MIKE RICCETTI
  • The best of Houston dining
    • Bakeries for bread
    • Banh mi
    • Best Values
    • Breakfast tacos
    • Cajun and Creole
    • Chicken Fried Steak
    • Cocktails
    • Crawfish
    • Downtown Dining
    • EaDo and East End Dining
    • Fajitas
    • French
    • French Fries
    • Fried Chicken
    • Galleria Area Dining
    • Greek
    • Guinness pours
    • Houston-centric
    • Italian
    • Italian-American
    • Japanese
    • Kolaches
    • Mexican
    • Middle Eastern
    • Midtown Dining
    • Montrose Dining
    • Pizzerias
    • Pizza at Non-Pizzerias
    • Raw Bars
    • Rice Village Dining
    • Sandwiches
    • Seafood
    • Splurge-Worthy
    • Steakhouses
    • Sushi
    • To Take Visitors
    • Tex-Mex
    • Thai
    • Tough Tables
    • Wine Bars
    • Wine Lists
  • The margherita pizza project
  • The martini project
  • Musings on Houston Dining
    • The top 10 new restaurants of 2022
    • The top 10 new restaurants of 2021
    • The top 10 new restaurants of 2019
    • The top 10 new restaurants of 2018
    • The dozen best Inner Loop values
    • Dining recommendations for visitors to Houston
  • Italian restaurant history
  • Italian & Italian-American
  • Entertaining tips
    • Booze basics
    • Styles of Cheeses
    • Handling Those Disruptive Guests
  • Wine
  • Beer
  • Cocktails and Spirits
  • Miscellaneous
  • Blog
  • The best of Houston dining
    • Bakeries for bread
    • Banh mi
    • Best Values
    • Breakfast tacos
    • Cajun and Creole
    • Chicken Fried Steak
    • Cocktails
    • Crawfish
    • Downtown Dining
    • EaDo and East End Dining
    • Fajitas
    • French
    • French Fries
    • Fried Chicken
    • Galleria Area Dining
    • Greek
    • Guinness pours
    • Houston-centric
    • Italian
    • Italian-American
    • Japanese
    • Kolaches
    • Mexican
    • Middle Eastern
    • Midtown Dining
    • Montrose Dining
    • Pizzerias
    • Pizza at Non-Pizzerias
    • Raw Bars
    • Rice Village Dining
    • Sandwiches
    • Seafood
    • Splurge-Worthy
    • Steakhouses
    • Sushi
    • To Take Visitors
    • Tex-Mex
    • Thai
    • Tough Tables
    • Wine Bars
    • Wine Lists
  • The margherita pizza project
  • The martini project
  • Musings on Houston Dining
    • The top 10 new restaurants of 2022
    • The top 10 new restaurants of 2021
    • The top 10 new restaurants of 2019
    • The top 10 new restaurants of 2018
    • The dozen best Inner Loop values
    • Dining recommendations for visitors to Houston
  • Italian restaurant history
  • Italian & Italian-American
  • Entertaining tips
    • Booze basics
    • Styles of Cheeses
    • Handling Those Disruptive Guests
  • Wine
  • Beer
  • Cocktails and Spirits
  • Miscellaneous
  • Blog
MIKE RICCETTI

Mostly food and drink...

...and mostly set in Houston

The mushroom ravioli at Etoile is surprisingly good; much better than good, in fact

11/6/2016

0 Comments

 
​Last weekend I finally ate at Etoile, the well-regarded French restaurant in Uptown Park.  Opened in late 2012, it had been on my list of restaurants to try even before it was touted to me by a woman who worked for a French trade association a few months after it opened.  I can be slow about some things.  But, I am glad I finally made it.
 
The Gallic classics like a chèvre salad, duck breast a l’orange and profiteroles were very well-executed and enjoyable, the surprise – and highlight for me – was the mushroom ravioli.  As much as I enjoy pasta, especially filled pasta at a restaurant, as the degree of difficulty is too great for me to make a satisfying version at home, I am hesitant to order it at a French restaurant.  But, my friend was enthusiastic about trying it and I very quickly relented.  Very glad I did, too.
 
The mushroom ravioli – properly Raviolis aux Champignons – was the best stuffed pasta dish I have had a restaurant since ravioli at Amalfi.  Featuring the small champignon mushrooms tucked inside silky smooth pockets of soft and flavorful pasta, along with some mushrooms outside, and all sitting in a light-colored and light broth, the dish brought out the pleasantly woodsy notes of those funghi that was subtle but contributed to wonderful overall taste of the dish. The menu described port, truffle oil and an aged Parmesan as other ingredients, and other than the cheese.  These were unnoticeable, but obviously great supporting players.  The dish was not heavy and worked well as an appetizer, where it is listed on the menu.  The substantial broth and presentation made it seem more French than Italian, but the execution of the pasta was as good as you will find in the best Italian restaurants here.
 
A French master chef – officially a Maître Cuisinier de France since last year – like Etoile’s Philippe Verpiand can obviously make fresh pasta, or can hire or train a kitchen to do so quite well.  It probably should not be a surprise to me that a French kitchen can be so adept at this.  Fresh pastas and risotto dishes have crept into the French restaurant repertoire in the past couple decades.  Italy is just over the Alps from France.  David Denis, when he and his staff, ran the nearby Ristorante Cavour a few years ago and made ethereal, fantastic gnocchi.
 
When you visit Etoile, you might want to consider something beyond their classic and expected Gallic creations.  At least the mushroom ravioli.
 
Etoile
1101-11 Uptown Park Boulevard, 77056, (832) 668-5808
etoilecuisine.com
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Mike Riccetti is a longtime Houston-based food writer and former editor for Zagat, and not incidentally the author of three editions of Houston Dining on the Cheap.

    Picture

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016

    Categories

    All
    Beer
    Cocktails
    Italian
    Margherita Pizzas
    Recipes
    Restaurants
    Wine

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.