Reef
Bryan Caswell's snapper carpaccio at Reef Thursday, Sept. 1, 2011, in Houston. ( Johnny Hanson / Houston Chronicle )
Chef Bryan Caswell serves kinilaw, a Filipino ceviche, at his restaurant, Reef.
Bryan Caswell's hot pot of muscles, shrimp, clams and scallops at Reef Thursday, Sept. 1, 2011, in Houston. ( Johnny Hanson / Houston Chronicle )
Bryan Caswell's snapper carpaccio at Reef Thursday, Sept. 1, 2011, in Houston. ( Johnny Hanson / Houston Chronicle )
Slider plate at Reef. The miniburgers are topped with caramelized onion inside a house-made roll. Just add Sriracha remoulade. Alison Cook: Chronicle.
Chef Bryan Caswell, owner of Reef, Little Big's and Stella Sola, Houston
Bryan Caswell, of Reef and El Real fame, photographed for SAM magazine, in the Houston Chronicle Studio, Friday, March 18, 2011, in Houston. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle )
18. Reef
Chef Bryan’s Caswell’s ode to Gulf seafood, seen through Houston’s multicultural lens, remains an important restaurant. This is where the Gulf bycatch movement utilizing lesser-known species got its first real public stage, and Caswell’s sportsman-like zest for our fishery still informs the menu. The cooking may not be as reliably sharp as it was when the restaurant was young, and Caswell, now a celebrity, is less present. But when the kitchen hits, it’s clear why the pared-down former auto showroom rumbles with a happy masculine din. Old faves like the kinilaw, a Filipino-inspired ceviche of crab in lime-coconut broth, are deft and clean. New ideas like roasted grouper with roasted cauliflower and fried pickled okra pods show regional wit. Want meat? The gigantic smoky pork chop with Napa cabbage and cherry mustard is practically a tourist attraction. And partner Bill Floyd keeps the temperature-controlled wine values coming.
Cuisine: Seafood, American
Entree price range: $$$
Where: 2600 Travis St.
Phone: 713-526-8282
Web: reefhouston.com
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