The much-awaited new Houston seafood restaurant Navy Blue has sailed into Rice Village, dropping anchor on Occasions Boulevard. It’s greater than a lovely encore to chef Aaron Bludorn’s first Houston restaurant Bludorn. It’s a becoming homage to the person who raised this rising star within the culinary world.
It’s christened with a reputation that harkens again to his dad’s naval profession. The chef’s father Greg Bludorn served as a high gun fighter pilot flying F-14s on the USS Constellation whereas coaching the following era of expert U.S. Navy aviators to do the identical. Navy Blue’s identify pays tribute to the elder’s name signal, “Blue,” whereas the seafood-centric menu celebrates the bounty of the blue waters off the Gulf Coast and past.
An alum of famed chef Daniel Boulud’s kitchen (to not point out the Culinary Institute of America), Bludorn spent a decade working his approach as much as the place of government chef at Boulud’s now-shuttered Cafe Boulud, the place he met and married colleague Victoria Pappas (sure, of the Houston Pappas restaurant household) and moved to Houston through the pandemic to open Bludorn on Taft. Touring in a pack, the couple introduced alongside colleagues Cherif Mbodji (serving as their front-of-house companion) and Darryl Chan (creator of the spirits program) to play a component in Bludorn in addition to on the new Navy Blue.
When it got here time to discover a high toque for Navy Blue, they pulled in one other participant within the pack Jerrod Zifchak and requested him to take the helm as government chef. Zifchak involves Houston with an in depth resume that features slipping into Bludorn’s former function at Cafe Boulud, to not point out time spent behind the vary on the lauded Michelin three-star seafood restaurant Le Bernadin in Manhattan.
Step contained in the 7,100-square-foot area reimagined by Courtney Hill Interiors and the Austin-based agency Föda Studios, the place the operative was given to examine an area impressed by the ocean but untouched by humanity. A tall white oyster-shaped wall was erected within the entry’s vestibule with sandy concrete breeze blocks. Past that, the 110-seat eating room pulls collectively natural parts, from driftwood-colored large plank flooring underfoot to the nice and cozy tones of white oak spines that separate a collection of lengthy 4 and six-top tables whereas by no means obscuring their view of the kitchen or the diners seated round them.
Black wired pendants dangle overhead whereas plush navy blue banquettes invite a comfortable tete-a-tete within the eating room and adjoining bar seating.
The Navy Blue Restaurant
The cheeky bar menu the place all of the drinks are $15 was developed by mixologist Darryl Chan and options cocktails like “Maintain me nearer Tony Danza” and “Chasing Penguins,” named for misheard musical lyrics. The sbagliato part of the listing performs up the bitter (say Campari and Amaro) with a “mistaken” recipe twist, too. Chan additionally makes room on the menu for a few Tiki drinks, potent martinis and highballs, just like the London Calling, which mixes the flavors of the ritual of British afternoon tea on this scrumptious tincture. (Assume a punch made with Earl Gray tea, cucumber, lemon, a contact of champagne and blackberry clarified with milk.)
Sommelier Molly Austad’s in depth wine listing — which gravitates towards French imports — highlights 160 bottles, together with an array of glowing choices together with white wine alternatives starting from light- to full-bodied, in addition to lighter reds.
Designed to give attention to proteins that come by means of the ocean’s waters, starters embrace every little thing from shrimp and oysters ready 3 ways to luxe caviar choices, one thing we’re noticing popping up on fairly just a few menus of late.
With each cooks educated in French culinary strategies, dishes just like the crispy blue crab brandade ($19) and mussel bisque ($21) lean on the gallic classics with an American twist. The brandade options 4 fried orbs of blue crab poised atop a smear of chipotle spiced romesco with mentaiko aioli (produced from cod roe cured in salt and chili peppers). In distinction, the bisque options smoked mussels bobbing in a saffron inventory thickened with a Yukon gold potato puree and topped with a crown of golden pate feuilletée.
Dine with family and friends and share a plate of pasta, or two or three. Out there in beneficiant full or half parts, the lobster ravioli arrived bursting inside with minced lobster meat scented with tarragon and topped with fried sunchokes and charred pearl onions ($32/$54), whereas the seafood risotto is delivered to the desk cooked al dente with lobster, cuttlefish and tomato confit ($26/$44).
The primary occasion proffers steak-like meaty swordfish ready “au poivre” with a inexperienced peppercorn sauce ($44) and a blackened snapper ($41) topped with ribbons of pickled greens. My favourite is the branzino with a cucumber relish and, beneath, a Greek yogurt sauce (skordalia) emulsified with olive oil, almonds and lemon juice ($39).
Finish your meal on a candy notice with government pastry chef Marie Riddle’s delectable but relatable desserts. From a terrine-like slice of carrot cake layered with cream cheese icing and topped with dollops of toffee sauce and a quenelle of ginger ice cream ($15) to a cool key lime pie, its tart custard cradled in a macadamia nut crust topped with bruleed meringue peaks ($15).
Navy Blue is positioned at 2445 Occasions Boulevard in Rice Village (713) 347-7727. It’s open for dinner Mondays via Thursdays from 5 pm to 10 pm and Fridays via Saturdays from 5 pm to 10:30 pm. Sunday dinner service is about to start on December 4 with 5 pm to 9 pm hours. Lunch and Sunday brunch service will observe in 2023.
