Dining Guide

The Annie Café & Bar

Robert Del Grande still runs the kitchen of this reboot of his legendary Houston restaurant, but he has joined forces with Benjamin Berg and Sam Governale. Both the menu and the decor, a handsome combo of white brick walls and black trim, have been updated. Some favorite dishes remain—tortilla soup, quail, and good grilled rabbit—but new, more-casual dishes are offered (even a burger). We went with the new. Our best dishes came first: a luscious wild mushroom soup, thick and rich with a center of duck prosciutto and huitlacoche, which lent an earthy flavor and a little kick, then creamy ricotta with a spicy chile paste and honey; grilled bread cut the sweetness of the dish. Our lump crab cake had more bread and less lump than we like, though its side of charred chile rémoulade added interest. Lamb chops, wood grilled and tender, didn’t gain much from their base of pulled lamb and roasted hominy. A side dish of green beans cried out for seasoning, but the crock of roasted potatoes with queso and strips of poblano more than compensated. Watch those perfect, crusty rolls at the start—we practically made a meal of them.