Triple Play: Triniti Houston's $24 Prix Fixe Lunch is Quite the Deal

By: Finance Foodie

With the culinary triad of sweet, savory and spirits in mind, Executive Chef Ryan Hildebrand (of Vic  & Anthony's fame), along with culinary partners Matt Lovelace and Greg Lowry, banded together to create Triniti, a progressive restaurant featuring New American cuisine.  Having heard fantastic things from my Houston based friends about this one year old resto, I was determined to pay this place a visit during my stopover in Houston this winter break.  Specifically, I wanted to take advantage of their much buzzed about $24 three course prix fixe lunch option (being a no-income MBA student that is pressured to take expensive "soul searching once in a lifetime" trips abroad - one has to save whenever possible).

The Open Kitchen

For course one, I started off with a lovely kale salad topped with a poached egg, pancetta, black pepper crouton and drizzled with a kalamata vinaigrette.  I was quite excited to see kale on the menu, as I have been obsessed with it forever (long before it became the "cool" vegeatable in the culinary world). This starter was my favorite dish out of the three - the kale was blanched so the bitterness was reduced and it paired wonderfully with the more powerfully flavored pancetta. The egg was also tender and fanastically dressed by the meaty and briney vinaigrette.

Kale Salad

My second course was the flank steak drizzed with a hazelnut chimichurri sauce, served with an arugula and marble potatoes and topped with a piece of brie. This plate was a gorgeous feast of color and visually appealing to the eyes. Unfortunately, the steak was slightly bland without the chimichurri sauce. Also, I was slightly confused as why the piece of brie was added to the plate (it really didn't pair well with anything, but I've never met a piece of brie I didn't like).  Needless to say, the flank was my least favorite out of the three.

Flank Steak

Luckily, all was forgiven when dessert arrived - a delicious praline hazelnut mousse served with huckleberry jam and gelato. The hazelnut mousse was super fluffy and the praline on the bottom added a nice crunch to the bite. The huckleberry jam's tartness was a well played contrast to the sweetness of the mousse and gelato.

Hazelnut Mousse

I must say that I feel Triniti's real selling point is its beautiful esthetic look. The space utlizes lots of wood, metal and concrete in its design - there is a light minamalistic and openness to the atmosphere that I absolutely loved.  So for $24, this lunch meal is a real steal of a deal, and, as they say, a way to live a champagne lifestyle on a beer budget!

Triniti
2815 S Shepherd Dr
Houston, TX 77098
713) 527-9090
trinitirestaurant.com