Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1501754
A s they say, where there's smoke, there's fire. Restaurateur Michael S a m b r o o k s , w h o has built a reputation m a n i p u l a t i n g t h e subtleties that smoke can impart to food, is betting big on his new live- fire concept, Andiron. The man behind The Pit Room and Mexican-inspired Candente is making quite the splash in his latest endeavor: a fine dining enclave/steakhouse in the former stead of Stages Theatre, a Mission Revival building on Allen Parkway. Sambrooks enlisted the award-winning Manhattan interior design firm AvroKO to fashion his most important venue yet. He scoured the country to find his executive chef, Louis Maldonado, a talented toque who rose through the ranks at Michelin-starred eateries including The French Laundry in Yountville and Aziza, Mourad, and Cortez in San Francisco, where he led the team to earn their first Michelin star. To court his well-heeled patrons, Sambrooks wooed Jose Montufar to serve as maître d'; he spent decades working the front of the house at Tony's, Café Annie, and The Annie Café & Bar. With fire as its focus, the dining room that adjoins the bar area shines with polished-copper accents, charred (shou sugi ban) blackened wood cladding, and an open kitchen that grants diners a view of the 22-foot-long wood-fired grill imported from Spain. Start your repast with a classic cocktail crafted by head bartender Angel Batista. Opt for a gin and tonic ($18) or perhaps an old-fashioned made with Andiron's own barrel-aged select rum ($19). The wine list is producer- and vintage-focused, with more than 500 labels assembled by sommelier Renato Bringas. Chef Maldonado tells us that everything in his kitchen touches fire. But don't assume that a robust char is the theme du jour. He deftly uses the same flame that licks beneath his grill not just to barbecue or char a piece of meat, but to dry bones and dehydrate fruit and vegetables to concentrate flavors and impart just a subtle hint of smoke, later refreshed with a splash of olive oil or vegetable juice. Starters include a chilly selection of bivalves, including Murder Point oysters and Middleneck clams adorned with barbecue vinegar or embered cocktail sauce (market price). As expected, the menu focuses on meat, and the carnivore selections are quite broad, culling together prime cuts such as an 8-ounce filet ($59) and a mighty 21-ounce ribeye ($80), both from Niman Ranch, as well as a 14-ounce Australian Wagyu BMS 8-9+ NY strip ($105). Or do as I did and select a smaller, perfect 2-ounce portion of rarefied olive beef, a Wagyu selection from their robata grill ($48). The latter is listed on the special Daily Reserves carte, which proffers a limited array of Wagyu prefectures as well. End your meal a dessert from pastry chef Katie O'Hara's menu, from a rich- a s - R o c k e f e l l e r chocolate cake with yuzu caramel and roasted kumquats ( $ 1 5 ) t o h e r tiramisu, with the ladyfingers layered w i t h e s p r e s s o semifreddo ($15). A n d i r o n , 3 2 0 1 Allen Parkway, andironhtx.com. Smoke Signals Summertime Dining: 5 New Restaurants By Laurann Claridge. Photography Jenn Duncan. Steak tartare at Andiron Cherries jubilee at Andiron