in rich beurre blanc, the vegetarian orzo pasta with purple cauliflower and feta cheese and the red wine marinated ribeye with eggplant. Top off your Café Rabelais French feast with an unforgettable dessert, like the mixed nut and chocolate silk pie “fondant au chocolate sur croute de noix” or the fruity “sorbet du jour” and wash it down with a fresh, hot espresso.
