Roost - River Oaks - American

Menu Selections:  bread service, cauliflower, seasonal duck, seasonal ice cream
As you can see from the above menu selections, Roost's menu perpetually changes depending on what is in season.  They pull from the freshest, local ingredients and at times experiment with some parings that most are too intimidated to try, such as pickled corn & jalepeno ice cream topped with queso fresco and cilantro...the ideal dessert for pregnant woman, perhaps?  But even though the menu will never be the same, except for a few of their signature dishes, one thing is consistent - I can count on them meeting and even surpassing the high expectations they have set.


A couple of their signature dishes that I have made a tradition of ordering every time I go, is their "dancing" cauliflower and the bread service.  A meal there just won't be the same and I love the reactions of those I am with, upon trying them for the first time. 
The bread service consists of giant, warm, soft pretzels (better than the kinds at the mall) and a couple of unconventional dipping butters.  My favorite is the bacon butter, but others such as the cilantro lime are competitors.  Do keep in mind that the butters change with the season (or mood of the chef) and these may not be available.  I assure you, however, they will have something equally as delicious...perhaps nutella butter.  Or peanut butter-butter. 
How they prepare the cauliflower results in a combination of salty and sweet, so much so that it masks the taste, or lack thereof, of the vegetable...but who's complaining?  Be prepared for a dish that could replace dessert.  And to top it all off, they garnish it with dehydrated tuna flakes (you can't taste it) that appear to dance as the steam rises...so fun.


I've had their roasted duck in the past, and will say this has spoiled me to the point that I don't order duck at other places anymore.  I've tried, and nothing holds a candle to theirs.  It was so tender, lean, had an ever so slightly gamey flavor, and was complete with a crisp "crust".  I still dream about that duck. 


I always look forward to their dessert selection, especially because they experiment in this category which gives me inspiration with my own cooking.  Some experiments turn out better than others, however, such as their strawberry-balsamic vinegar-basil ice cream over the picked jalepeno-cilantro-queso fresco ice cream.  But the latter was still good enough for a golf clap.  And their dark chocolate-cardamom-orange torte???  Get outta here. 


Their service is always spot on and the atmosphere is simple, cozy and laid back...no frills.  That's what the food is for.   


Will I go back?  I frequent this place, in case you couldn't tell.