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Torchon of foie gras at Aura in Missouri City. Photo by Alison Cook
Word travels fast in food circles. On a recent afternoon, Aura chef Frederic Perrier and his wife, Michelle, were standing outside the former Mongolian wok restaurant Shogi in Sugar Land Town Square, taking photos of the newly vacated site. That was at 2:30 p.m.
By 6:30 p..m, back in the Missouri City strip mall restaurant that the couple has made into a beacon of fine suburban dining — number 55 on my recent list of Houston Top 100 restaurants —the scuttlebutt had spread. "I heard a rumor you're going to open in Sugar Land!", said a longtime customer.
It's true. In September (if things go right), or October (if, as so often is the case, they don't), Aura will remove itself to a site a couple doors down from Escalante's, on the main City Walk drag of the new American Main-Street-style mixed-use development.
It won't be a lock-stock-and-barrel removal or a duplication, either. The Perriers are styling their new French restaurant Aura Brasserie Moderne; and this Friday afternoon, the chef was on a flight to France to do research on the brasserie style he loves.
Yes, pork belly and scallop do go together — at Aura in Missouri City. Photo by Alison Cook
It's an interesting switch. When Aura Sugar Land opens this fall, his Missouri City restaurant will become an Italian restaurant with French Riviera overtones, superintended by Perrier's onetime colleague Jose Alem, whom he is bringing in from Austin.
While the menu will go in an Italian direction, Aura's Missouri City faithful will not be left high and dry: some of the favorite French dishes, with their Texas/American flourishes, will remain on the menu. "It will be a big menu, not a small menu," says Michelle Perrier reassuringly. They'll call the restaurant Cuoco Pazzo (Italian for "crazy chef.")
Whisper-thin apple tart at Aura in Missouri City. Photo by Alison Cook
If you're thinking that's familiar, yeah: it's the name of the differently spelled (and now defunct) Coco Pazzo, Pino Luongo's spot on the Upper East Side of NYC. The Perriers are taking back the original Italian spelling.
I hope that the Cuoco Pazzo menu still features the magnificent torchon of foie gras that lured me down to Missouri City from Houston's East End. Or the meticulous apple tart, as thin and glazed and delicate as they come, that is the stuff of dreams.
But no matter. I am eager to see what Perrier and company will dream up in both new ventures. My sense it that this is a rising tide in the far southwestern quadrant of Greater Houston, part of a promising swell that includes the new Blu restaurant by Bangkok-born chef Jett Hurapan, formerly of Gigi Huang's Asian Bistro in the Galleria.
Perrier's arrival could also fill the fine-dining gap left by Tony Vallone's Amici when it decamped from Sugar Land Town Square. If I lived in Fort Bend County, I'd be celebrating.
I'll pass. There is nothing "posh" about Freddy boy. NOTHING.
whom?
Food looks delish! Never heard of this restaurant. Will have to check it out.
Is one suppose to fill up on a serving of this food?
And I bet this pricing is out of this world .
looks pretty, but, when I go out to eat, I don't want to have to stop at a burger joint on the way home to get some food because I'm starving to death.
One scallop, one piece of thick bacon, and two asaragus tips? Really?
That was just ond of the multiple courses in the chef's tasting menu, and as such, it was exactly the right size. I don't know about you, but when I'm eating 7 courses, I can't eat 7 huge platefuls of food.
Couldn't help but notice the several defunct, closed or no longer in business resturants. Truth is in that area of sought after diners for this level of dining and price they don't have much disposable income after the 5000.00 plus mortgage, payments on 3 high-end SUVS, boats, jet skis for Junior, cell phones for their 6 year olds, robbing Peter to pay credit cards bills, and Mom by herself running around town all day doing who knows what in a vehicle made for 10 to 12 people and mountainous treacherous terrain there aint money left from even a good salary. Good Luck
Who are you talking about? You obviously don't know these people very well. They are a very hard working and down to earth family. Town Square is a tough location, but if anyone can make a go of it in Town Square it will be Fredric. He is very devoted to his customers and listens to their wants. I predict great things for him and Michelle and wish them much luck. Can't wait to visit them in their new location.
I see pictures of the appetizers but where's the main dish?
Just another great reason to not have to go into Houston!
Not enough food here...
