Open the doors to Bludorn on any given evening, and you will soon be enveloped by the atmosphere of people enjoying themselves. Bludorn opened in August amid a global pandemic, but has enjoyed a full dining room and the buzzy reviews that only Houstonians can offer.
Chef Aaron Bludorn, a CIA grad, spent the last five years as executive chef at acclaimed Café Boulud in New York City, and recently moved to Houston with his wife Victoria Pappas to open a restaurant of their own. "I think that we wouldn't have been able to open in any other city, but because of Houstonian's passion for restaurants and dining out, we were well received," says Bludorn. "I wanted to create an experience that transports you away from any cares you might have had during the day and lets you enjoy a delicious meal with friends."
The menu boasts familiar New American cuisine cooked with sophisticated French techniques. The foundation of the menu is locally sourced seasonal ingredients that showcase Gulf Coast seafood and ingredients from Texas farms and ranches.
With so many dazzling dishes on the menu it can be hard to choose, but guests shouldn't overlook the roasted oysters from the raw bar or the tuna with melon, sesame, and soy-jalapeno, they are a bright start to any meal. For our main dish, we found that fig and blue cheese are perfect compliments to the puffy pillows of Short Rib Ravioli – a wonderfully satisfying dish. The Rainbow Trout is also a menu standout with a combination of fresh fish, marble potatoes, almonds, and brown butter.
Bludorn has his sights set on the winter menu that will showcase some of his favorite ingredients. "I have a few things up my sleeve; we have a seared foie gras dish that I feel very strongly about. We will also feature black truffles when they come into season, which is always an exciting time of year for me."
While Bludorn is excited about his menus, we are just as excited to take a seat in front of the restaurant's open concept kitchen and welcome them to Houston.