James Beard Foundation Award-nominated Houston chef and restaurateur Chris Williams’ latest concept, the Branch, is his loftiest yet. It sits on the 12th floor of the Forme, a 33-story luxury apartment and hotel tower in Houston’s Museum District. It is a publicly accessible restaurant with a spectacular, almost 360-degree view of the city.
It is also Williams’ most grounded concept in his hospitality portfolio. His first restaurant, Lucille’s, is a continuing exploration of Southern cuisine as inspired by the traditions set by his great-grandmother Lucille B. Smith. Late August, which shuttered earlier this year, was a working composite of Williams and executive chef Sergio Hidalgo’s African and Mexican backgrounds. Emile’s Black Point Bistro in Nova Scotia, Canada, is an homage to both Lebanese cooking and Africville, a small community of African Nova Scotians that was destroyed by the Canadian government.
The Branch, by contrast, is just how Williams eats. “It’s something I always wanted to do: introduce wellness into our spaces,” he told Chron. “It’s harder to re-engineer into an existing menu.”
Full and delicious breakfast
The Branch Benny at the Branch. (John-Henry Perera/Chron)
Based on my visit Monday morning, Williams is a man who eats pretty well. The Branch’s menu is simple, clean eating with an emphasis on seasonal ingredients and nothing fried. A few old Late August items make some appearances here, as well. The breakfast and brunch menu, which runs from 7 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., features a Morning Table for $40. Customers get full access to the Harvest Table, an array of baked goods, a yogurt and honey bar, charcuterie and cheese, fresh fruit and bagels. They also get one plate from the hot kitchen, as well as a coffee or juice.
“I was thinking about the resort in Cabo and having that immediate option,” Williams said. “You also have the option of taking it easy and ordering from the hot kitchen.”
The menu switches to a raw bar and cocktail menu until close, going from eggs, coffee and pastries to oysters, sushi and crudo. The raw menu also includes charcuterie selections as well as a few salads and sandwiches.
The “Harvest Table,” a daily morning spread of yogurt, fresh fruit, pastries and bagels. Customers can get unlimited access for $20 or $40. (John-Henry Perera/Chron)
Everything from the Harvest Table tastes great. The pastries, which range from croissants to danishes, are perfectly crisp, flaky and the right amount of sweet. The half bagel I topped with dill cream cheese and lox was a pleasant companion to the view outside.
My host said some of the Branch’s popular dishes since opening in early October include the chorizo press (a chorizo, scrambled egg and cheese sandwich), the Houstonian (a sunny side egg hash with chicken and roasted potatoes), and the southwest omelet (black beans and corn). Because I’m difficult, I got the Branch Benny: two poached eggs sitting on a bed of lump crab cake, with green masa, pico and chipotle hollandaise. It comes with breakfast potatoes and an arugula salad with small sliced tomatoes and green peppers.
The spicy and slightly acidic chipotle hollandaise married well with the savory masa and crab. The flavors were able to stand out amid such a luxurious dish.
Bright and beautiful inside
The Branch’s outdoor deck area. (John-Henry Perera/Chron)
The Branch is bright and expansive, with natural sunlight filling in the room from both sides of the restaurant. A living room set, complete with a rug, a few couches and coffee tables, sits dead center on the restaurant’s granite floor -certainly a nod to the vibe the Branch aims to present. A row of tables sits adjacent to the open glass window that spans the length of the restaurant.
The bar area toward the back, which features the Branch’s version of a continental breakfast, is so minimalist that it almost blends in with the high top tables in front of it. Opposite the bar, there is a wide staircase with seat cushions for anyone wanting to lounge on it.
On the other side from the open window expanse is the Branch’s deck which also houses the Forme’s pool area, which offers a view of the rest of Houston (plus a swim if you have a keycode). The outdoor area lounge has sofas, high tables and a row of pool loungers.
I was the only person inside the Branch on Monday, but I was already thinking of a second visit. The beautiful space is already telegraphing itself as both a third space during the day and a cool hang at night. Parking at the Forme seems reasonable at $3 an hour, and there is available space on the street, plus valet service.
More than that, it’s just good to eat with a view. And you don’t get that very often in Houston.
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The cocktail bar and “Harvest Table” inside the Branch at the Former hotel tower in Houston’s Museum District. Chris Williams’ drink menu touts natural and seasonal ingredients with an emphasis on wellness. (John-Henry Perera/Chron)
This article originally published at Chris Williams’ new Houston restaurant pairs clean eating with skyline view.