Happy Belated Nowruz!
I come from a little white bread anglo-american family. There’s no way around it. We’re close, but there's hardly ever more than 3.6 of us together in a room, and we don’t tend to make a lot of noise. I think some of my Puritan ancestors came over on the Mayflower, for God's sake. Tonight, though (courtesy of chef Kevin Naderi at Roost) I got a taste of what it feels like to be at a giant family dinner table overflowing with delicious food (authentic Persian dishes in celebration of the Iranian New Year), plenty of wine, and loud, boisterous, and happily profane conversations, toasts, and general merriment. It was awesome!
Roost has always been one of our favorite places in Houston. It has a totally chill neighborhood vibe, an eclectic and ever-changing menu that always includes an homage to Chef Naderi’s ethnic roots, the most tattoos per server in Houston fine dining, and no-contest the best cauliflower dish on this earth! Tonight, however, was something completely different. In the unmarked upstairs bar/function space we got treated to a total Persian cultural immersion experience in true family-style dining, from the unbelievably fresh tomato salad, through the fried fish and the roast duck with the world’s ugliest but most delectable sauce, to the Iranian street sorbet with sour cherries and crushed pistachios. The only thing missing was Kevin's grandmother (it's a little tricky to get back and forth from Iran these days). If you are a Houston foodie, you must get to Roost. It is a moral imperative to keep this dude in business! Tell them Hungry Dad sent you. And if you see Chef Kevin in person, tell him that you know the best-kept chef’s secret in town…they all love to eat at the Houston’s chain! ;)