Shiny digs for The Troubadour’s exciting new eatery
Petit Lion, the highly anticipated modern bistro from chef Phillip Lopez, is now open inside The Troubadour—a 17 story, 184-room Joie de Vivre boutique hotel in the CBD . The building is on the National Historic Register, and the swanky build out was designed by local firm Campo Architects.
The 64 seat ground floor eatery sits at the corner of Gravier and Rampart, with large picture windows, at least one fiddle leaf fig, and a horse shoe bar that seats about 16.
It’s a sleek and intimate spot with a short and seemingly simple menu that differs wildly from Lopez’s other concepts, which include charcuterie hub Root and innovative tasting menu gem Square Root. Lopez also opened the casual sandwich spot Part & Parcel in the nearby Paramount building earlier this year.
Petit Lion’s menu includes five entrees and four appetizers, along with three salads and three sides. All items on the menu are served a la carte, from the fried chicken to deviled eggs to pomme frites. Dinner is already being served and lunch and brunch are on the way.
“I’m an omelet guy,” Lopez says, noting that he’s excited about the opening menu’s crabmeat omelet. He’s also looking forward to putting his take on beef Bourguignon on the dinner menu as well.
Phillip Lopez’s talented kitchen includes executive chef Ben McCauley, who honed his chops at R’evolution, Houston’s Underbelly, and Bombay Club. Pastry chef Sholanda Berry, an alum of August, R’evolution and the Ace Hotel, brings the wow factor to the dessert menu with a duck fat ice cream root beer float and more delights.
What you’ve probably been hearing some buzz about is the restaurant’s burger. It comes on a Gracious Bakery challah bun with two patties, cheese, thin onions, bread and butter pickles and special sauce— the recipe is a secret. Though it sounds strikingly similar to Company Burger’s, the flavor here seems to impart a hint of smoky bacon that differs from Adam Biderman’s classic.
Along with Petit Lion, the hotel will open Monkey Board, a rooftop bar inspired by food trucks and street food, in January. Lopez will offer small plates, shareable birthday cakes, and large format and frozen drinks created by Twelve Mile Limit’s T. Cole Newton, and there will also be live music.
Newton also crafted Petit Lion’s drinks, along with the new punch bowl destination on the second-floor Lobby Lounge, which rocks a very chic 1960s vibe. The bar program is run by beverage directo John Marsiglia.
Petit Lion [Official Website]
All Eater Inside Coverage [ENOLA]