10 Impressive Tableside Dishes in Houston
By Marcy de Luna
March 24, 2015
Salmon tartare at Tony's
At this fine-dining standby, a Tasmanian salmon filet gets trimmed down to a tasty tartare that's flavored with capers, red onion, stone-ground mustard and jalapeños, then served with your choice of a mixed green salad or french fries.
3755 Richmond Ave.; 713-622-6778
Shrimp Chippewa at Brennan's Houston
Be prepared to eat with your eyes first as the shrimp in this seafood entree is cooked in cognac with sun-dried tomatoes and goat-cheese-infused grits. Finish your meal with another tableside dish, Brennan's signature bananas Foster, which calls for fruit flambéed in rum and cinnamon.
3300 Smith St.; 713-522-9711
Guacamole at Escalante's
Flavor your guacamole with any or all of the add-ins that get rolled out with the avocados, including tomatoes, cilantro, onions, jalapeños and lime.
Baked Alaska at The Oceanaire Seafood Room
True to tradition, this Galleria restaurant's baked Alaska — formed from devil's food cake and strawberry ice cream — is set ablaze with rum and strawberry Schnapps.
5061 Westheimer Rd.; 832-487-8862
Mont Blanc a la Frisc at Perry's Steakhouse
Watch as servers flambé a decadent Belgium white chocolate and Irish cream sauce, the finishing touch to this already impressive dessert of house-baked sponge cake, freshly sliced strawberries and vanilla ice cream. We recommended pairing it with a glass of Emilio Lustau Sherry.
Tagliarini at Da Marco
This extravagant dish is finished tableside, where the housemade noodles are tossed in butter and Parmesan cheese, then topped off with generous shavings of black truffle. It's the ultimate comfort-food indulgence.
1520 Westheimer Rd.; 713-807-8857
Prime rib at Liberty Kitchen and Oysterette
A daily rotating menu of meat, including prime rib, double-cut pork chops, whole-roasted strip and pork loins, are wheeled right to your table and sliced with flourish, sometimes by chef Travis Lenig himself.
4224 San Felipe St.; 713-622-1010
Queso flameado at Hugo's
After this cheesy filling — featuring wood-grilled steak, onions, mushrooms and poblano pepper strips — is finished in the kitchen, it's brought out to each guest and rolled into individual tacos. Pair it with a margarita that's mixed at the bar, but shaken tableside.
1600 Westheimer Rd.; 713-524-7744
Tiramisu at Quattro at Four Seasons Houston
The individual parts (ladyfingers, marscapone cream) of this housemade tiramisu are delivered one-by-one, then put together at the table with a shot of espresso and Kahlúa.
1300 Lamar St.; 713-276-4700
Paradilladas platters at Anejo
The new Tex-Mex spot at Uptown Park, which officially opens on Tuesday, offers paradilladas (mixed grill platters) showcasing rib-eye, lamb and even lobster dismantled and carved at your table. The perfect accompaniment is the Margarita Pie cocktail, a tequila and and Grand Marnier cocktail that's flambéed to order with Key lime pie filling and meringue.
