Houston is certainly at a loss if the rumors are true chef Gabriel Medina has left Soma and headed to Tokyo, however it appears we've been left with a parting gift. Medina acted as consulting chef to completely revamp Wooster's Garden menu in Midtown. The new menu is now available at the expansive and chic cocktail bar.
Medina, along with Wooster's Garden's Steven Salazar (Partner Wooster's Garden, former sommelier/beverage director for Kata Robata) felt the menu should be heavily influenced by and utilize local purveyors, such as Houston Dairy Maids, Slow Dough Bakery, Southern Star Brewery (house-pickles are brined with Bombshell Blonde) and Cloud 10 Creamery. Medina has created a menu filled with whimsical and wonderful surprises and utilizes his past experience with Asian cuisine to create unique bar fare. Standouts include the Griddle Cheeseburger (44 Farms beef on grilled sourdough from Slow Dough) the Takashi Dog (Berkshire pork on a pretzel hoagie, drunken pickles, Kumato tomato, Wooster's sauce, beer cheese and ketchup) and the Greek Salad. Proving Medina has a sense of humor and whimsy with his food, the Greek Salad's dressing is actually a scoop of Cloud 10 Creamery Buttermilk Ice-cream and the traditional croutons have been replaced with fried Fava beans.
Wooster's Garden, since opening a little less than a year ago, has remained popular especially during happy hour (4 - 7 p.m.) when house cocktails and wine are half-off, and many beers on tap are only $3. Although, the happy hour doesn't extend to food choices on the menu, the average price for a meal with a cocktail is easily under $20, and considering the chef behind the meal — it's one of the best deals in town.
