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Category: American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhood: Downtown
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17 is simply amazing. First, you walk through the Alden hotel's beautiful lobby, which sets the modern and stylish mood for the restaurant. I went there with my wife before the theater. We did not opt for the "pre-theater" menu. We started with the fried green tomatoes with lump crab meat. Presentation and taste was amazing. I ordered the deconstructed beef wellington and my wife had the 8 oz. filet with a side of truffle mac and cheese. Both dishes were fabulous and some of the most tender beef I've had in a while. With a good bottle of wine, the tab for the two of us was about $120.
I would highly recommend 17 to anyone looking for a pre-theater restaurant in downtown Houston or anyone simply looking for a great, romantic dining experience with amazing food and wait staff. Style, service and food were all excellent -- simply cannot go wrong with 17.
*17 is named after the 17 railroads that converged in Houston around 1910 - not really sure what the name's significance is to the hotel, especially since Houston has a penchant for destroying the historic, but hey - at least Alden's trying to be creative.
The new Executive Chef here, Chip Haight, is just 24. He gets most dishes right, and there are just a few things that are easy to attribute to rookie mistakes. Here's the rundown:
-Amuse: smoked eel & salmon tartar: simply delightful.
-Black angus dumplings: incredible beyond words, mainly because of the crunchy granulated ginger and indescribably pungent and rich siu mai sauce.
-Farmer's market salad: not my favorite. Goat cheese sprinkles were outstanding, bibb lettuce was just ok (and hard to cut large pieces with knife). Lardons were cold and didn't add anything. Dressing knocked it out of the park with flavor, but was relatively sparse.
-Cake of the day: not the most fantastic cake I've ever had, but still moist and flavorful. Balsamic vinegar reduction on the plate needed to come in a carafe so I could drink it up. Absolutely no reason for underripe strawberry halves on the plate.
Are we sensing a theme here? The guy is good at anything liquid...sauces, dressings, reductions, whatever. If he could make an entirely liquid meal, I'd be game.
Service waxed and waned because of two large parties in the dining room, but overall, it was attentive and thoughtful. The complementary port wine was a treat, and the hostess made extra efforts to make me feel at home. The ambiance was dim and romantic - the perfect place for a date.
17 was the highlight of my Restaurant week 2009. We were fortunate to dine here, considering that we couldn't find a reservation that fit our schedule until Sunday evening!
The amuse-bouche was unusual but refreshing -- a shot of fizzy cucumber drink. He started with the black angus dumplings and I tried the seared peach and salmon tar tar. The dumplings were excellent, especially the dipping sauce. However, there were only three dumplings -- we could have enjoyed a few extra. The salmon was fresh, and a much larger serving than I was expecting.
For dinner, we both ordered the de-constructed beef wellington. The steaks were excellent. They came with a small bit of cooked beef fat served on top of the pastry piece -- which my date enjoyed. I liked that the pastry was small and separate from the filet itself, normal beef wellington has too much pastry for my preference. The mushrooms served with it were delicious.
The desserts completed a lovely meal. We ordered the peach souffle and chocolate terrine. The souffle alone would be worth returning for -- fluffy and sweet, served on a bed of crème anglaise. The terrine was luxurious without being overpowering. Both made for a satisfying end to our feast.
It seems that 17 aimed to impress during restaurant week -- and hit their target straight on. I'm curious to see their regular menu -- 17 was the only restaurant that did not provide their normal menu in addition to the restaurant week choices. I'm very happy to have ended my week here.
My boyfriend and I went out to dinner at 17 Restaurant last night and we weren't too impressed. Since both of us have worked in the fine dining industry for years, we noticed many subtleties that the common restaurant patron might miss.
First off, 17 Restaurant is located within the Alden hotel. The lobby of the hotel is very chic and modern, adorned with dark leather, dim lights, and long narrow screen that features a morphing neon light show. 17 Restaurant is located off the lobby and is very small and similarly decorated.
We were greeted by the manager at the host stand and were seated right away since we already had a reservation. The manager barely said a word and was rather stone-faced. He asked if we'd like drinks and I ordered a Malbec wine by the glass and my hubby got a 7&7.
