Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1366498
MARCH ON A fter a year-long delay, Pete and Bailey McCarthy o f G o o d n i g h t Hospitality (Rosie C a n n o n b a l l , Montrose Cheese & Wine), along with partners June Rodil and chef Felipe Riccio, have premiered their tasting-menu establishment March, and absolutely no detail has been overlooked. Every moment of your exquisite experience in this dinner-only concept — with four seatings nightly — has been carefully considered. The intimate space, designed with Houston's Curtis & Windham Architects and Studio Robert McKinley of NYC, has settled onto the second floor above Rosie Cannonball in Montrose. If you're lucky enough to secure a reservation, you'll be treated to either a six-course tasting menu ($145 per person; wine pairings an additional $65 or $125) or a nine-course carte ($195, with wines an additional $85 or $185), each meticulously designed to take the diner's palate on a journey through the myriad tastes of the Mediterranean. Many of us have come to know the wide swath of this healthful Blue Zone fare, but chef/partner Felipe Riccio focuses initially on the ingredients of the Maghrebi area along the Barbary Coast. Think the western region of North Africa, where Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, and Mauritania meet. Fare from this predominantly Muslim region features halal meat, fish, harissa, olives, dates, almonds, and herbs and spices such as ginger, saffron, cloves, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and peppermint. The name "March" refers to an area of land that borders two territories — much of which has changed hands as battles were forged throughout the centuries to secure those precious resources. Chef Riccio, a native of Mexico, came to Houston as a teen. The son of an Italian father and Spanish mother, he has traversed back to their European homelands, spending a considerable time staging in noted restaurants abroad. When you arrive, you're ushered upstairs to the lounge: a 700-square- foot space, its walls clad in centuries-old planks of reclaimed pine with marble- faced sconces emitting a warm glow. Perch on a caramel-colored leather banquette and sip a glass of aromatic house-made vermouth infused with fresh fruit and herbs. Then indulge in a cocktail — all of which, though forged locally, are inspired by herbs and spices of the Mediterranean. Don't miss the Artichoke, a tincture of Calvados apple brandy, fig, orgeat syrup, and cinnamon poured over crushed ice, to be sipped with a golden metal straw ($17). Small bites to whet the appetite are swiftly served, such as Riccio's PETE AND BAILEY McCARTHY VOYAGE BEYOND BORDERS AT THEIR EXTRAORDINARY NEW DINING ESTABLISHMENT. BY LAURANN CLARIDGE. PHOTOGRAPHY JULIE SOEFER. Above: Dining tables designed by Hayley Riccio with tight-hugging linens. Chairs are custom by The New Traditionalists, NYC, and walls are Venetian plaster. A commissioned work by Argentinian artist Alexandra Kehayoglou, inspired by the Mediterrranean landscape and Texas agrarian landscape. 26