Gravitas Restaurant!

807 Taft
Houston, Texas

I feel compelled to write a third review about this restaurant. I feel compelled because the food has gone from interesting but mediocre to good and interesting.

We arrived at the complimentary valet only to realize that I could have parked in the back and avoided tipping the valet guy at the end of the night. When we walked in we saw sexy patrons sipping on sophisticated drinks in their bar, Sidebar. We skipped the drinks and got a table in front of the open kitchen. Chef Gould was present and in charge.

We had an all appetizer meal:

Duck confit ravioli - Perfect. The duck confit came flavorful and stuffed in a large not-too-starchy ravioli dressed with a wonderful light sauce.

Beet Salad - Not enough beets, but nicely matched with a frise salad in a balsamic vinaigrette (at least I think it was balsamic vinaigrette). When we told the waitress we were sharing, they even split the plate!

Yellow Tuna Carpacio - Thin slices of this wonderful fish were paired with more frise. Another winner.

French Frise - Cooked in very hot oil, these things come out brown and tasting a bit like potato chips. I like the ambivalence between the taste of potato chips and french fries.

Venison Chili - Probably the worst of the bunch. The chili had too much sweetness and vinegar for my tastes.