Michaels Restaurant & Ancho Chile Bar

Michaels Restaurant & Ancho Chile Bar Restaurant Review:

Chef Michael Thomson’s contemporary restaurant, tucked into the elbow of a shopping center surrounded by galleries and trendy boutiques, fits squarely into the fabric of the neighborhood. True to the restaurant's namesake pepper, Thomson’s food is fragrant with the smoke of seared ancho chilies, although his sophisticated menu draws from his past experience at top-drawer hotels and restaurants throughout the state. Sleek walls, exposed ceilings and burlap sheers segment the space into comfortable dining rooms. The waitstaff is on top of their game, promptly arriving at the table with full details about preparations and wine selections. Among the chef's signature dishes, the pepper-crusted, pan-seared petite beef tenderloin, swabbed in a brandy-peppercorn cream, best enjoyed with the fried red “tobacco” onions with jalapeños, really stands out. The baked oysters Rockefeller also wrangles the taste buds with six piping hot Texas Gulf oysters on the half shell topped with an anisette-seasoned spinach cream and Parmesan. The well-chosen wine list, offering domestic and imported options, is priced and paired in line with the food.