The Missouri City location is odd; Quail Valley has been aging not so well for several years, and all of the new residents (and money) in Fort Bend have been moving west. There is a dearth of restaurants in the fast-growing Telfair/New Territory and Waterside (Richmond east of Pecan Grove) areas... surprised more places aren't heading out that way.
Interesting comment. I've been wondering about that whole New Territory area.
New Territory used to have an excellent place called Cafe Natalie. They moved down hwy 90 to Richmond in fancies digs with prices to match. No they just do catering, probably barely pays the rent.
Look up Sienna Plantation and Riverstone. There is lots of new money in Missouri City.
You must not have ever eaten at Tony Vallone's Amici if you think it was fine dining and left a gap.
Actually I ate there multiple times and reviewed it for the paper. It wasn't a particularly favorable review, either. But I did think Amici offered the kind of upscale, sophisticated dining experience (even if the food was not consistently good) that Sugar Land was lacking at the time, and which it still lacks.
The majority of the Sugar Land residents don't like to go to upscale places in Town Square. Most patrons are families with young children. Upscale is a bad word in SL, but when they go into the Inner Loop (hardly ever) they love it. Have you been to Town Square lately? Its like a freaking Wally World with pre-teens running the streets while the parents are at Flying Saucer, Baker's St. and Escalante. Unfortunately, SL is not known for its palate. Lots of bland Tex-Mex (bleh!) and Chik-fil-A membership cardholders (Love the sandwhiches too, but damn) Even the Carrabas here sucks. Why does Kirby's taste so different? Only place worth going to is Fadi's.
Fadi's really? Ate there once, enough for me.
Any place that serves foie gras deserves to either have a compassionate change of heart or be boycotted.
Yes, you go ahead and do your wittle boycott, Davey boy. That will just leave more pate for me and my girls! Thanks! ;-)
Tequila Mockingbird, have you seen how those animal are treated? Its horrible,anyway you go ahead and feed your girls disseased liver. :)
Burt, have you seen how hot dogs are made? And do you still eat them?
Besides, my "girls" are my peeps, not my daughters. I'm not THAT old, honey.
PS - "Diseased" has only one "s" in it. Remember, spell-check is your friend! ;-)
I've visited Aura on several occasions. I've never left hungry. Aura is probably one of my favorite restaurants in all of Houston. This is just one example of excellent food outside of the loop.
As for the "aging" area of Lake Olympia and Quail Valley. Take a look at the new super neighborhoods of Riverstone and Sienna Plantation and you will see there is plenty of new families in the area.
That tart has my name on it.
This is a bit of a digression but I haven't seen it mentioned or maybe I just missed it but Il Mulino in the Westin is no more.
The biggest problem with that area is traffic. Poor planning by the city of Sugar Land has left most people trying to avoid the traffic North of William's Trace and South of 90 on Hwy 6.
Not poor planning, more like explosive growth. I think if they knew Sugar Land was going to grow as much as it is, they would of planned for it. They try to make improvements all the time.
Foie gras being prepared http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Foie_gras_-_gavage_in_Rocamadour,_Fran...
No thanks. SL is but a backwater.
OMG- all these comments about portion size can only mean that you are more likely to enjoy pappasito's than Aura or any other fine dining experience. Go to an all you can eat buffet, like golden corral. You will find you fit in better there anyway. As far as comments on the location I agree that SL town center is not a foodie hotspot. I wish Fredric the best in his new venture. He has been a valued member of the food experience in my area for some time now. The only valued chef for miles around.
I have eaten at almost every French restaurant in town and this is my favorite!
The food is amazing , the service is warm, and the prices are reasonable.
My husband and I are thinking about dinner on New Years. What are the set ups and per person?
Hey! let's preface these reviews & restaurant experience with the location.
It's freaking SUGAR LAND!!! This isn't downtown, this isn't in a real city, and it certainly isn't in NYC!
I whole-heartedly agree that the food is sub-par compaired to what you can get in real cities like Chicago, LA, or NYC. Regardless, this place quite fabulous for a suburb of Houston. I have been extremely pleased with the quality of food at this establishment, and for a Sugar Land restaurant, it is certainly on the top of my list.
This is NOT a destination restaurant. You will be sorely dissapointed if you mistake it as such. Rather, this is a nice local joint serving up great quality food that can let you reminisque about your real hometown of SoCal, Denver, LA, NYC, ect. This is Texas. Reduce your expectations and realize that all we have to offer is white trash cowboys and sluts. This is a real find. Love it.