The Marigold Club is going big
It’s time for you to head to Houston for a “fancy but not formal” night out.
Goodnight Hospitality, the group led by the master sommelier June Rodil and chef Felipe Riccio, debuts on Tuesday the Marigold Club, a London-inspired restaurant that’s going big with French-influenced cuisine in a sumptuous space. At the helm is executive chef Austin Waiter, who spent time staging at some of London’s most celebrated spots ahead of the opening.
“Dining at the Marigold Club is going to be unlike any other experience in Houston,” Waiter said in a statement. “Guests will get to experience little pieces of all my favourite parts of London sprinkled throughout the menu, while enjoying an ice cold martini paired with a killer raw bar programme that utilises seafood our team researched and sourced fresh from the bays of the East Coast. These are just a few things the Marigold Club will have in store and I can’t wait for the city to experience the rest.”
As mentioned, seafood features heavily throughout the menu. The raw bar’s seafood towers can be accompanied by golden or platinum Osetra caviar service, as well as a scallop crudo with Meyer lemon chutney or tuna tartare with earl grey and kohlrabi. Caviar is similarly highlighted on a Kaluga caviar sandwich with chive crème fraîche, while a spin on classic fish and chips (here called fish “not” chips) sees lightly fried shellfish and green beans served alongside citrus yogurt.
Heartier plates include a Crescent Island duck Wellington with roasted maitake mushrooms and a roasted lamb loin atop romesco. Plus, save room for dessert: Bespoke sundae carts will roam the dining room, offering chai tea, clotted cream, and chocolate ice creams with toppings like treacle brownie bits, candied hazelnuts, and vanilla marshmallows.
To drink, you can be sure that Rodil has put her training to good use, alongside the restaurant’s wine director, Ryan Cooper. The two have placed an emphasis on French winemakers as well as Champagne, with the “Get Chuffed!” offering a dozen oysters alongside a bottle of Krug Grande Cuvée. As Waiter said, there’ll also be a selection of Martinis, and high-tea service will be offered once brunch begins in September.
Such luxurious food deserves a setting befitting the plates, and Goodnight Hospitality worked with the architects Fox Fox Studio to achieve that. With space for 160, the restaurant is decked out with green-velvet upholstered ceilings and lush banquettes. Hand-painted murals serve as a nod to the iconic Bemelmans drawings at the Carlyle in New York, while the hallways are enrobed in de Gournay floral wallpaper.
Marigold Club is simply a treat for the senses, from the sight of the interiors to the scrumptiousness of the cuisine.
This story was first published on Robb Report USA
