Houston’s Hip Thompson Hotel Boosts the City’s French Restaurant Scene — Your First Taste Look at Chardon

Calling all Francophiles, there’s a fabulous new Houston boite you must try tout suite. Poised on the ground level of The Thompson Hotel, the swank French bistro Chardon comes from TableOne Hospitality, the boutique restaurant group that last year opened the cool café Sol 7 within that very same high-rise Houston hotel, part of a portfolio of restaurants that stretches from  Los Angeles to New York to Lima, Peru.

The renowned design firm AvroKO fashioned Chardon’s restaurant space with rich walnut millwork that surrounds diners ensconced in robin’s egg blue and violet-colored velvet banquettes, its windows dressed in elegant powder blue sheers. Underfoot, a play of intricate parquet flooring patterns meets an opulent marble tile entry, while overhead, custom decorative brass lighting is diffused through opal glass.

Gallery walls are filled with Impressionist-style paintings and those that recall the Renaissance era are hung in gilt frames along with antique Louis Philippe-style mirrors.

On the other side of the dining room, glass pane doors lead to the kitchen where executive chef EJ Miller has curated a menu filled with classic French dishes that tip a toque to Texas and the local ingredients he procures in the Lone Star State. Miller’s CV boasts of time spent behind the range at Riel, International Smoke, Muse, Coppa and Salt Air before rising to his current position.

Blessed with the opportunity to serve dinner only (save for weekends when a forthcoming brunch menu is on tap) the culinary staff can devote precious time to their mise-en-place to create everything  — yes everything — from the bread service to the pate feuillete to the rich stocks and mother sauces on the menu in-house. There’s even a prep cook who spends much of the day slicing celeriac, turnips, carrots and onions to a tiny, perfect brunoise featured on Chardon’s signature dish boeuf bourguignon. More on that later.

Start your meal with a glass of wine. French, of course. Chardon’s expansive list is dominated by bottles that hail from the major wine regions of France, including Burgundy, Bordeaux and the Rhone Valley, with a vintage depth that reaches back to a 1986 Bordeaux. The tempting hors d’oeuvres range from croque monsieur gougeres ($4 each) filled with a combination of melting aged comté and Boursin cheeses topped with a slice of Iberico ham to a warm Texas cornbread Madeleine ($3 each) that can be topped if you desire with Kaviari Kristal caviar ($12).

Or perhaps indulge in the bisous tower, a compilation of all six individual bites ($23 per person).

Diving Into The Chardon Menu

Gourmandises plates evoke the traditional with a Texas twist like the pate en croute ($28), a slice of rich terrine made with wild boar and studded with Texas pecans in lieu of pork and pistachios, with a muscadine gelee and whole grain mustard. The Hudson Valley foie gras torchon ($32) is poised beside a wedge of savory red onion tarte tatin and sliced smoked beef tongue. One of many offal additions on the menu.

The delicate Meyer lemon mille crepe cake ($33) is layered with smoked salmon and a dill-scented crème fraiche with trout roe.

On my next trip, I’ll be sure to try the caramelized onion soup gratinée et Chabrot, built upon an oxtail bouillon and draped with melted comté. But don’t miss the warm leeks vinaigrette ($21) topped with sauce gribiche (an herbaceous vinaigrette made with hard-boiled egg yolks and mustard), adorned with buffalo milk burrata and mustard-scented toasted breadcrumbs.

Entrees range from the classic steak frites with a bordelaise, au poivre, or béarnaise sauce to the vegetarian-friendly gnocchi Parisienne, the latter pan-fried dumplings ($38) made with a pate au choux base simmered in a mushroom and parmesan broth brought to the table in a shallow casserole pan brimming with baby carrots, onions, morels and haricot vert. The whole Dover sole Grenobloise ($98) truly hails from the chilly waters of Dover, England and is fileted and finished tableside, its tender flesh napped with brown butter, sprinkled with capers and parsley and a squeeze of lemon.

The boeuf Bourguignon ($48) features tender wagyu beef cheeks slowly braised in red wine and beef broth that’s reduced to a concentrated sauce brunoise with bacon lardon and mushrooms.

End your repast in true French fashion with a selection of cheeses presented with accouterments of honeycomb, mustard, olives and cornichons. On the sweeter side, French pastry classics made modern include the subtly fragrant green Chartreuse crème brûlée with warm lavender madeleines ($12) and crunchy profiteroles filled with salted caramel ice cream topped with a caramélia sauce, a chocolate made with caramelized milk and butter ($14).

Chardon is located at 1711 Allen Parkway in the Thompson Hotel. It is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 5 pm to 10 pm., weekend brunch to come.