In preparation for May 24, National Escargot Day, I scouted seven places in Houston that serve escargot. Yes, I ate a whole lot of gastropods just for you. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.
I didn’t really mind, though. Escargot is meaty, tasty and an excellent, sustainable source of protein, although nearly every preparation contains butter.
It may not occur to diners that Houston is a great source of escargot dishes, but indeed it is. Most (but not all) French restaurants serve them, and I even found an Italian restaurant that offers them. While some still prepare them in the traditional way with butter, wine, garlic and parsley, some interesting modern preparations are available. One thing that I did not find: Those quirky unpredictable tongs made famous by Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. Indeed, it seems no one bothers to stuff escargot back into their shells after cooking any more.
How does each place rate on their escargot? Read on. A score of 10 is highest.
Brasserie 19’s escargot arrived with a little hat on. It was a crunchy hat of puff pastry, and while cute, it seemed to have no function other than to make a mess. It’s too fragile to scoop up the sauce without disintegrating. While the escargot are very tender, an excess of lemon makes them unpleasantly tart with none of the dark burgundy notes I had hoped for. We may have had them on an off day, as friends who tried them a few days earlier said the lemon was not overwhelming. As for me, I’m likely to get the exquisite charcuterie platter instead. Rating: 5
I am a huge fan of Kris Bistro. Students of Culinary Institute LeNôtre prepare the food and their dishes are a good value for fine French cuisine. Beer and wine pricing is nearly at-cost. Skip the escargot here, though. While a big swath of crème fraîche on top made the dish look promising, there was almost no flavor or seasoning to the escargot or the sauce. I also found some unpleasant grit. Spend your dining dollars on the seared foie gras instead. Rating: 4
By far, Philippe Restaurant + Lounge topped the list for not only the best escargot, but the most variety too. It not only has two menu options, but it is possible to get a six-course escargot feast there if you call ahead. (Please give them at least 24 hours notice if you are planning to go crazy on escargot.) One of the menu options is available at the bar and the other in the upstairs formal dining menu. The bar version features hollowed halves of roasted red potatoes with escargots nestled inside. The upstairs preparation is elaborate and delicately flavorful. Escargot rest on a thick layer of creamy white fennel purée in a lidded glass jar. For an absolute escargot feast, chef Philippe Schmit can also prepare escargot ravioli, croquettes, Napoleon and in puff pastry with morels and asparagus. We tried them all and were especially in love with the tender, buttery escargot ravioli and the elegant Napoleon with a smattering of tart hibiscus butter. Rating:10
Bistro Provence serves their escargot traditionally on an escargot plate with butter, garlic and parsley. Alas, although pleasant, there are no heady flavors here to make this rendition of the dish anything more than typical. Get it if you are just in the mood for escargot and this is where you happen to be dining. Rating: 6
With that being said, we’re still intrigued by Bistro Provence’s special escargot menu this week, which includes Escargots en Brochette, Risotto d’Escargots, Roti de Boeuf aux Escargots et Echalottes (garlic-studded beef filet with sautéed escargots and shallots) and Pizza Nonni (snail pizza). Call 713-827-8008 for more information.
Remarkably enough, the new L’es-Car-Go food truck completely outdid their home base of Bistro Provence with their escargot. In a Texas-meets-France bath of hot wing sauce, we found these snails to be completely addictive. Just as this article was going to press, they started rolling out other dishes with escargot as well, such as mussels and escargots in a dill cream sauce. Hunt this truck down this week. They are as eager to celebrate National Escargot Day as we are. Rating: 9
Le Mistral’s escargot is a traditional preparation, but seriously amped up with lots of flavor. It is a bit of a garlic bomb and has enough parsley that you can actually taste the fresh flavor of the herb. It is delicious and addictive. The only downside is that the taste of the tender escargot can’t really compete with the other heady flavors. Rating: 8
Even if you’ve never had escargot before, this is a great time to start. Find a place near you and go celebrate National Escargot Day this week.