HRW: Au Petit Paris

This is my 2nd Houston Restaurant Week event! The month-long promotion stars many high-end restaurants and $5 of each meal goes toward the Houston Food Bank. This year I ventured into the classic French. My go-to restaurant had always been Cafe Rabelais due to its convenient location, affordability, and delicious high-quality food. For HRW, I wanted to expand my culinary index while avoiding large crowds.

Au Petit Paris reflects a Houston staple; the cottage-styled restaurant is tucked away in a neighborhood and its doors open to a stand-alone environment of aromas and artistry. The walls were warm with pictures of French icons tastefully framed. I spied a wine rack opposite from another wall sporting a duo of pots. Curtains were lace. I welcomed the intimate service.

Now onto the good stuff. And it was very, very good. We started with fresh bread. I favored this bread's crust over Cafe Rabelais, which can sometimes be rock hard.

Wharton had an escargot appetizer. The morsels were enveloped by puff pastries in pool of pesto-dressed salad.

I chose a honey-glazed goat cheese bruschetta salad. Loved the juxtaposition of sweet, salty, and the golden bitterness of arugula.

The waiters were attentive to our pace in eating. They patiently waited as I finished my first course. My glass of water was never half-empty, either. For the entrees, Wharton had cod, which was very well seasoned, juicy, and perfectly cooked! I actually wanted to eat fish.

My salmon arrived on a bed of mushroom and asparagus risotto. Again, well seasoned and cooked. The caramelized onions added a balanced sweetness to the dish. Yum!

As the last of the trio, desserts left us craving for more...in a good way! The ice-cream filled chocolate crepe,  was delicious as it was beautiful.

I ordered a floating island. I've never heard of this before but it is an almond meringue floating on vanilla custard, topped with almonds and caramel. It was a lot of fun to eat!

I had a much better experience at this restaurant in terms of food and dining experience than I did last year at the Oceanaire. The portions were appropriate and I wasn't left in a food coma or with a tank half full. Now I am curious about their Australian lamb shank...

Update (9/15): I went back for a birthday celebration and couldn't resist ordering foie gras and the lamb shank. The lamb was so well seasoned and flavorful, braised to the point that when I stuck a knife through it, the meat just fell off faster than a slice of butter. Absolutely delicious!