Benjy's (on Washington) August 27, 2013

Post date: Sep 02, 2013 5:54:41 PM

I attended Benjy's on Washington as part of Houston Restaurant Weeks. We had a few additional dinner guests join us the last minute and the staff was really helpful in adding them to our table.

Ordered: Green Tomato Gazpacho, Leg of Lamb, White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake.Adelbert's Tripel B.

First the Triple B, (9.3% ABV), is an American interpretation of a Belgium Triple. While the beer is very smooth and drinkable, the clove flavor was very strong, and could have been reduced somewhat. But in my opinion, most American interpretations of Belgium beers feel the need to add one more level of complexity, whereas their Belgium counterparts often deliver an elegantly simple brew.

The green tomato gazpacho was an excellent starter; the soup was well flavored and tomatoes had a good flavor. The inclusion of dill yogurt provided a nice level of creaminess to the soup. There was also turkey mixed into the soup, but I don't feel like it added much and could have been left out.

The lamb was the highlight of the dinner. The meat was seasoned well and good portion size. The dish also featured beet hummus and Brussels sprouts. The Brussels sprouts were covered by the pieces of lamb and came out a little on the soggy side. The beet hummus definitely had a nice favor, but I am still indecisive on it's pairing with the lamb and Brussels sprouts, but at the end of the day, I appreciated the selection.

The cheesecake was the least favorite part of the meal. While the flavors were there, the deconstructed presentation did not play favorably. More structure would have been appreciated, and the portion size was a little small. The cherry cola reduction was an interesting twist to the typical chocolate/peanut butter dessert combinations.

Overall it was a good dining experience. The meal cost $35 (with $5 donated to the Houston Food Bank) plus the cost of the alcohol.

The restaurant has a moderately sized lot, half of which is reserved for valet. I personally do not care for most valet lots, but Houston is full of them, so it is to be expected.