Yahoo Lifestyle Inside Perseid, Aaron Bludorn’s New Gulf Coast–Inspired Bistro in Houston
A rising star on the U.S. fine-dining scene has taken inspiration from the cosmos for his latest opening.
Perseid is a new restaurant in Houston from chef Aaron Bludorn, drawing on Texas Gulf Coast flavors and French bistro fare. (The name is an homage to the Perseid meteor shower and Houston’s longstanding reputation as a hub of space exploration.) Bludorn has partnered with Bunkhouse Hotels for the opening, with Perseid serving as the marquee F&B option at Bunkhouse’s first property in the city, Hotel Saint Augustine.
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Bludorn—who’s also behind his eponymous Bludorn, Bar Bludorn, and Navy Blue—has cooked up a creative menu that plays on dishes you may already be familiar with. Seafood takes center stage in plates such as tuna tartine with Castelvetrano olives and sungold tomatoes, blackened grouper with long beans and black garlic hoisin, and crawfish sausage with sauce Creole. Savory meats appear in dishes like duck frites with mango and sauce au poivre verts. And for dessert, pastry chef Marie Riddle has highlighted fruits in beignets with spiced berry coulis and crème brulee with pineapple, coconut, and makrut passionfruit anglaise.
To pair alongside Bludorn’s fare, head bartender Thomas Hardy is overseeing a cocktail menu with drinks named after Houston icons. The Barnstone (a nod to the architect behind the Rothko Chapel) is Perseid’s take on the Sidecar, and the Noble Night Heron elevates Houston’s official city bird. Nonalcoholic quaffs including beers and zero-proof cocktails are also available. The Golden Hour combines nonalcoholic mezcal with chamomile, mango, lemon, and hop water; the Lychee Cobbler mixes Seedlip Spice with lychee, orgeat, and lime. Hardy’s wine list, meanwhile, emphasizes small French producers and family-owned wineries from across the globe.
As for the design, Bunkhouse has teamed up with the Post Company studio to create a space that draws on Houston’s history and its more modern elements. At Perseid, standout features include ombre-dipped wall treatments, hand-painted abstract murals, and Art Deco–inspired pendants.
The opening of Perseid makes Bludorn’s grasp on the Texas culinary scene even tighter. Along with his director of operations, Cherif Mbodji, and his wife and partner, Victoria Pappas Bludorn, Bludorn and his hospitality group are on a tear. Not even a month into 2025 and they’re already shooting for the moon.
Click here to see all the images of Perseid.
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