Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1546313
T h i s s u m m e r, w h i l e H o u s t o n 's c u l t u re d art aficionados were cooling off in Aspen, London, or the coasts of California, there was a quiet change afoot at one of our notable museums: The former home of Bistro Menil on the Menil Collection In keeping with its neighborhood, Chroma's art collection includes works by Aaron Parazette and the late Tim Walker. Claire Smith's New Chrôma Restaurant Artfully Takes a Page From the Menil campus found a new occupant. Houston chef and restaurateur Claire Smith (of the dearly lamented eateries Daily Review, Canopy, Shade, Alice Blue) quietly made the 2,900-square-foot space her own. The name, Chrôma, originates from a Greek word meaning the purity or strength of a color. "We see it as a reflection of the art inside and outside of the area museums and galleries. The color that surrounds us all the time," Smith says. "Our aim is to serve colorful, fresh, and well-crafted food. The circumflex on the letter O is a nod to the bungalow where Chrôma exists, in concert By Laurann Claridge. Photography Becca Wright. with many others throughout the Montrose neighborhood." She and architect Dillon Kyle, a longtime friend, installed an undulating 30-foot bar at the entry crafted from seven varieties of marble sandwiched together like a butcher block, while the sunlit main dining room features a coffered ceiling with burnt-umber-colored foliage. The banquettes that encircle the room are upholstered in a grassy green hue with playful hooked and needlepoint throw pillows, each crafted with a happy floral motif. In keeping with its neighborhood, Chrôma's art collection includes local artists' work such as a geometric abstraction work by Aaron Parazette and a neon word piece by the late Tim Walker. Ambitiously open with continuous service seven days a week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Chrôma offers global comfort food. "I want the menu to feel diverse, unpretentious, and internationally influenced," Smith says. "Rather than committing to one culinary tradition, the menu draws inspiration from many, driven more by flavor and curiosity than geography." Awake and out of the house by 7 am? Breakfast here starts with bracing coffee drinks, the roasted beans care of Houston's Cruiser Coffee, as well as pastries and heartier fare such as quiche, a holdover from the Daily Review days ($11); chicken flautas ($18); a granola parfait with Greek yoghurt, nuts, dried fruit, and berries ($11); and an avocado tartine built atop toasted focaccia with eggs over easy ($16). The all-day lunch and dinner offerings read like a light cafe menu built with straightforward, familiar dishes. Fans of Smith's former establishments will recognize quite a few options, such as the campechana appetizer ($18) and pan-seared red snapper with red curry sauce ($34), both reimagined from Shade. The sliced tomato salad mingled with burrata and spiced pumpkin seeds ($16) dates back to Canopy, while the double-patty burger with fries ($19) nods to the days of Alice Blue. Although the familiar is comforting, I loved the Moroccan lamb kefta, a popular Lebanese dish made with ground lamb redolent with cumin, cinnamon, paprika, and turmeric, served over tzatziki sauce studded with dried cherries, toasted walnut pieces, and fresh mint ($16). Chrôma, 1512 Sul Ross, chromahtx.com. Deviled eggs with bacon jam at Chrôma Chrôma all-day menu: smoked salmon tartine, pink citrus salad, campechana, deviled eggs 116