The Room
Kevin Naderi opened Roost on Fairview in 2010, a small Montrose chef-driven kitchen with a wraparound patio and an ingredient-driven menu that draws from Persian, Mediterranean, and modern-American traditions. The James Beard Foundation has shortlisted Naderi for Best Chef Texas multiple years running.
The dining room is small and intentional, a converted Montrose bungalow, a wraparound patio under live oaks, a small bar at the front. The Texas Monthly review held Roost among the city's most-personal small kitchens through three review cycles.
The Food
The menu changes monthly with the kitchen's seasonal sourcing. Naderi's Persian-American influences show in dishes like the saffron-rice-and-tah-dig, the za'atar-roasted vegetables, and the seasonal kebab preparations. The wood-grilled main course rotates with the kitchen's mood.
Wine programme is small but considered, weighted toward Mediterranean producers. Cocktails are short and considered. Service is informed and warm, Naderi works the open kitchen on most services.
Best Occasion Fit
First Date: The wraparound patio at Roost is one of Montrose's most-reliable first-date seats. The chef-driven menu is the conversation, the patio under the live oaks is the second move, and the room's intimacy reads as warm without becoming claustrophobic.
Birthday: Birthdays at Roost are warm, chef-driven, monthly-changing-menu affairs the room handles with the personal grace of a small dining room.
Solo Dining: The bar at Roost is one of the better Houston solo-dining seats. The chef's tasting fills the meal, the wine programme is the conversation.
