Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1534561
Restaurant Remi U ptown Park's Hotel Granduca recently underwent quite an expansive renovation. After its sale to Houston-based Transwestern, the new owners decided it was time for a modern refresh and took the hotel's gracious public rooms and restaurant area down to the studs to reimagine the fabled Duke's residence anew. Transwestern hired local design luminary Kara Childress to add a contemporary slant to the storied hotel — which also serves as a homey long-term residence for many. Transwestern also tapped Morton Steakhouse scion David Morton and his nationally recognized culinary firm, Episcope Hospitality (formerly known as DMK Restaurants), to create the property's restaurant, Remi, and its intimate counterpart, Bar Remi. Episcope collaborated with Childress to give Remi a residential feel. Guests can dine in the Granduca's cozy Library, outdoors in the courtyard, or in the handsome restaurant itself. Executive chef Maurizio Ferrarese, whose CV boasts time spent in the kitchens of the Four Seasons Hotel group, handles b re a k f a s t , l u n c h , and dinner services. Episcope partners Daniel Orrison and Ryan Gaudin, who launched Restoration Hardware's celebrated food and beverage program, teamed with Ferrarese to craft the menus for Remi and Bar Remi. The result is both ingredient- and technique-driven without pretension. Begin your meal with a margarita ($15) or a spirit- free blood orange spritz ($10); all the juices are freshly squeezed, and the syrups are made in-house. The wine list includes 130 selections, blending European heritage with California's top small- batch producers, where your best values can be found on the higher end. Bar snacks bring out the child in us all while elevating the commonplace to something a bit more uncommon, such as corn dog poppers made with Wagyu beef ($9), truffle- scented popcorn ($6), and humble crispy potatoes topped with crème fraîche and a dollop of caviar ($16). Moving on to the starters, consider the beautiful crispy Roman artichokes: Each baby bite-sized choke is like a sunflower whose delicate leaves open when fried until crisp, then served w i t h ro a s t e d g a r l i c aioli ($18). White bean hummus topped with crisp chickpeas is served with a crudité of baby vegetables and bomba bread, a warm cross between pizza crust and pita bread ($14). The hearty chef's meatball is a tender softball-sized sphere made with veal, beef, and pork sausage in a spicy pomodoro sauce ($20). Pastas, made in- house, include rigatoni Bolognese with rich wagyu beef, pancetta, and pecorino ($26) and pesto Caserecci topped with toasted pine nuts and shavings of pecorino ($24). The wild-caught Ora King salmon is a standout, served on a piquant Spanish-style romesco sauce with spears of charred broccolini ($36). Those who crave a hearty steak can choose from steak frites with an eight- ounce prime hanger steak and mâitre d'butter ($36), the six-ounce filet mignon with whipped truffle butter ($42), a dry-aged 14-ounce prime ribeye ($68), or the Remi burger with cheddar and dijonnaise on a brioche bun ($22). Remi, Hotel Granduca, 1080 Uptown Park Blvd., remihouston.com. and Hotel Granduca's Fabled Residence is Reimagined Has a Renaissance By Laurann Claridge. Photography Julie Soefer. From top: Bar Remi potato gaufrette with caviar and Freezer Martini; Remi and Bar Remi at Hotel Granduca 70