When Au Petit Paris, the little French bistro serving food out of a Montrose bungalow at 2048 Colquitt, closed last June, nearby residents hoped that another restaurant would replace it. Luckily for the neighborhood, plans were announced in October that Nobie’s would take over the spot.
Not to be confused with the Nobi Public House in Webster, Nobie’s is named after chef Martin Stayer‘s grandmother. Previously, Stayer was at Coltivare and has also worked under Scott Tycer at Aries. Between those two stints, he spent a decade in the kitchens of Moto and L20 in Chicago, both of which are Michelin-starred restaurants. Dominique Ruiz is GM and sommelier, and Sarah Troxell, who also worked at Coltivare, is bar manager.
The atmosphere, which might remind you of your own house (or your parents’ house, if you’re of a certain age) is divided into two large rooms, with the bar between them. This is similar to the previous layout at Au Petit Paris; however, a wall has been removed, so the house feels a bit larger. Another addition upon opening in November was an elevated deck out front facing Colquitt with enough dining space for around 20 guests. Inside, framed art and photos are on the walls, and music is courtesy of vinyl records. Bar guests can view the impressive record collection and are welcome to eat dinner at the bar.
The menu changes often, and food-wise, the plates are meant for sharing. The menu allows for both bar food snacks such as house-made Chex Mix and sour-cream-and-onion fried chickpeas (both $4), as well as entrées like barbecued mussels with French fries ($19) and 44 Farms’ flat iron steak, which is served with chimichurri, grilled tomatoes and maitake mushrooms ($21).
Beef tartare at Nobie’s. Photo by Melody Yip
On a recent visit as guests of the restaurant, three of us shared several plates, including the beef tartar ($14, photo above) with its not-too-crunchy, not-too-buttery toast accompaniment and the “sweet tots” ($9, photo below). These tots have got a bit of heat to them, thanks to a dash of harissa, and they are made from sweet potatoes instead of potatoes. Lining the plate is a whipped goat cheese “spackle” that had us grabbing for leftover toast points so none would go to waste.
Sweet tots at Nobie’s. Photo by Melody Yip
Nonna’s pasta ($18, photo below) is tagliatelle with bolognese, made from scratch daily. While Stayer tells us he makes more each day than the last, the dish continues to sell out nightly. The tagliatelle is delicate, and the rustic bolognese sauce is no-fuss and simple. It was pretty much perfect.
Pasta is made from scratch daily at Nobie’s.
To drink, there are 16 wines by the glass, and about 50 bottle selections. During happy hour, select wine is only $5 a glass. There is a selection of beer for patio drinking, and five large-format bottles that are perfect for sharing. (It seems to be the common theme: sharing plates and sharing bottles.)
Both Stayer and Troxell are credited with developing the small-ish cocktail menu, which is inventive and playful. However, says Troxell, “guests often tell us what they like, and we’ll create something new for them that appeals to their preferences.”
Refreshing No Name #7 created by Nobie’s bar manager Sarah Troxell.
Two cocktail favorites of ours were the bright and soft No Name #7 (photo above) made with Smith and Cross rum, Montenegro and ginger syrup, and the When the Levee Breaks (photo below), a warm-weather cooler featuring Buffalo Trace bourbon, lime, house-made grenadine and mango shrub. (Troxell is the Sarah of Sarah’s Shrubs, and many cocktails at Nobie’s utilize her small-batch shrubs.) All cocktails are $10.
Troxell’s When the Levee Breaks, featured at Nobie’s.
With no room for dessert, we skipped the final course on this visit, but generally the restaurant offers one or two “cake of the day” selections, like carrot cake and birthday cake, which comes with a lit birthday candle, regardless if you’re celebrating or not.
Nobie’s, 2048 Colquitt just east of S. Shepherd, 346-319-5919, nobieshtx.com
Hours: Closed Mon.; Tues. to Wed. 5 to 11 pm; Thurs. to Sat. 5 pm to midnight
(No reservations)