mai pham Scout

Joined 6 years ago

A great addition to the Houston food scene!. I visited Block 7 tonight (Friday) with high expectations but with little knowledge of what I would find. More often than not high expectations are met with disappointment, but not so at Block 7. From an auspicious beginning to the very satisfying end of our meal, Block 7 consistently scored high points on food and service, the two things that count the most.

We arrived around 7:30 to a packed, trendy scene of good looking 20's-40's somethings and a 45 minute wait. So we wandered over to the wine cellar/shop looking to buy a bottle of wine to pass the time. We weren't familiar with most of the wines they carried, so we asked a very helpful Charles, who oversees the shop, what he recommended. He did a great job of steering us in the right direction after we described our wine preferences, suggesting the 2008 The Prisoner red zin for $34.99. Straight out of the bottle, this was a very nice wine, smooth and rich and great tasting even without food. Thanks Charles!

The manager came over and told us that if we didn't mind not sitting in the main dining area, we could be seated immediately in the wine shop area. Although it was bit chilly, the experience turned out great since the area was quieter and more intimate, allowing free flowing conversation without all the loud music playing the main room.

Now for the food:

Poblano cream soup: Perfectly executed, with exactly the right amount of cream, a dollop of sour cream in the middle and a crispy corn relish to add texture, this was by far the highlight of the night. Rarely do I have soup that's this perfect on such a busy night, and that's what this was: perfect.

CK1 flatbread: As far as flatbreads go, this was pretty good but nothing too original.

Block 7 Burger: For a mere $12, this is a quality burger, grilled perfectly to medium, with a guyere cheese and soft tasty bun. The staff say this is by far one of their most popular dishes and I can see why. Add the sweet potato fries to round out the meal and I was happy.

Rabbit pappardelle: I enjoyed this dish even if it was a bit bland. The pappardelle were perfectly al dente and the rabbit was tender and moist, but the flavors fell a bit flat as if it needed something more. But still, a very good dish.

Croissant bread pudding a la mode: This very large dessert scored major points at our table, slightly crispy yet moist and chewy at the same time, I will remember this dessert and have it again. It's a large portion so definitely plan to share it.

Overall, I was impressed with Block 7 and will definitely come back. So many new restaurants come up lacking in service but Block 7 is doing it right. With an attentive but not pushy waitstaff, a trendy warehouse feel, a solid selection of affordable wine, and excellent quality food, not to mention its ability to draw an attractive crowd on a Friday night, Block 7 is definitely the place to be on a Friday/Saturday night out. I thought the music was a bit loud in the main dining area but other than that, Block 7 has all the key ingredients to ensuring its longevity on the Houston food scene.