New French restaurant marks return of chef Philippe Schmit
The French cowboy is back in the saddle.
Chef Philippe Schmit, a once shining light on the Houston food scene but absent for years without his own kitchen, returns to the city’s busy dining fold with a new modern French restaurant opening March 9 in Upper Kirby.
PS21, a project from Schmit and partner Sebastien Laval (who has help launch restaurants such as MAD, Musaafer, Le Colonial and La Table) will open at 2712 Richmond, in the former Queen Vic and Olive & Twist space. The French restaurant marks the comeback of Schmit, nicknamed the “French cowboy,” who Houston diners embraced during his time at Bistro Moderne at Hotel Derek and his own posh Philippe Restaurant + Lounge, the Galleria-area spot that closed in 2014 that later reopened as La Table. Since then, Schmit has consulted on a variety of projects, but none his own restaurant.
“PS21 will be a much more laid-back experience than my previous restaurants, as it will be more of a return to my roots and to the authentic style of cooking that I enjoy,” Schmit stated.
That style is a return to Schmit’s early days of cooking French staples that star as new PS21 signatures. Dishes such as codfish brandade with grilled focaccia, tarte flambée, lobster bisque, steak frites, seafood bouillabaisse and grilled fish with mussel chowder flan to be enjoyed with a 50-label, French-only wine list.
The restaurant takes its name from the partners initials and the year the project began in earnest: The lease was signed in 2021, although the restaurant has been in the planning phases since 2019.
Schmit said he recognizes that much has changed on the restaurant scene since he last ran his own kitchen.
“I’m very excited, obviously,” Schmit said. “Some people may remember me and my food. I realize that there are a lot of people who have never tasted my food. I’m going to have to charm new customers.”
Schmit called the project a reinvention of himself. But he said the menu is approachable to the Houston palate and conceived with Texas tastes in mind.
Laval said that the restaurant seeks to find a niche between high concept Frenchinspired restaurants, such as the new hotspot Ciel, and more quaint French offerings in the city. “We’re trying to bridge a gap between the two,” he said. “We want the place to be convivial and fun.”
Schmit and Laval (who helped consult with the openings of Ciel, Pacha Nikkei and Alba Ristorante at Hotel Granduca) have completely redesigned the 3,400-square-foot space. Working with architect George Atala, they have created a restaurant with rich wood tones, white tablecloth-covered tables set with mini French vases, a boxwood wall and Parisian-style double doors that lead from the dining room to the 24-seat patio set with manicured planters. Customers are met with a 12-seat bar at the entrance; there’s a semiprivate dining space that can seat up to 28, while the main dining area seats 60.
Schmit’s menu begins with shared snacks that include brandade, tarte flambée and sardine rillettes, segueing to appetizers such as steak tartare with foie gras and truffle vinaigrette, foie gras terrine with smoked duck breast and Sauternes gelee, and lobster bisque two ways (bisque topped with puff pastry and a fish quenelle). Entrées include duck breast Wellington, whole chicken for two, steak frites (with peppercorn, bordelaise, or bearnaise sauce), seafood bouillabaisse and a tableside “raclette experience” of warm cheese, fingerling potatoes and charcuterie.
Laval has put together a bar program offering cocktails such as The Montreal (whiskey, yellow chartreuse and maple syrup); The Saigon (agave spirit infused with Asian herbs); The Casablanca (turmeric-infused rum, Moroccan spice syrup, cardamom bitters, bergamot liqueur); The Beirut (a Lebanese take on the Negroni flavored with za’atar and figs); and The Paris (a take on the French 75, served with a mini house-made lemon macaron).
Opening service will be dinner only from 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Brunch and lunch will follow at a later date.