Eats: 2014 Houston Restaurant Week at Brasserie 19

With two babies around, I didn't to do a whole lot of HRWs this year. Since I can only do a couple, I was very selective with my restaurant choices. Brasserie 19's menu was one my whole family agreed on to have our family dinner at.

Since we had a big group, I made reservations weeks in advance. I highly suggest making reservations if you're planning to dine here on a Friday or Saturday night as this place gets packed! And if you have small ones like me, come early.

Last time I came here, I sat outside which I prefer if the weather permits. It's quieter outside and more space between tables. Inside gets really loud and the seating is really tight. They do have booths along the wall that made it easy to sit the carseat on.

On to the food...

HRW menu here was $35. For my starter, I chose the foie gras torchon. The torchon itself was good but the side condiments was way too sweet. As you can see below, the torchon was really small. When we were ordering, my brother asked how big it was going to be and the waiter replied about 4 oz. Umm, yeah... it wasn't even an ounce.

Foie Gras Torchon
pink peppercorn, strawberry jam, basil, pistachio

For my main course, I had the coq au vin. I was very happy with this dish. It was spot on, rustic French. The size of this dish made up for the minuscule torchon. In fact, I couldn't finish it and asked for a to-go box (very un-French).

Coq Au Vin
braised half hen, red wine, wild mushroom, bacon lardons, pearl onions, egg noodles

My dessert was the lemon bavarian. I was hoping by ordering a lemony dessert it would be refreshing. Unfortunately, the lemon curd itself was too sweet for my liking.

Lemon Bavarian
toasted marshmallow, shortbread crumble, lemon curd

Despite some things being too sweet, overall I enjoyed my dinner. After two visits here, I think it's one of the better French restaurants in town. And it helps that the service was quick and efficient despite it being a packed. I'm not crazy about how loud the restaurant gets but it made me not feel bad about bringing my toddler and baby since no one can hear them anyway. 

In reality, my babies did fine. Even the unruly toddler who has the tendency to climb out of his highchair and run around the restaurant. He behaved himself and stayed seated the whole time. Of course it was with the help of "nanny" iPad which I don't normally take with me but I did this time since we were having three-course meals. It also helped that I brought his favorite foods with me. It kept him busy munching the whole time.

Side note: if you're celebrating a birthday here, notify the staff. They'll bring out a cotton candy... with sparklers... in a trophy.

Brasserie 19
1962 W. Gray St.
Houston, TX 77019
http://brasserie19.com/