It tool a while to even get menus because there was only one server for the whole restaurant, and there was a private party going on in the side section of the restaurant. Once we did get menus, we noticed that there were very few options and they were quite unimaginative. The entree options consisted of the obligatory pasta dish, vegetarian dish, two fish dishes, a chicken dish, and a steak dish. Also available were a few "unadorned" dishes that didn't have any of the sauces or extras (plain steak, plain salmon, etc)
Although I never ever do this, I ordered the pasta dish because it was the only thing that sounded interesting to me. In addition, I ordered the Farmer's Market salad. My boyfriend got the fillet with sides of fries and truffle mac&cheese. After we had ordered I tried my wine and found that the bottle had turned. When my salad came I mentioned this to the waiter and he took it away and smelled it. He agreed with me, and brought another glass that was much better. My salad was very good, but I found a large walnut shell it in. The dinner entrees were rather ordinary. The fries could have been from a bag found in the freezer section at the grocery store, and the mac&cheese was overpowered by a strong artificial garlic flavor. After dinner we were interested in desert, however nothing looked appealing. Instead we opted for cappuccinos, which were rather average. The coffees were brought out by the manager again, who walked away without a word after we said thank you. Altogether the bill was about $100.
Overall, everything about 17 seemed a bit dull. The vibe, the staff, the food, and the experience. With so many awesome restaurants to choose from in Houston, we will not be going back to 17.
I visited 17 during Houston Restaurant Week. I was pleasantly surprised by the food. The restaurant did a smart thing by only offering the restaurant week menu. I think this allowed them to focus on getting a few dishes very right and forcing everyone to support a great cause.
As you enter the Alden Hotel there is the a+ bar on the right and the 17 restaurant on the left. We arrive early, so we ducked into the dark and sleek a+ bar for a cocktail. After a martini each and a $28 bill (that's right, $14 martinis, folks!) we decided to make our way to the dinner table and invest in a good bottle of wine instead of taking money out of the 401k for two more cocktails!
You walk through the modern and beautiful lobby to get to 17. The lobby is my favorite space here, from a design standpoint. The restaurant is a little over designed for my taste. I'm tired of sitting at long banquet tables, next to someone you don't know and don't want to listen to for two hours, so we asked to sit at our own table. There was one available...thank god! (Note to restaurant designers: GET RID OF THE LONG BANQUETS AND COMMON TABLES! I come to the restaurant with the people I want to eat and chat with...I don't need to meet new friends at dinner on Thursday.)
The meal started with an amuse bouche, a strawberry "cocktail." To me, it tasted like sorbet and sprite. Uninteresting at best. It was served in a shot glass with a short straw. It was also awkward to make slurping sounds during a nice meal. I was self-conscious about this, but my dining companion and the table next to us did the same thing. Oh well...
For our first course I had the Gulf napoleon, with a fried green tomato, lump crab and a nice remoulade. He had the black angus dumplings. Both were outstanding. For entrees, we had the deconstructed beef wellington and the fried quail and waffles. Yum, yum! It's not the best beef dish I've ever had, but the steak was cooked correctly and flavorful. The quail and waffles was an interesting Texas spin on a southern favorite. For dessert, we had the Peach "Melba" and chocolate terrine with espresso ice cream and caramel/peanut butter crumbles. I'm not a huge dessert fan, but these two were easily the best desserts I've had in Houston.
So why 4 stars and not five? I don't ever want to sit in the banquet tables, we ordered two wines they didn't have and had to send back the recommendation from the sommelier, and the $6 for valet parking plus tip is a downer. I am also not sure I'll come back when the meal is full price. Houston is just a tough place to shine and *17 needs to polish some rough spots to be in the best of the best in this price range.
Had a nice dinner at 17 last Saturday- it was about 3/4 full of somewhat upscale patrons and a quiet but not stuffy atmosphere. We split the green tomato appetizer as well as sauteed scallops on special- I would recommend both. The waiter talked me into the tenderloin and my wife had the cod prepared sou vide. My meat was well cooked and flavorful- but not earth shattering. The fish was well prepared but not overwhelming. The raved about side dish of mac and cheese was average. Waitstaff was attentive- and the chef came by the table to say hi.
