Belly of the Beast

We tried this restaurant for a family dinner of three recently in its new location. I can recommend it, but with some caveats that I hope will help others have a better experience than ours.

We made online reservations and were greeted politely. We started off with a pepperoni flatbread, a jicama agua fresca, and apple soda. The flatbread was quite delicious--pepperoni, garlic, and a rich tomato sauce. The bread was crispy and the sauce had incredible depth. It's a small portion but still worth getting. One minor quibble--the flatbread was cut in half, making it awkward to share with three people. The jicama is a fine example of that agua fresca, one of my favorites.

For mains we chose one item from the raw bar, a taco item, and an entree. The raw bar item was the Ceviche Negro. It was a mix of fish, avocado, jicama, and pineapple. The marinate was an "ocean emulsion". There's probably more going on, but the flavor that came through was pretty much balsamic vinegar. The homemade crackers served with it were tasty, and the pineapple provided relief from the marinate, but not enough. Didn't really work.

The taco item was the That's My Yam tacos. These have a yam puree, queso fresco, salsa and chicken cracklings. Except we couldn't find the chicken cracklings at all. The tacos had an interesting flavor but ate quite sweet and had a soft-on-soft texture. The filling squeezed out the sides of the homemade tortillas. Didn't work as a main but one would have been good.

On a higher note--The carne asada was the best I have ever had, hands down. Tender beef in a beautifully complex marinate with onions. The refried beans were a unique experience, very flavorful with a hint of smoke that made them unlike any I've had before. The 50/50 tortillas (corn and flour) were a delicious complement. It is absolutely worth a return visit to get this dish.

We also got a couple of sides, the crispy brussels sprouts and the roasted cauliflower. The crispy brussels sprouts were not crispy, but that's a description problem not a food problem. They were marvelous, nice and tender with great flavor from the caesar, bacon, and pickled onion. They are a must-have. The roasted cauliflower was a unique flavor experience. They were right in between savory and sweet, with all the elements (pickled sultanas, tahini, sumac onions, sunflower seed macha) contributing clear flavors that tickled the tongue. The cauliflower is served with a cream sauce and a brown sauce on each side of the bowl at the bottom, and it was fun to isolate and mix them. Another item absolutely worth trying. The sides are generous and easily shared.

We got the seasonal tart for dessert, a cheesecake-type pastry with white chocolate and grapes. I kind of wondered at the grapes, but the recipe is tuned for them and the tart was a great finish.

All the food was beautifully presented, you're definitely prepared to like what you're served. Service was what you would expect from a fine dining experience--polite, attentive and graceful. The owner checked on our table twice. A minor burr--the server didn't use trays, so brought out our mains in two trips, and there was a bit of a gap before the last item came out. Really did not detract.

The restaurant is tastefully decorated and the lighting is low, what you'd expect for the dinner service. They have a few painting with very subtle colors, you can't appreciate them in the low light. The single restroom was clean and ready, decorated but not particularly fancy. The only comparable places in this part of Spring would be the Butler House on Gosling and Craft Grill on Kuykendahl. The restaurant has great potential. Based on our visit I would get the carne asada or any of the other entrees and expect them to be a great experience.

A couple of takeaways from our visit: 1) The raw bar and taco items would be best enjoyed as shareables, like the appetizers. 2) The online menu does not match what's available on a particular evening, though it's close. Fine dining is a food adventure, and Belly of the Beast absolutely delivers.

My Yelp Review