We had the good fortune of being at La Table‘s first Grand Brunch. La Table is a multi-level restaurant in Post Oak which features the Chateau (elegant dining), Marche (casual dining), Macarons (bakery), Privee (private dining).
First let’s get the pronunciation dilemma all squared away. So how do you pronounce “La Table”? Let me just tell you how it’s NOT pronounced : la tay-bl. I googled it (like I do with half of my life’s questions, the other half being You Tube). There are two acceptable ways: la ta-bleh (short e) or la taahb. You’re welcome, let’s proceed.
Grand Brunch is buffet. Ewww, i know. Not a big fan. The last buffet I’ve been to (not counting cruises) was at Four Seasons. We go there every New Year and Easter and each time we go, it seems to get bigger and bigger. No service to speak of, long queues on tables = bad dining experience. So I figured if Four Seasons can’t do it right, I will just give up buffet all together.
Their buffet concept is serving food family style. They bring a huge breakfast spread on the table.
It’s a lot of food, so very much in congruence with a “buffet” feel. There are several stations too. The huge difference is that you don’t get to carry your plate around, piling it on artlessly so as to save constant trips. You can go to the station and ask for whatever you want, they bring it back to you in a plate, nice and clean, and well, artsy.
Don’t think that it would be impossible to hoard you favorite stuff, like you would in usual buffets gigs. Our waiter notes that I devoured the crab avocado salad without taking a breath, he immediately offered me seconds….and thirds. I was slightly embarrassed. Then I downed my second mimosa and everything was great again.
There were so many dessert choices. So I was given plates to sample each.
Their bakery is something else. They have kouglofs—it’s an Alsation bundt cake. A typical one would have some dried fruit in it and some cherry brandy. It comes in chocolate and a sweet variety containing candied orange and raisins and almond and another savory one which has jalapeño.
Obviously, buffet eating, despite its various presentations, is not for the faint of heart nor calorie conscious. There’s way too many food that you’ll ever need so the magic is on the quality of the food that you try, not on the quantity. This restaurant achieved both. Amazingly, our kind waiter allowed us to take our pastry basket home. Something Four Seasons would never ever do. So we were able to take home various croissants and cinnamon bread! We planned on having those for breakfast but as soon as we set it down, Beans inhaled it. It was that good.
They will be holding a Mother’s Day Grand Brunch this weekend. To those who haven’t made plans yet, don’t miss out on this one. It’s mom-approved!