Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1530892
From top: Entree spread at Leo's River Oaks. Leo's booth seating. T he mighty lion, the spirited fire sign represented in the zodiac as Leo, is considered royalty among those inhabiting the wilds of the celestial jungle. For Omar Khan, founder of Culinary Khancepts, his latest restaurant, Leo's River Oaks is an homage to his wife and daughter, both born under that fifth astrological sign. Poised next door to the newly renovated River Oaks Theatre (rehabilitated thanks to Khan and company), Leo's soaring two-story space spans 5,000 square feet and comprises several former retail spaces in River Oaks Shopping Center. Khan and his wife, Denise Khan, collaborated with Gensler on the interiors, and the result feels like a throwback to vintage supper clubs when patrons dressed for dinner and dined on sophisticated continental fare. Enter through the bar on the left, and you'll find shallow Chesterfield sofas beneath the windows, teetering barstools upholstered in emerald velvet, and a moody abstract mural. To your right, the dining room is cloaked in ebony- colored wood paneling, floor to ceiling, and guests are cosseted in the coziest of dining chairs; come the dinner hour, a pianist plays the baby grand tucked in a corner. Here you'll find where Leo has made his mark, too, from gilded lion's-head sconces to dining alcoves papered with the roaring king's likeness. Behind the range, executive chef Tim Reading masterfully retools beloved classic dishes in new and compelling ways. Start with the crudo menu and feast on Ora King salmon with pickled pineapple and puffed rice ($12) or bluefin tuna drizzled with tamari ginger vinaigrette ($16). Dazzle your guest with a seafood tower ($150 - $275) or a dozen — actually, 14; apparently the numbers one and four are considered lucky for Leos — oysters served with four optional sauce accouterments ($39). ANDREW HEMINGWAY COREY WATSON Signature cocktails ($16) and classics are artfully prepared. Strawberry Fields blends strawberry lemongrass-infused vodka with yuzu juice and fresh ginger-spiked syrup, while the Lavender Haze is a gin and cassis sour with cream and egg-white foam. Clever riffs on old-fashioneds range from the Foam Fashion with Sazerac rye, turbo syrup, bitters, and orange foam ($16) to the whiskey-less Danny Ocean made with añejo tequila from By Laurann Claridge LIONESS THE ROARS the movie star's own brand ($25). The wine list hits all the big, bold names, with bottles from California and the famed wine-growing regions throughout Europe. Wet-aged prime-grade steak cuts ($46 – $110) and a 30-day dry-aged 20-ounce bone-in ribeye ($130) take center stage, each offered with optional toppings, including house-made steak sauce, chimichurri, truffle butter, and lump crab ($5 – $30). Generous steak go-withs include Leo's Shepherd's Pie ($24) and the chef's take on potato dauphinoise, a deconstructed gratin inspired by the famed French dish made with 100 layers of paper-thin Idaho potatoes, seasoned, baked, and compressed overnight before being cut into small squares and quickly fried to crisp, then served with a rich cream dip infused with Gruyère and Parmesan ($18). Other entrées include bouillabaisse ($65), lobster thermidor ($80), roasted half chicken with cognac lemon sauce ($40), and seasonal house-made truffle agnolotti, each tender envelope filled with an unctuous combination of ricotta and cremini and black truffle duxelles ($42). Skilled pastry chef Eunice Grassa's souffles, prepared to order, arrive beautifully elevated with a dusting of confectioner's sugar and a perfect saucy wiggle beneath. The chocolate souffle's c o c o a f l a v o r i s deepened with the rich chocolate sauce by its side, balanced with a scoop of cardamon ice cream; the fragrant orange-ginger souffle features vanilla-orange anglaise and ginger ice cream ($24 each). Her carrot cake, made with the novel addition of parsnip, is topped with a balanced brown- butter cream-cheese icing ($16). Leo's River Oaks, River Oaks Shopping Center, 2009 W. Gray St., leosriveroaks.com. 46