Spring Over So Soon? Not at Le Jardinier, Where Seasonal Produce Is Still the Star Ingredient

Spring Over So Soon? Not at Le Jardinier, Where Seasonal Produce Is Still the Star Ingredient

Spring Expression

WHILE SPRING CAN seem fleeting in Houston, chef de cuisine Felipe Botero at Le Jardinier inside the MFAH is making the most of the season’s freshest ingredients. French for “the gardener,” Le Jardinier is helping to extend Springtime sensations, even if it’s just through the extra-fresh ingredients Botero has used to craft the seasonal menu.


Living up to its name, the spring menu is heavy on produce, highlighting radishes, peas, alliums, fava beans and artichokes. Light and refreshing, the French white asparagus is beautifully plated and served with puff rice for a crunch.

Veggies also star in the scallop crudo, which is served with radishes and beets — oh, and a heaping pile of royal kaluga caviar! The slices of the tea-spiced duck breasts are paired with equally hearty servings of turnips. Don’t miss the pandan cotta for dessert; it’s flavored like carrot cake and served with pecan ice cream, and a little slice of fresh carrot for good measure.

For the sake enthusiasts, Richard Geoffroy, the former winemaker for Dom Pérignon, has started his own sake brand, IWA Sake. Geoffroy hosts two dinners at Le Jardinier this weekend. He’s calling it the “wine-lovers” sake, and is partnering with chef Botero for a five-course dinner that promises chilled lobster and blue crab risotto. Tickets are available via Resy.

Chef de cuisine Felipe Botero

Spring lunch

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LeBrina Jackson

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Chef-owner Austin Waiter of The Marigold Club, now serving fried chicken and Champagne on Sunday nights.


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This isn’t your average comfort food situation. We're talking a shareable fried chicken dinner for two, made with farm-raised birds from Deeply Rooted Ranch, and served alongside buttery whipped potatoes, minted peas, aged cheddar scones, and some over-the-top sauces — including a foie gras sauce supreme that’s as extra as it sounds.

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Food