Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/907630
100 C hef Bryan Caswell and his wife, Jennifer, are paying homage to the nearly 2,500 miles of waterways that meander through the Bayou City, not to mention the culinary heritage of the immigrant communities that call the Gulf Coast home. You'll find the duo at their latest joint venture, Oxbow 7 at the new Hotel Meridien Houston Downtown, where they also manage Hoggbirds Rooftop Lounge (named for Ms. Ima Hogg's affection for those wonderful winged creatures). The Louisiana-born, Texas-reared chef owns notable eateries Reef, El Real Tex-Mex Café, and Little Bigs burger joint. And, he's no stranger to hotel dining. We first encountered Caswell when he became lead toque at Hotel Icon's Bank restaurant in downtown Houston, under international chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, before he departed to open his own concepts. Oxbow 7 is accessed through a street-level entrance. Inside are soft contemporary interiors and a bold mural of happy, swirling colors by Houston graffiti artist Enrique Figueroa Jr., aka Gonzo247. Fashion designer David Peck of Miles David designed the staff's swank uniforms. Caswell, an outdoorsman who came of age hunting and fishing throughout the region, focuses on accessible plates such as oyster toast wrapped with bacon, dubbed Angels on Horseback; warm tasso sausage-studded cornbread sticks baked in corncob-shaped cast-iron molds to create a crisp exterior and fluffy crumb inside, each served with a whole preserved fig ($6). The double dip is a bread board with a dollop of smoked mullet dip and pimento cheese spread, separated by grilled bread and oyster crackers ($12), while the popcorn shrimp is a light, fried tempura-battered pop of perfectly fried shrimp paired with browned cauliflower florets, atop smoky remoulade sauce ($8). Entrees, which number four in total, include crispy-skin snapper on a bed of charred corn and green tomato mache choux ($24), dry-aged strip ($21), and chicken-fried pork tomahawk with black- olive tapenade and hot pecan/jalapeño pesto ($21). Desserts ($12 each) are concoctions such as a Southern-style gooey cake bar with brown-butter ice cream and candied-apple jellied bits, or a sweet cream and chocolate-layered semifreddo. Oxbow 7 serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week, reservations encouraged. Oxbow 7 at Le Meridien Houston Downtown, 1121 Walker St., 713.487.6137, oxbow7.com. BAYOU-BLESSED CUISINE LAURANN CLARIDGE WANDERS THE LOVELY TWISTS AND TURNS OF OXBOW 7. Ricotta gnocchi Beautiful presentation at the new Oxbow 7 Cast net bun rieu soup