Roost - Chef Kevin Naderi's Eclectic Neighborhood Bistro on Fairview Street in Montrose

[Josh]

Alison Cook has listed Roost in her Top 100 for a few years now, placing it at 29 in this edition.  From reading about the restaurant, Chef Naderi introduces a new menu monthly, highlighting local and seasonal ingredients with little regard for staying in one particular "lane" of cuisine.  Cristina and I had a quiet and pleasant dinner the other night.  Top-line assessment: Pleasant enough to be a neighborhood fave, but in a sprawling food town like Houston, it would be tough to recommend traveling for a special visit.

We started with 2 appetizers: the much lauded fried cauliflower with bonito and miso dressing, and the "bread service" of a Slow Dough giant (GIANT!) pretzel, with 3 spreads (marinara, pimento cheese, and furikake butter).  The cauliflower was indeed tasty, reminiscent of takoyaki.  The only thing I would say is that after a few bites, they became a little dull (as in, not sharp), and could've used some sort of acidic element to brighten things up (capers maybe? a squeeze of lemon? I don't know).  The pretzel itself was massive, warm, buttery, and delicious. The spreads...eh.  The marinara was totally off-putting in a way neither of us could put a finger on, but it went completely untouched.  The pimento cheese was a totally straightforward take, without any noticeable spice.  The furikake butter won out, mainly because it was butter.  This dish seemed like an afterthought.

I moved on to the "Country Captain" chicken - pan seared, along with deep fried wings, and topped with a vaguely curry-ish sauce with raisins.  All in all a nicely cooked, but standard take on a Lowcountry classic.  Cristina had fried quail served over black eyed peas and greens.  I much preferred this dish, mainly for the delicious peas.  Earthy and with just enough bite to them.  

We drank a South African Cab blend (2013 John X Merriman Stellenbosch) that played well with everything we ordered - medium bodied, with a good amount of earthiness that I enjoy.  Roost has a small but nicely curated wine list and a number of local beers on tap.  

Given that the menu changes monthly, I think it's probably worth another look down the line, but for now I have it in my good-not-great category.

[DonRocks]

On 3/16/2018 at 1:56 PM, Josh said:

and the "bread service" of a Slow Dough giant (GIANT!) pretzel, with 3 spreads (marinara, pimento cheese, and furikake butter).  The cauliflower was indeed tasty, reminiscent of takoyaki.  The only thing I would say is that after a few bites, they became a little dull (as in, not sharp), and could've used some sort of acidic element to brighten things up (capers maybe? a squeeze of lemon? I don't know).  The pretzel itself was massive, warm, buttery, and delicious. The spreads...eh.  The marinara was totally off-putting in a way neither of us could put a finger on, but it went completely untouched.  The pimento cheese was a totally straightforward take, without any noticeable spice.  The furikake butter won out, mainly because it was butter.  This dish seemed like an afterthought.

 <--- This is one mammoth pretzel.

They've changed the spreads to Pimento Cheese, Sambal-Honey Butter, and Curry Mustard - I suspect they may do this on a whim.