Acclaimed chef/restaurateur Ford Fry has just opened his ninth restaurant, which happens to also be his first Houston restaurant. State of Grace is Fry’s first concept outside of the Atlanta area, where he now lives, and everything from the restaurant’s name to its River Oaks location to menu items specific to Houston’s restaurant history pays homage to his younger years in the Bayou City and time spent in the Texas Hill Country.
According to a press release, the restaurant’s name references Fry’s fond memories of time spent at family and friends’ ranches, specifically those early morning hunts. “We found an inspiration photo of a deer, caught in the instant when [it] realizes a hunter is around, and liked the concept of pausing and showing the deer some grace,” Fry explains.
The logo (above) also takes inspiration from the photo, as does the restaurant interior designed by Fry’s in-house designer Elizabeth Ingram in collaboration with Square Feet Studio. The restaurant is simply stunning, featuring timeless touches like exposed brick walls, tufted leather booths, ornate light fixtures and subway tile backsplash in the bar. Noise isn’t a nuisance here, as walls are accented with fabric, and patterned curtains hang from the ceiling. Neutrals and metallics make up most of the palette, creating a space that is handsomely Southern, with touches of femininity.
As for the menu, executive chef Bobby Matos (previously at Ciao Bello) has created dishes that highlight locality and the Gulf Coast. The food is primarily Southern cuisine, but since this is Houston after all, Matos has dotted the menu with Tex-Mex, Vietnamese and Asian flavors. There is also a menu – and an entire room – devoted to Texas Gulf Coast oysters (photo above).
As guests of the restaurant, we stopped in for lunch this past Friday and enjoyed one of the better restaurant openings the My Table team has experienced in awhile. Not-to-miss starters include the house “milk” rolls brushed with butter and sprinkled with malden salt ($3, photo above) and Asian-inspired shrimp toast with soft herbs ($10). Lobster (and corn) hushpuppies ($9, photo below) are served with cane syrup butter and dusted with powder sugar for a sweet and incredibly tender appetizer.
If you’re looking to share more small plates with your table, the deviled crab piled high on a half shell ($19, photo below) is also noteworthy. It’s drizzled with tangy béarnaise, for a bite that’s rich and indulgent. If you feel obliged to order something green, the young kale “caesar” salad ($13) is a surprising mix of flavors. In place of shaved parmesan you’ll find manchego, and woven throughout the dressed kale you’ll find slices of chorizo. Fresh anchovies top the salad for those who enjoy the bold flavor.
If fried bologna sandwiches are “a thing” in your family, chef Matos’ rendition ($10, photo below) will bring back only the good memories. The bologna is topped with melted American cheese and sandwiched between two sweet-soft buns. Another dish guaranteed to spark Houston memories is the cheese enchilada “a la Felix” ($10), a nod to the Montrose Tex-Mex staple Felix Mexican Restaurant, which closed in 2008. The enchilada is served solo, coated in a deep red chili gravy reminiscent of the namesake restaurant. Both dishes are meant to be simple, but meant to make you feel good. And they deliver.
One last savory dish to mention is the crab fried rice ($11). This take on the Thailand classic incorporates Thai basil, cilantro and mint, and would make a perfect side dish for, well, anything. Don’t let its placement at the bottom of the menu mislead you. It’s downright delicious.
If you can, do save room for desserts. Pastry chef Chrysta Poulos has created sweets that follow the restaurant’s Southern footprints. “Think grandma meets classic American diner,” Poulos says. One of the restaurant’s signature desserts: sticky toffee pudding ($8, photo above) with a scoop of buttermilk ice cream. Pair it with a Rumble Seat cocktail (photo below) made with Balcones Distilling Rumble, Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao, lemon and rimmed with honey crystals – created by the beverage director Lara Creasy – and you’ll be on your way with a sugar and booze buzz.
State of Grace, 3258 Westheimer, 832-942-5080, stateofgracetx.com