Triniti and I share an anniversary. December 23 marks my and Chuck’s one-year anniversary of creating articles for My Table SideDish, and on that day last year we published our “first look” at Triniti.
There were many incentives to check back in with Triniti and chef Ryan Hildebrand a year later. Chef de cuisine José Hernandez has left, leaving room for Voice alum Greg Lowry to be promoted and for 23-year-old Samantha Mendoza to show off her own considerable talents as pastry chef. Hernandez was very good, but Lowry has considerable chops. Between that and Mendoza’s lovely dessert creations, I don’t think diners are going to notice a difference – in fact, they might be even more impressed with what’s coming out of the kitchen now.
Triniti has also implemented a happy hour … finally. It was a move I was expecting to happen much sooner. One look at the green, swirly glass bar, and I knew it would be a great hangout after work. It took awhile, but how that it’s here, please go take advantage of it. It’s one of the best happy hours in town now, right on up there with Uchi. It’s a bargain: Everything is half-off, and the food and two cocktails I tried were very high quality. That means the bar bites are either $4 each (or three for $10), and cocktails are just $6.
And we’re not talking slouchy bowls of pretzels and peanuts, either. Think: two small duck fat-poached oysters elegantly perched atop a small tangle of soba noodles; dense, breaded chicken meatballs with a mini waffle and a swash of chipotle-maple syrup (Triniti’s take on chicken and waffles); and a rendition of Devils on Horseback that had figs stuffed with gorgonzola, wrapped with bacon and roasted. My eyes were rolling with pleasure.
The Big Fig cocktail, expertly made by another Voice alum, Sean Dougherty (photo above), went along perfectly with these late-Fall delights. The Big Fig is made with fig-infused Buffalo Trace bourbon, which makes for a winning flavor profile. Even if you like your bourbon straight, or think you don’t like it at all, give this cocktail a try.
Happy hour is 4 to 7 pm Monday through Friday and 5 pm to closing on Sunday. You must sit at the bar or on the patio to get this. Don’t try and take up a dining room table and order from the happy hour menu, you cad. The bar is about to get a little bigger, too, as Triniti will engage in a bit of renovation in that area in the next few weeks.
I think this is an important move for Triniti. A spectacular happy hour is a low-risk introduction for new customers who just might stay for dinner. The food at Triniti has always been wonderful and sophisticated, but the atmosphere has been a bit austere from the get-go. They recently tore down the five-foot wall between South Shepherd Drive and the patio, so now you can actually see that there’s a restaurant here.
Those are just a few of the lessons learned by chef Ryan Hildebrand and his investment partner. “It’s been a learning experience,” admits Hildebrand. “We’ve had to make adjustments and realized that it’s not all about us. It’s about the people coming through the door and making sure that we can give them what they want as well as hold onto our aesthetic and style of food.”
The portion sizes at Triniti are bigger now, too. I had a rich, succulent pork collar that had been marinated and then cooked sous vide for an hour before it was seared. The texture is slightly chewy, which I found really pleasing. (Meat doesn’t always benefit from being “falling apart” tender or “buttery soft.” Some of us want a little texture.)
Best moments of 2012 for Triniti? A very successful soft-opening week, a critically acclaimed opening night and the Triniti/Mercury musical pairings dinners. “Watching these big, burly cooks tearing up because they’re listening to classical music was cool,” says Hildebrand.
Worst moment? “Having to re-do the floors in March. It looked like a funhouse in here.” A leak created a buckle that went, in Hildebrand’s words, “from slightly noticeable to barely manageable.”
Hildebrand graciously agreed to share one more “lesson learned” with other restaurant entrepreneurs. “The most important thing is to be adaptable. Maintain your artistic integrity, but don’t be so prideful that you’re not willing to adjust. We learned that we needed to be approachable and address what people are looking for. We don’t flip the menus as often because we found we need to give guests a chance to develop a favorite item. My partner loves the New York strip from the first menu and was disappointed when it went away, so we’re keeping it on the menu now.”
Triniti, I think you’re closing out 2012 with a bang. Happy anniversary to both of us.
Triniti, 2815 S. Shepherd bet. Westheimer & W. Alabama, 713-527-9090, trinitirestaurant.com