Turner's Cut — Restaurant in Houston

Being from Chicago, (what I consider the best food city in the country), I had low expectations for dining in Houston. That all changed after dinner at Turner’s Cut last night.

The second you walk in you are welcomed with one of the most noticeably pretty fragrances in the front entryway. I don’t know how they did it but my date was obsessed with the scent.

The bar area is stunning and whoever designed this place did a phenomenal job.

White is the prettiest and most classy of colors, but it’s also incredibly difficult to pull it off without overdoing it or making it cheesy. (Think south beach.) Not the case here. It is beautifully decorated. The accented smoked glass mirrors on the wall above the white leather booths provide a nice subtle touch while not taking away from the elegance.

They had a live pianist playing upstairs on a balcony overlooking the dining room and she was phenomenal. Her voice and key playing were both excellent and provided an amazing backdrop and ambiance.

We were greeted by our server, Matt, who couldn’t have been more friendly, professional, (and extremely well educated in general and on the menu). Best of all, you could tell he genuinely enjoyed working there and took pride in it. He told us the story of personally visiting the farm in Japan where the Kobe beef is raised that Turner’s Cut serves, and he was a great host.

His assistant Ramon was also out of this world! Super friendly and talkative and advised us on having to get the spirulina dessert. (Which ended up being one of the highlights of the whole night)

I cannot remember the name of the sommelier for the life of me (I’m so sorry!) but he was fantastic. He was nice, not too pushy, and steered me towards a fantastic bottle of Hundred Acre “fortunate son” cab that we absolutely loved! I was shocked to see it was a very reasonable list price as well which was surprising and appreciated.

The food was out of this world.

Noteable items were the campachi crudo, the Caesar salad (which is prepared tableside and a must order), the gnocchi (which is more of a gnutti but still excellent) with a heaping amount of shaved black truffle, the aforementioned Kobe steak, and the king crab topped with caviar.

This was not a cheap meal but it was one we will remember for a long time. Definitely a place to share or create memories, and celebrate special occasions.

P.s.- this place’s bathrooms might be the most swanky, beautiful, (and pristine) restaurant bathroom I’ve ever been in. My date said the ladies room was as well and she was raving about the selection of hand soaps and moisturizers they had.

This place is a...

I would really have loved to give this place 5 stars, but I would say there’s a few things for me that were lacking.

The atmosphere was great, exactly what I expected based on the description of the place.

Service was generally quite good as well.

Drinks: Cocktails didn’t really do it for me. Neither myself or my husband really got what we asked for. The bartender seemed pretty disinterested. Wine was great though! I had one of the Cabernets from Sonoma County - went perfectly with the steak.

Food:

Krudo - for me, quite disappointing. I expected it to be very flavourful based on the description but it was quite bland and verryyyyy fishy. Usually if something like this is done well, it wouldn’t have that super fishy smell/after taste. Would not recommend.

Oysters - they were OK. Nothing super special or different. They don’t give you any sauce with them / horseradish , you have to order that. We didn’t realize this and our server chose 2 sauces for us and brought them out and added it to our bill which I found a bit odd.

Parker’s rolls/buns - also a little lack lustre. Very played up by our server as well but honestly a bit comparable to the Hawaiian rolls you get at the grocery store.

Potato mochi - probably my favourite thing w ordered. They were so crispy from the outside and soft and delicious from the inside. Paired perfectly with the garlic sauce that they came with. Yummmm.

Bone-In Rib Eye - delicious. Cooked to the right temp - nicely charred. We really enjoyed the steak. Convenient that they cut it up since we were sharing BUT definitely made it get cold a bit faster than I would have liked.

Soufflé - omg this dessert was amazing. Absolutely delicious.

One thing I was a bit disappointed by was that we were celebrating and even though everyone who greeted us acknowledged this - I thought they would add a special touch with some dessert or champagne or something (as many establishments do) but they did not. I did see other servers do this at other tables, so not sure if it’s dependent on the server or what but for the type of place it is, I did find that to be quite disappointing.

Overall, I would probably skip cocktails and get wine and skip the starters - get a steak and a...

A Memorable Evening at Turner’s Cut;

Last night, my dining experience at Turner’s Cut was nothing short of extraordinary. From the moment I walked in, I was enveloped by an ambiance that struck the perfect balance between elegant and cozy. The soft lighting, tasteful decor, and live music created an inviting atmosphere that set the stage for a remarkable evening.

The highlight of my visit was undoubtedly the impeccable service provided by our waiter, Sofian. From his warm greeting to his attentive yet unobtrusive service throughout the evening, Sofian elevated our dining experience to new heights. He was incredibly knowledgeable about the menu, offering insightful recommendations. His genuine enthusiasm for the dishes and his detailed descriptions made our choices easy and exciting.

Our meal began with a delightful amuse-bouche, compliments of the chef, which was a tantalizing hint of the culinary journey ahead. For appetizers, we shared oysters, jumbo shrimp and gnocchi batonnets. Tableside shaken and bruised to perfection martinis were the perfect match.

For the main course, we opted for the table side prepared Caesar salad, short rib Wellington and the truffle-infused wild mushroom risotto. All dishes were beautifully presented and bursting with flavor. The risotto was creamy and rich, while the Wellington was perfectly cooked.

The dessert menu was equally impressive, and Sofian recommended the house specialty: a chocolate soufflé tart with a side of ice cream. It was the perfect ending to an exceptional meal, with the rich chocolate flowing from the tart and the ice cream providing a delightful contrast.

Throughout the evening, Sofian ensured that our glasses were never empty and that we were completely satisfied with each course. His professionalism and friendly demeanor made us feel like valued guests, and his attention to detail was impeccable.

In conclusion, Turner’s Cut offers a dining experience that is both sophisticated and welcoming. The culinary artistry and the outstanding service provided by Sofian made for a truly unforgettable evening. I highly recommend this gem of a restaurant for anyone seeking a memorable dining experience. Five stars,...