Underbelly has gotten as much pre-opening hype as Uchi, Triniti and Oxheart. That’s a lot of pressure for a restaurant to open to, but Underbelly, which opened yesterday, seems more than up to the task. Many of the staff worked for chef Chris Shepherd at his previous restaurant, Catalan, which was closed and reinvented as Coppa. They know their chef and what needs doing.
I’ve unabashedly missed Shepherd’s hearty fare, and it does my heart good to see him in a place that is so unmistakably his. He orchestrates the activity on the line like a symphony conductor.
We used to bring the family to the Sunday family dinners at Catalan, and you can see the influence of those dinners on Underbelly’s menu. Big hunks of meat (like entire pork shanks and whole fishes) are served in warm cast-iron pans. They are listed under the “family style” section of the menu for about $40. Underbelly has its own butchery program, and the availability of rare cuts like “goat rack” (which was recently a special at around $62) are just one of the benefits of that effort.
If you are dining here with three or more people, you shouldn’t panic over paying $40 to get a few pounds of meat on your table. Add a few more plates and dessert, and you and your pals will all leave plenty full, possibly with leftovers. Our family of four, with a family plate, three additional plates, dessert and a bottle of wine, had a $150 tab. This is actually $50 less than our regular Catalan bill used to be.
Alas, those family-style portions are not consistently prepared yet. The lamb shoulder lacked seasoning and was dry, except for the fattier pieces. (Imagine that Mom cooked her pot roast too long. You’d still eat it, appreciate it and love her for making it, but it could be better.) The combination of slightly pickled Brussels sprouts, baby carrots and potatoes that rested underneath were much tastier.
There were other bobbles that I am confident will smooth out after a few weeks. Wine didn’t show up until three courses in. Our table wasn’t available until 30 minutes after our reservation, but who cares when there’s such a great wine bar to hang out in? (There’s also a community table one can sit at if there is availability, and we could have sat down 15 minutes sooner if we’d taken advantage of it.) Out of three cups of coffee we ordered, two were delicious and one had grounds in the bottom.
Okay, so Underbelly wasn’t perfect on their first night open – what restaurant is? But there are several not-to-be-missed high notes. The menu will change frequently, but I hope the amazing borscht stays for a while. This silky beet-based soup is a beautiful, dark red. It is slightly sweet but also has a lot of umami, perhaps from the addition of a very rich stock?
The soft Korean-style braised goat on top of pillowy cylindrical dumplings was also a winner that I think just about anyone would love. A plate of short rib on top of green curry tapioca and a smear of a salty red bean paste sauce is an upscale shout-out to Houston’s excellent Thai and Korean cuisine. The richness of the meat, the texture of the tapioca and the spiciness of the bean paste sauce all worked together in an outstanding and unexpected way.
A cast-iron pan with a family-sized serving of five monkey bread rolls impressed the entire table. It was rich and toffee-sweet without being over the top. I wanted an order to go, but was told that wasn’t possible since it was served in a hot cast iron pan. In retrospect, I should have ordered an extra one anyway and put it in a to-go box myself. I want monkey bread for breakfast. It would go wonderfully well with my morning coffee.
As important as the food is the atmosphere Shepherd and his hometown team have created. In the front hallway are photos, tagged by zip code, of local people, places and food that have been inspirations, not only to this group, but also to many of us who understand that Houston has a unique and valuable culture.
Ask for the pamphlet that goes with the photos. It doubles as a culinary tour guide to Houston. “Sure, we’d love to have you back at Underbelly,” it says, “but we politely request that you visit at least one of these folks first.” Places like H-Mart and Vieng Thai are suggested, as well as visiting some of our local food producers at the Urban Harvest farmers’ market.
Adoration and respect for Houston’s food and people flow out of every corner here. Underbelly loves Houston, and I promise Houston will love Underbelly back.
UNDERBELLY, 1100 Westheimer just west of Montrose, 713-528-9800, underbellyhouston.com