Overall- a nice place to try- but it will not be on my regular rotation of high end meals- but it is a nice addition to Houston's ever expanding list of higher end eateries.
I had a really good experience at 17. I hadn't been here since Ryan Pera left for the Grove, and with Houston Restaurant Week, I thought I would give it another visit.
The wife is a big fan of souffle, so it wouldn't surprise me if she picked this restaurant just because souffle was on the prixe fix menu. She then looked at the rest of the menu and saw *Seared Tenderloin*, and thought, "that's good for him".
+17 is one of my favorite hotel restaurants in Houston. The dining room has big comfortable chairs, solid tables, and the color used through out the dining room. The deep red color and the lighting make for an intimate experience with your food and your date.
The wife decided to start off with Coastal Napoleon and I went with the Black Angus Dumpling. The Coastal Napoleon consisted of stacked fried green tomato with a generous portion of lump crab meat, topped off with more fried green tomato and garnished with micro greens. All of this was sitting on a roumalaude which complemented the dish very well. It was good folks. My dumpling were stuffed with braised rib eye, steamed and sitting on a tasty plum sauce. The sauce was dark, intense, and tasty. I liked it. After our first plates were whisked off, our main dishes swept in. I love Beef Wellington, my wife's grandmother made it for me a few times and it was incredible. I thought for sure I would be heading for huge disappointment, but the whole deconstructed Wellington thing intrigued me. My curiosity got the best of me on this evening. Of course it wasn't as good as grandmas, but it was a nice spin on a hearty classic. Tenderloin cooked to temperature sitting on a bordelaise sauce and wild mushrooms. Then topped of with foie gras and the fluffy puff pastry. It was delicious. I used every bit of that tenderloin and pastry to sop up that sauce. The wife went with the Fried Quail and Waffles with a side of stewed tomatoes and okra. Also another interesting spin on a classic. I hope your catching on to the theme here. On top of the quail and waffles was a maple reduction with cubes of jalapeno jello. The wife turned out to be a big fan. Finally dessert was upon us, of course my wife went with the Peach Souffle and I went with the Strawberry Panna Cotta. These desserts were great. The souffle was sitting on a.. *ahem* excuse me floating on a Crème Anglaise. When the plate arrived to the table, the expression on my wife's face was priceless, she shrugs her shoulders "hmmm....oh well, it smells good". Then when she tasted it, another look of surprise, "wow this is really good". So of course I was all over the souffle. The strawberry panna cotta was siting on a layer of strawberry and rhubarb compote. It was a perfect way to end the evening.
This was an incredible evening of food, service, and ambiance. The new Executive Chef paid a visit to our table. We chatted for a sec, and he informed us the HRW prixe fix menu is going to be a part of his new permanent menu.
I made reservations for restaurant week. Again, early and late was all that was available, so we took the 6:30.
When we arrived the hostess didn't even look at us as she took my name and lead us to the table. Not even a smile. Barely an acknowledgment. If that was a sign of what was to come, I was concerned (that is the only reason for the four and not five stars). However, our waiter, Tony, was AMAZING! He took our drink orders and allowed us to sit and talk for a while once he realized we were not in a hurry to order. Tony told us that the chef was new to 17 and this was his first menu. He was quite excited about it, and we soon discovered why.
The amuse-bouche, as Kelly said, was interesting and refreshing - a cucumber and ginger drink. I started with the black Angus dumplings and John with the seared peach and salmon. Both were quite tasty. However, the sauce for the dumplings was w-a-y to salty for me. We liked the normal sized servings, leaving us satisfied but still a bit hungry when the entree arrived.
For the main course, we both ordered the deconstructed beef wellington. Both were cooked perfectly and were perfect serving size.
Finally, for dessert I had the peach souffle and John had the pana cotta. Again, both were wonderful and perfect sized.
I asked Tony if these were normal serving sizes and he said they were only slightly smaller than normal. Before leaving, we got two jars of homemade peach preserves with a note from the chef and a coupon for a free appetizer or dessert upon returning. We will absolutely return!
