Wednesday, April 28, 2010

New Cock on the Block




It's a theme for sure - cocks abound at what is fast becoming restaurant-row along Shepherd between Memorial and Washington.Of course anything created by Lance Fegan and Shepherd Ross had my attention from the get-go. Jeff Axline serves as Executive Chef and from what we experienced this evening, all is well at BRC Gastropub!
The interior combines dark wood, green leather and a groovy red fluer de lis-style wallpaper (somehow tying into the rooster theme even still); rooster photographs, sculptures ... really, it's a full-on theme but it works. It's homey/casual yet cool with super-warm, friendly service and an intriguing menu. It was tough to pick what to try first but we did what one would expect and went straight for the burger to start and it did not disappoint. Touting a daily house-ground "Whiteface Hereford Custom Blend" of beef, the patty did indeed have big, fresh-tasting beef flavor. They automatically cook "medium to medium-rare" which made me want to stand a clap but the best thing about the burger was the overall balance in terms of size of juicy patty, size and texture of the bun and all of the carefully thought out toppings from a marinated tomato, thick "maply" bacon, a thick slice of Tillamook aged cheddar, just enough shredded lettuce and the "nice sauce" which was a really pleasant Thousand-Island type sauce with just a hint of tang. I normally like mayo and a touch of mustard but the sauce really worked, especially with the bun which had just a tiny touch of sweetness. The bun was so great, I asked if it was made in-house and was told that they get all of their breads from Slow Dough here in Houston (and that Slow Dough was making up some special stuff just for them). The fries were good as well - thin cut which is unusual for hand-cut fries - and they are "double-fried" to ensure crispness. Works for me.
We also tried the Fish & Fries - fresh cod with a delightfully light and crunchy batter served with pale ale vinegar and a "righteous" tartar sauce. Indeed the tartar sauce was pickly and fabulous ... I could not get enough of it though the fish was so tender it fell apart during the dunking (not that I let that stop me).
We also enjoyed a soft pretzel from the bar that was quite good and took a slice of the daily pie to go ... today's choice was Butterscotch Meringue and man, am I looking forward to more of these daily pies. The crust was graham-crackery but still crust-y and the butterscotch filling wasn't the least bit runny yet remained utterly, blissfully creamy while holding it's shape under the perfect meringue. My grandmother would have loved this pie. Even the boyfriend loved it and he's not even a pie guy.
We can't wait to return and try many things including the Honey Brined & Baked Ham for 2, Sheppy's Dogs and so much more. The beer and wine list had a ton of well-price and well-thought out choices. This is just the kind of place we wanted nearby. i think people are going to dig it.

1 comment:

Jarrodjm said...

I went last night and I agree, I think this place is going to be popular. My friend and I ordered family style, ordering the following: The pickle jar (it comes in a tiny jar with both pickles and pickled asparagus); Baudoin balls; State Fair griddled Cheese; the muscles; and two sheppy's dogs. Needless to say, we were very full. My favorite was the state fair griddled cheese, but we were more than happy with everything we ordered. I'll def. be back.