First Taste of Federal Grill

All-around restaurant guy Matt Brice, who did bigtime stints running Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Manhattan and Mo’s… A Place for Steaks in Houston before buying the former Branchwater Taven this past April, loves the phrase “fine casual.” And though it’s clearly intended to bridge some real or imagined gap between “fine dining” and “casual dining,” I didn’t really know what he was going for at his new Federal American Grill until I stopped in for dinner last night.

The basic idea - apart from the name, which references not the federal government or even history’s Federalist Papers but a longtime business started in Houston by Brice’s wife’s grandfather - is to create a menu and set of recipes so stellar that those dishes are served yearround. Though Federal Grill, he insists, is not a steakhouse, it does follow the basic steakhouse mantra that everything you teach a customer to want is available whenever the customer shows up. I applaud that mantra.

Brice, it turns out, has made a study of the ubiquitous crabcake during his career - made easier by the fact that most of the places he’s worked have served very good ones. His version is his idea of the best, and while’s there’s definitely much room for opinions, there’s nothing laughable about his claim. The cake itself is lush, delicate and almost creamy, a function (I gather) of mixing large lumps of crabmeat with smaller slivers. I like the large lumps best, but the smaller pieces help hold things together.

As proof that almost any dish that’s seen everywhere can be really good if done right, I offer Exhibit A, or maybe B after the crabcake: Federal Grill’s tuna tartare. No single component is outlandishly different from most other restaurant’s - avocado, Dijon emulsion, crispy shallot - it’s just plain good. It does show up with a pile of greenery on top, which probably happens with too many dishes here. But especially in the summer, it’s hard to get upset about “too much” green stuff.

Since we opted out of a steakhouse dinner - that collection of filet (8 ounce or even 4 ounce), bone-in ribeye, New York strip and smoked pork chop listed on the menu inside the black box - we ended up with entrees that were on the light side. At least as steakhouses go. One favorite is this intriguing spin on shrimp and grits, which in the true spirit of the Deep South wraps its shrimp in bacon. And yes, you really can eat your spinach while you’re at it.

Surely the strangest main dish on the Federal Grill menu appeared, I’m told, during the final days that gifted chef David Grossman was still cooking at Branchwater as it morphed into a new concept with a new owner. It’s also vegetarian, which means it’s something I’d never order when there’s prime beef to be had. But… this sesame crusted eggplant was way too intriguing to pass up, with its Indian Lite layerings of saag paneer, raita and cucumber salad.

One thing Matt Brice did learn from running high-end steakhouses is the art of creating great sides for fun and profit. Like these deep-fried Brussels sprouts, for instance. Or the truffle mac and cheese. Or the creamed spinach, certainly a steakhouse classic. Or the carrots roasted in nothing less than duck fat. You need to order one or more of these for your table. And in keeping with the notion of “fine casual,” they cost a lot less than they do higher up the restaurant pecking order.

Desserts are quite good at Federal Grill, led off by a really fun spin on bread pudding. Pictured above is said pudding, turned all nostalgic with peanut butter and jelly. Pictured below is probably the best version of cheesecake I’ve ever put in my mouth, and I’ve been putting a lot of cheesecake in my mouth since trying Jack Dempsey’s famous, shipped-worldwide version on Broadway in 1970. I’m kinda relieved the great boxing champion is no longer with us, since I would hate to have to tell him I’ve found a better cheesecake.