The Pass
807 Taft St.
Houston,TX 77019
(713) 628-9020
Website
In the last seven years Houston has continue to experience a culinary renaissance. Currently there is a plethora of restaurants helmed by talented chefs who have worked at some of finest kitchen in the country and abroad. These chefs brought their creativity for Houstonians to experience and enjoy. One such restaurant is The Pass, located in the Fourth Ward.
The Pass was conceived by chefs Terrence Gallivan and Seth Siegel Gardner as part of a two-concept restaurant under one roof called The Pass & Provision. The Pass is the fine dining part while the latter offers a la carte menu in a more relax setting. Both chef Gallivan and Siegel Gardner come from a strong cooking pedigree. Their experience includes stints at the kitchen of The Modern, Aquavit, Aureole and other notable New York City restaurants. On the same year the restaurant was opened, it was propelled to national prominence after Bon Appetite named it in their annual best new restaurant list occupying the number 6 spot.
Access to The Pass is through a thick easy to open metallic door located behind the hostess table in the front. Its softly-lit dining room has three rows of tables covered in neatly pressed cloth with dark sway cushy seats and carpeted floors. At the other end of the room is an open kitchen visible to the guest.
A five course tasting menu with an option to add three additional course is the only choice for dinner priced at $65. There is also a vegetarian version of the tasting menu available for the same price.
Dinner started immediately with the first course of Scallop Carpaccio- Grapefruit/Tobiko/Goat’s Milk. In this plate, chunks of lush scallops were drenched in delightful cream sauce of goat’s milk. The grapefruit’s sour acidity was smartly added not only to raise the flavor but also to serve as a balancer. I added an extra course of Foie Gras Torchon-Candied Vegetable Panettone/Orange. The torchon was buttery and flavorsome. A zesty sweetness supplied by the orange jam went well with all those richness from the torchon, while the delicate panettone provided a terrific vessel.
Following the foie gras, was the Tuna Belly-Crispy Beef Tendon/Black Sesame Bearnaise, which comprised of, two pieces of beef tendon crisp with chopped raw tuna belly stacked on top of each other and dressed in thick berniase sauce. This was a complete dish that had terrific flavors. I noticed the tuna was particularly high in quality and especially fatty .Next was the vegetarian course, and it was just as equally well-done as the previous dish. The Smoked Potato caramelle -Chanterelle/ Parmesan, consisted of caramelle stuffed with wonderful smoked potato filling, garnished with thin slices of chanterelle mushroom and shaved parmesan. The puree that the caramelle sat on added a sharp earthy element to it.
For the main course the Duck-Leg Meat Currywurst/Crispy Potato/Radicchio Jam was served. Scrumptious cuts of duck meat were packed with flavors. Other components on this plate appropriately played its role such as the raddchio jam that when eaten with the duck, provides a pleasant bitterness. It was coupled by the tasty currywurst which offered an extra hearty serving of protein.
A pre dessert of frozen pina colada ball was refreshing to the palate. Dessert of poached pear- Marzipan/Dark Chocolate was rather heavy. It had a mixture of fruity and sugary sweetness that was kept at bay by the bitter taste of the dark chocolate mousse.
This was an unconventional meal that defies the norm of a tasting-menu-only restaurant. There was no bread offering, the amuse bouche in the beginning was missing and so is the petites four in the end. All that aside the cooking is inventive, and the food is thoughtfully crafted with wonderful mixture of different taste. Every component on the plate seams to coexist in harmony with each other.
In addition to the $55 wine pairing, the drink list which is shared by both The Pass and Provision is sizable. They also have an extensive whiskey collection.
As Houston celebratory restaurant, and with a dining room of well-heeled city dwellers, the staff at The Pass made sure that each guest was properly cared for. Our table of four was handled with a faultless service, and our servers were cordial and competent.
Dinner at The Pass is on the high side for Houston and less pricier than New York or The Bay Area. Adding the extra course and drinks, the total is close to a $120 per person, which is still reasonable considering the quality of food, service, and the dining experience each guest received.
When talking about a great gastronomic cities in the US, New York, San Francisco, and the Bay Area, Chicago is at the forefront of the conversation. However Houston Texas, with its terrific restaurant scene, is slowly becoming a contending culinary hub. The city still lacks the tasting menu places as there is only a handful of them. Helping to fill the void is The Pass. This restaurant is not only worth a visit when in the city, but it also raises Houston’s dining profile.