Brasserie 1895

Photo by Stuart Villanueva

Where sophisticated cuisine is served in a relaxed environment

At the busy Brasserie 1895, sport jacket-clad waiters make the rounds between tables of diners seated in sumptuous velvet arm chairs at large wooden slab tables. Silverware is replenished from a flatware chest between courses, each piece scouted at estate sales. Nearby, freshly baked breads are cut from a presentation table and placed on vintage china plates. Flickering gas lanterns and soft Edison bulbs give the restaurant a candlelit glow. The effect is tasteful, subdued and elegant.

Chef Kristofer Jakob, left, uses locally sourced ingredients to create the sophisticated dishes at his restaurant Brasserie 1895 in Friendswood. Photo by Stuart Villanueva

Patrons looking into the kitchen through the wide pass might get a glimpse of owner and Chef Kristofer Jakob, who spent nine years at Kris Bistro, inside Houston’s Culinary Institute LeNôtre before leaving to open this Friendswood restaurant earlier this year with business partner Sky Lyn Gibbons. Jakob has used his skills and European training to create a seasonally rotating menu that sources ingredients from local farmers, ranchers and independent fishermen.

The Gulf oyster crisp appetizer brings an unforgettable sweet heat crunch. Fried Gulf oysters arrive atop crispy yucca chips drizzled in a serrano-cilantro hollandaise and mango salsa garnished with fresh roe. The summer Corn Bread Madeleine soup with vegetable succotash is velvety and balanced. This fall’s butternut squash purée is hearty and served with two versions of house-made tamales — sweet raisin and poblano pepper and queso Oaxaca.

Wood-fired oven pizzas, plates of handmade pastas, chef-driven twists on classic dishes, including daily specials featuring fresh Gulf seafood and selections from local ranchers, comprise the dinner menu. The veal short rib cannelloni is stuffed with house-made sausage and served in a slow cooked ragu of peppers, heirloom tomatoes and orange peel.

Photo by Stuart Villanueva

Bottles of both Belgian and local craft beers as well as reasonably priced wines from Italy, France and the United States are available to complement a meal. Ending on a sweet note, the Chocolate Marquise is exquisite. The semi-frozen Belgian chocolate mousse is rich, intense and bold. Plump blueberries sit in puddles of curry crème anglaise and two crisp gingerbread wafers are dusted with a final flourish of cocoa powder.

Brasserie 1895, named for the year Friendswood was founded, serves up sophisticated cuisine in a relaxed environment.