On the twelfth night of Houston Restaurant Week my true love came to me *17 in a pear tree.
Wow! this was an unexpected surprise. After a great meal last night I was exhausted from Houston Restaurant WEEKS ! I had given up going out any more and had no more reservations until Sunday for the finale. My friend and I went to play golf afterwards, he asked me to go to dinner and twisted my arm (not really but it makes for a better story). I agreed and remembered its still HRW !! So what our meal plan was simple (HRW obviously!) but where we were going was a dilemma. I looked over the final places i had not gotten to yet and made a decision on either Max and Julie or 17. After looking at Yelp reviews we decided on 17 and we had a great experience.
I started with the Amuse it was Strawberry and Ginger Sorbet. It did its job and cleansed my palate for the appetizer
For starters i had the Coastal Napoleon, it was fantastic. The green tomatoes were very green and crunchy, the crab meat was fresh and i enjoyed the remoulade. I even figured out the secret ingredient.
The De-Constructed Beef Wellington was very unique. It was served stacked bottom to top. Bordelaise, Mushrooms, Fillet, Puff Pastry with seared Foie Gras on top. This was excellent. I would recommend it to anyone. The Fillet was tender and cooked perfectly medium rare. The Foie Gras was full of flavor.
Then for the dessert i had the Masumoto Peach Souffleé, It was unlike any other souffle i had ever had before. The souffle itself was in a bowl of cream anglaise. I couldn't taste the peach flavor although i tasted the peach pieces in the puff in my bowl. I was envious of my buddy who's dessert choice was sold out so he chose the chocolate cookie with homemade vanilla ice cream. The chocolate cookie was served in a skillet and was AMAZING!!!! Scoop of vanilla ice cream on top its heaven.
I was so glad we made this our choice and would recommend this place to friends in the future.
I would rank this as 5 stars for the great food, however, the poor restaurant/operations management is something to be desired. We went on a Monday evening for Houston Restaurant week where the offerings were limited to the Event's menu.
FOOD:
- Appetizer: Coastal Napolean = fried green tomatoes + lump crab + dijon mustardy sauce. Delicious! The flavor of the green tomatoes were almost non-existant due to the breaded crust. Combined with the lump crab, it was almost like a crab cake.
- Palette cleanser: Complimentary corn sorbet. Maybe my palette is not refined enough.. but UGH! It was nasty. It was a pool of salt with some sorbet texture. It's okay. I didn't take away any points because it was a little something extra.
- Entree: Deconstructed Beef Wellington, cooked medium. Topped with foie gras and complimented with radish, mushroom. Delicious! The beef was tender and flavorful, a nice compliment with the rich bordelaise. Their medium is a little more red, but still good.
- Dessert: Strawberry panna cotta. I've never had panna cotta before so it was different.
- To take home: hand made apricot marmelade with a note from the Executive Chef.
SERVICE:
- Overall boo due to poor operations management.
- We had reservations at 7:45 for a group of 6. We were not seated until 8:10. When we were seated, the area around us was empty.
- When we asked the waitress for more explanations of items on the menu (which only had 9 items on it), she was unable to answer our question 3/3 times.
- We were not served our appetizer until about 9 PM.
- Positive: Executive Chef Chip Hight. He went behind the counter and prepared out appetizers when it was brought to his attention that his kitchen was getting majorly backed-up. After the meal, he also greeted our table, and we had the opportunity to compliment the Chef directly.
A friend of mine and I went to dinner at 17 when I was back home in Houston visiting for a short weekend. The ambience was fantastic and we were seated at a prime table right in front of their big picture window to people watch as we ate. Would be a great date spot, for sure. Our waiter was also very helpful and patient with all the questions we had about the menu since neither of us had ever been.
In regards to the food, it was average at best. For the price, I was pretty disappointed by their lackluster fare. We split the warm spinach salad (probably best part of the meal)...splitting the salad was a great idea FYI. Just enough to tease the palate, but not too much to overfill your belly. For the main course, I got the fish of the day (black cod) and my friend ordered the pork chop. Like I said, nothing that special. We also split the truffled mac and cheese...again, it was OKAY. I've had better truffled mac and cheese at the Brentwood Farmer's Market in LA.
