Houston’s Navy Blue Restaurant Pumps Up Its Brunch Menu, Creates a Lobster Roll Wonder and Offers a Fish Fry Like No Other

Aaron Bludorn Continues to Find New Ways to Delight Foodies

By Laurann Claridge // Aug 8, 2023

Photography Julie Soefer

1/0

The luscious lobster roll at Navy Blue's weekend brunch is certainly a worthy new menu addition. (Photo by Doc Hoang)

A peek inside the open kitchen from the dining room of Navy Blue in Rice Village shows its restaurant power. (Photo by Julie Soefer)

Chef Aaron Bludorn's second Houston restaurant dubbed Navy Blue brings seafood to Rice Village. (Photo by Michael Anthony)

Clams casino is served at the seafood centered restaurant, Navy Blue. (Photo by Julie Soefer)

Pastry chef Marie Riddle's delectable Key Lime Pie at Navy Blue. (Photo by Caroline Fontenot)

Navy Blue's executive chef is Jerrod Zifchak whose C.V. boasts time spent in the kitchens of Cafe Boulud and Le Bernadin. (Photo by Michael Anthony)

Chef/owner Aaron Bludorn, who dropped anchor in Rice Village last fall when he opened his second Houston restaurant Navy Blue, has created some exciting new menu expansions. With Navy Blue christened with a name that harkens back to Aaron Bludorn’s dad’s naval career, (Greg Bludorn served as a top gun fighter pilot flying F-14s on the USS Constellation) the restaurant’s moniker pays tribute to his father’s call sign “Blue,” while the seafood-centric menu celebrates the bounty of the blue waters off the Gulf Coast and beyond.

Open Saturdays and Sundays for brunch from 11:30 am to 2 pm, the new Navy Blue menu, developed with executive chef Jerrod Zifchak,blends breakfast and lunch beautifully with offerings like a velvety tomato gazpacho ($15) tinged with a touch of heat, a fresh Hamachi tartar ($25) with diced fresh papaya and coconut meant to ladle upon the crisp tapioca chips by its side

Do not miss the lobster roll ($39) a decadent treat layered on a toasted potato bun, with bib lettuce, chives and house-made potato chips, possibly the best version I’ve ever enjoyed. (As a former New England resident who spent quite a lot of time in Maine, I know of what I speak.)

Like bacon? Then do try Navy Blue’s luxe pork belly side ($16) finished with a fish caramel, a touch of mint and the heat of a Fresno chile. While you could start your morning repast with warm, freshly baked cinnamon roll oozing with a brown sugar caramel and vanilla glaze, I chose to end mine with one.

Thankfully, it lived up to the hype.

But Navy Blue’s new menu perks do not stop at brunch.

On Monday nights, Navy Blue now offers its upscale version of a summer Fish Fry. Designed to feed two ($65), this seafood-centered meal features a groaning platter of fried fish from cod to jumbo shrimp, soft shell crab and skate wing, with crisp artichokes and ramps too.

Did we mention the dipping side sauces? There is a selection of three — Shabazi ranch, a chili chomp condiment and smoked egg tartare sauce. In addition, your server will bring a Mason jar filled with pickled shrimp, mussels and veggies, a side of black-eyed peas and coleslaw.

Yes, Navy Blue is bringing the good stuff.

Navy Blue is located at 2445 Times Boulevard in Rice Village. It is open from 5 pm to 10 pm Mondays, and 11:30 am to 10 pm Tuesdays through Sundays.