Offering boldly modern,
upscale cuisine in softly sleek surrounds,
Aries has been reshaping Houston’s
food scene since opening in late 2000.
Chef/Owner Scott Tycer’s kitchen
produces artistically composed plates
of sometimes daring combinations, most
of which are resounding successes.
For starters, the Foie Gras
is some of the best we’ve ever tasted.
Luscious slices of Hudson Valley Foie
Gras are seared and served atop savory
pistachio date bread and a generous drizzling
of an orange infused sauce. The combination
of tart-sweet orange, dates, and spices
with the foie gras is simply outstanding.
Another decadent starter
is the Sweetbreads with sweetly earthy
cauliflower cream, served with toasted
brioche. We love that Tycer includes things
like sweetbreads (and oxtail soup) on
the menu – this kind of above-the-pack
thinking is what keeps us coming back!
Recent entrée standouts
on Aries’ regularly changing menu
have included succulent, fork tender
Short Ribs served in individual casseroles
with rich brown gravy and green beans.
Free-Range Chicken Breast was cooked to
perfection and served with a flavorful
mustard sauce and garlic confit. And don’t
miss the house specialty Three Onion
Brioche Bread Pudding with tomatoes and
artichoke – it just might make
a vegetarian out of you!
Interestingly, a couple
of seafood dishes have fallen a little
short – though certainly not so short
as to call them "misses." The
Smoked Trout starter included middleneck
clams that were a tad gritty, as were
the scallops in an entrée. A whole salt-crusted
and baked fish was a little on the dry
side.
Desserts are every bit as
adventurous as the rest of the menu. From
pumpkin soufflé to custard-y bread puddings,
be sure to save room for dessert. And
there’s a real chocolate lover somewhere
in the kitchen – and whoever it is
certainly knows how to produce intense
chocolate desserts. Finally, Aries makes
its own ice creams, so don’t miss
those. The cinnamon is our favorite!
Love the wine list –
naturally. Not a dog anywhere on the list,
so there’s simply no way to go wrong
there. Plus, there are always a couple
of real gems (recently the Kilakanoon
Siblings – LINK) at great prices.
It’s updated often and reflects a
real interest in carefully choosing good
quality (mostly California) wines that
work beautifully with the menu.
Service was very good –
attentive and energetic. To be honest,
we’d recently heard some grumblings
about service being less than friendly,
but that was emphatically not our experience
on any of our visits. Friendly, smiling
faces were the norm.
Aries feels like San Francisco
to us. Which makes sense, given Scott
and Annika Tycer’s Bay Area backgrounds.
Innovative food. Understated, hip atmosphere.
High quality ingredients. Prices to match.
And although the prices may initially
seem on the high side, Tycer’s artistic
flair and culinary vision make them fair.
All in all, Aries has raised
the bar for Houston restaurants. It’s
one of the city’s best. (march
2002)
Aries
4315 Montrose Blvd.
Houston, TX 77006
713.526-4404
www.ariesrestaurant.com