As cute, cozy and chic as the restaurant was, I will probably not be returning. Money NOT well spent. Overpriced for mediocre cuisine.
3rd time back, 3rd new menu, 3rd time I've loved everything about it.
Was a little worried after reading the recent reviews posted after mine but...
I went back again now…
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*17 is the official name of this hotel restaurant and after the less than impressive meal I had there last night I've got a few suggestions for what the "*" footnote might read...and it's not favorable.
I was feeling a little surly last night and didn't have patience for bad service. It wasn't so much bad as it was lacking and/or less than enthusiastic. The place was virtually empty but I think our waiter was also taking care of the other three tables in the restaurant and we were low on the totem pole of priorities. He was also soft spoken and hasty and I was annoyed.
They didn't have the wine I asked for so I said I'd look at the list again and instead he just brought another one he thought I'd like -- I didn't like it....I would have rather seen the list again. Geesh. We split the crab cake appetizer which was absolutely delcious (served on fingerling potatoes) but it was also room temperature verging on cold...delicious but gross. Not sure if this was the waiters fault or the kitchen's.
I ordered the Jolie vue Farms Berkshire Pig and Beans (whith shelling beans, pole beans and a smoked potato broth) and it came with 3 pieces of pork: belly, tenderloin, and something else. The pork wasn't mouthwatering and mostly had a pulled-pork taste and texture. The sauce was way too thick and sweet. The S.O.'s alaskan halibut (gypsy peppers, homemade pancetta and white corn pudding) was a nice piece of fish but the sauce with peppers and corn pudding was underdone.
We cut our loses and skipped dessert and decided that we've just got to quit trying new restaurants and stick with the ones we know and like...*17 certainly won't make the cut.
I have been meaning to write my review for some time but just kept forgetting but I really like this restaurant. For one, it is quiet and has a very sophisticated feel. I have been to some nice and pricey places a few times and for some reason they usually lose their flare but not 17. My S.O. has taken me twice, the first time was almost 3 years ago and the second was back in May 2009, both times the dining experience sets the mood for a peaceful and relaxing night. The dining room seems small but it is never over crowded. The chef sends out a sample platter for you to enjoy while you are waiting on your appetizers or what nots. We love to eat so we always try at least two appetizers and of course our main dish with sides and wine. So far every thing we have ordered has just the right touch, from the seasonings to the presentation and from what I remember of the two separate occasions the menu changes (of course it did take me a while to get back out for dinner). It is a great place to have a private dinner, with the dimly lit dining room and plush chairs, you are guaranteed to never leave disappointed. I would recommend this to anyone who has any intention of having a special, memorable night.
Nice ambiance, but the food wasn't everything I expected it to be. Definitely not bad, but definitely didn't make my taste buds sing. Where oh where are the restaurants that will?!
I really appreciated their service, as we were about half an hour late for our reservation there for Restaurant Week. I felt terrible, but it took us forever because we took the Light Rail up and service was cut off near Main Street Square (plus there was some guy with a walker getting arrested by the po-po down right at the rail, too).
But we got there and the host was gracious enough to seat us (although I will say one of the servers there took a serious attitude with us at first). In general, service was absolutely pleasant, and they were professional, courteous and definitely made sure we were taken care of.
Like Jeffrey C., I got the Roasted Tomato Soup, New York Strip with the mashed 'taters and wilted spinach and the chocolate cake. The tomato soup was good, but it did have a bit too much oil in it for me (and a bit of a rich, smoky flavor that was good but at times too reminiscent of bacon). The New York Strip was good (it was a great piece of meat -- I was definitely impressed!!) but it didn't have the exact flavors I was searching for. And the cake was good -- but I wish they'd given a bit more ice cream with it. Couldn't finish the cake without more ice cream, such a shame.
