Sorrel is the new “affordable farm-to-table” concept and the second culinary collaboration between restaurateur Ray Salti and chef Soren Pederson, who are also partners at Ray’s Grill in Fulshear. I’d heard good things but never made the trek, and now I wish I had. If my first bites at Sorrel are any indication, I’ve been missing out on some lovely, delicious cuisine.
The former Ziggy’s Healthy Grill space on West Alabama at Greenbriar has been reborn into a contemporary yet warm and inviting space. The rear wall is a practical and chic wine display, and the bar area includes a case stocked with house-made charcuterie and ripening cheese. I could see myself stopping by for lunch and leaving with a gnarly chunk of manchego and a few slices of salami. Love that.
Our meal began with slices of outrageously good foccacia-style herb bread with a crust of parmesan and tomatoes. It arrived with a trio of dips, including a divine olive oil, a green pesto and a sundried tomato pesto that I quickly became obsessed with. We started with the seared foie gras on crispy brioche with house blackberry jam and the heirloom tomato and “Redneck Cheddar” salad. I don’t remember when I enjoyed a foie gras dish more than this one, and the salad was simple and elegant with pure, refined flavors.
Our mains included a filet of snapper with an apple-bacon-potato hash and grain mustard cream and a vegetarian dish of root vegetables with house pasta and fried lotus root. The super-fresh snapper was cooked perfectly with a crisp exterior, and the mustard-based sauce was actually subtle and a nice compliment to both the fish and the hash. The vegetables and pasta were beautiful but begging to be seasoned, and so I actually asked for salt (there’s a first time for everything). Our server returned with three options, including a pink Himalayan salt that took the dish to the next level and made me glad I’d asked.
With a concept based on “farm to table” devotion and “organically-focused” cuisine along with a daily changing menu, Sorrel is inviting high expectations. My sense is that it’s more about fresh, organic and sustainable rather than local (halibut and lobster don’t come from the Gulf, after all), but there is truly an overwhelming sense of freshness and quality while also emphasizing affordability. The $45 five-course tasting menu is a steal (it’s $65 with wine), and prices overall appear very reasonable.
There is great energy and eagerness to please at Sorrel, and so I look forward to very good things from this new bright spot on Houston’s dining scene.
SORREL URBAN BISTRO, 2202 W. Alabama at Greenbriar, 713-677-0391