Beausoleil - Review - Garden Oaks - Houston - The Infatuation

"Black-and-white reruns of Julia Child play above the bar at Beausoleil, which gives you an idea of the vibe at this Garden Oaks French restaurant: elegant, but not too serious. It’s a study in contrasts, as patrons in flip-flops and shorts join neighbors on the front porch to slurp fresh oysters after their kids’ baseball practice, while couples dressed to impress murmur sweet nothings across white-linen tables while sipping French 77s. Start with the bread service, which comes with butter of the gods, a whipped spread of foie gras, bone marrow, truffle, blue cheese, and Wagyu beef tallow piped directly into a split bone. The main dishes are just as enticing. There’s thick spaghetti with briny sautéed oysters and Spanish chorizo, tangled up in a creamy garlic and white wine sauce. And the dry-aged, bone-in pork chop is drenched in apricot demiglace, a sweet-and-smoky bite that made us close our eyes in delight. With a long bar for extended hangouts and its casual atmosphere, Beausoleil feels like a slightly fancier-than-usual neighborhood spot, but Inner Loopers should still make the trek north of 610 for the butter blessed by the divine alone." - Brianna McClane