My dining companion and I got the same thing, so there wasn't much sharing and comparing, but we both enjoyed the dinner. But not as much as I had thought. The restaurant didn't live up to the hype I'd heard about it, and I wasn't as impressed as I thought I'd be. Not a bad experience at all, though.
Came here for Restaurant Week, and it didn't disappoint. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this place at their normal prices, but for a $35 prix fixe, I was all for it. I went with the Roasted Tomato Soup, which was fantastic. I followed that with the New York Strip (lean and delicious) with a great "mashed" potato. That was finished with a flourless chocolate cake. My fellow diners went with the Alaskan Halibut, which was also quite tasty. The only negative I had about the food was the salted caramel seasonal ice cream. Salt with caramel tasted like salt with a margarita; it may fit for some, but it doesn't fit for me.
The best part of the restaurant is the decor and service, which were both inviting and fantastic. It's connected to what I only assume is a luxurious hotel, and it's also got a great hotel bar. Lastly, it's about 4 blocks from Minute Maid Park, which makes it a perfect pre-game meeting place. There's plenty of street parking after the meters shut down for the day, but empty spaces start to disappear as you get closer to 7.
When I first walked into the Alden Hotel I was taken about by the sleek and stylish nature of the lobby. The restaurant itself is just as modern, with lighting that catches your eye just right. The food here was beautifully prepared. The seasonally changing menu had lots to offer, with something for any pallet. I started with some scallops, which were cooked to perfection. Then followed with some lamb, which was beautifully presented and seasoned.
The highlight for me was the desert. I had the "Carrot Undone", it was the pastry chefs take on carrot cake. It was a piece of carrot cake, topped with cream cheese icing ice cream. I wish that I could just buy a tub of that cream cheese icing ice cream! Overall, we had a great experience. The service was above average, but this place is a little pricey.
Ordinarily you might avoid a restaurant in a hotel, but this is one restaurant not to be missed. And I didn't even get to try the desserts yet! In a nutshell, American cuisine made with local ingredients, fresh tasting, but be warned, pricey.
Where Monica Pope at T'afia may miss the mark, chef Ryan Pera finds it and delivers food made with local ingredients, reflected in the seasonly changing menu.
The gulf coast lump crab salad was large enough for two people and included LOTS of excellent crab. Avocado and three types of grapefruit (all local) formed the base, although I couldn't taste any ponzu sauce. Refreshing.
I tried my friend's gulf shrimp curry with coconut milk, lemon grass, and galangal served over rice. The flavors were complex and genuinely thai tasting however there is no heat whatsoever in this curry. A choice due to spice-fearing patrons apparently. Perhaps you can ask the kitchen to add heat.
I had a green risotto (it had garlic sprout puree) I was a little less impressed with - a bit sour tasting. This is recently been replaced with a fresh corn risotto.
We had a demi-bottle of white wine from washington state. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
I have high hopes that this restaurant will continue to deliver fresh-tasting local food, and perhaps the chef will take it up a notch and become more adventurous.
* Sep 07 another visit: The sorbets and ice cream are excellent! I tried the green apple, cherry, and mandarin sorbets. Each was completely evocative of the fruit. Salted caramel ice cream? Fantastic. I only wish 17 had a window you could walk by to order during the day because these are only available in-house.
other goodies from the menu that were yummy, in order of preference: mesquite smoked quail, seared foie gras, cured in house charcuterie, lobster ravioli love letters, grilled triple tail, grilled duck, and the deconstructed carrot cake with cream cheese icecream
11/2007
Depressing news for eating at the Alden: Both the chef, Ryan Pera, and the pastry chef, Rebecca Masson left the Alden. Pera will be going to the Grove a new restaurant near the convention center. Masson is going to both Ibiza and Catalan.
One of my favorite restaurants in Houston! Classic contemporary French decor with sophisticated touches like the chandeliers. This restaurant has received local and national recognition from foodies. While dining the chef will make little dishes for you to taste like salads or panna cotta. The lump crab salad is delicious to start and the mac and cheese is served up in a mini skillet. They have a great deal for lunch where you pick two items off the lunch menu for $17. Also an excellent place to go for special occasions because the staff will make sure it's memorable..
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