Houston’s New Allergy Friendly Restaurant Brings an Austin Cult Following — Picnik Spreads Its Healthy Eating Power

You grab the proverbial blanket, I’ll bring the basket and Picnik, the new Houston restaurant situated in the posh retail development dubbed The Montrose Collective, will prepare the comfort food. Albeit with a clean, healthful twist.

The Austin-based restaurant was created by Naomi Seifter nearly a decade ago when she set out to invent better-for-you food that’s every bit as flavorful as its less conscious counterparts, with a menu that often leans into paleo-inspired recipes and gluten-free options. Originally working out of a 150-square-foot trailer, Seifter quickly amassed a devoted following by preparing food devoid of refined sugar, seed oils, gluten and peanuts. Instead, her food is prepared with often locally (and always thoughtfully) sourced, healthier ingredients from eggs laid by pasture-raised, free-roaming chickens to grass feed beef and birds never injected with hormones or antibiotics.

And it actually feels decadent to indulge in.

With her former trailer a vestige of yesteryear, the expansion to Houston represents Picnik’s third restaurant (joining two in Austin). Picnik’s space in The Montrose Collective was fashioned by HapstakDemetriou+ Architecture Design with an emphasis on nature. Read: large windows which bathe the interior with natural light, greenery and booths created with light blond wood. With a splash of pink, seafoam and a touch of turquoise inside, seating aptly spills out onto the shaded courtyard inviting alfresco dining when the weather cooperates.

Picnik is open for lunch, dinner and all-day brunch dine in, and you can work your way through a menu that even the most compromised diner riddled with food allergies can enjoy along with their dining companions. Start with a cocktail, yes, Picnik serves booze (and has even created a tasty line of canned cocktails you can tote along for those actual picnics in the great outdoors.)

The pitaya margarita ($15) is a bright magenta-colored concoction made with dragonfruit, raw honey and lime juice, while the berry basil booch ($14) infuses gin with muddled basil, blackberries and lime, a kick of ginger blended honey, and kombucha, the fermented, lightly effervescent tea. Though not a teetotaler, I opted to try Picnik’s zero-proof drinks (there are eight including the lucky pitaya ($15) made with a zero-proof spirit in lieu of tequila, as well as hard kombucha, cider, gluten-free beers and sustainable wines).

I adored both the refreshing hibiscus mint cooler ($7) and the two-toned passion fruit lemonade ($7) and never missed the hooch.

Picnik is known for its butter coffees — and you can order your favorite variety from cappuccino to pumpkin spiced lighted with grass-fed butter in place of cream, with whey and MCT (medium chain triglycerides), an oil supplement that’s used often by athletes as a quick energy booster, among other benefits. Pair your coffee with any of their brunch selections like collagen overnight oats ($7).

There is no ordinary porridge here either. At Picnik, the oats are propped up with the addition of collagen protein, chia seeds, sweetened with maple and a dollop of house-made jam. As you might expect the trendy avocado toast ($14) graces the menu along with French toast ($14) and a hearty farmhouse breakfast ($15) made with eggs, no-sugar bacon and smashed Yukon potatoes.

The Picnik Dinner Menu

Moving on to dinner, start with the loaded smashed potatoes ($13) where those roasted Yukon gold potatoes are crisped and served smothered in a delectable cashew queso with bits of bacon and a squirt of cilantro crema. You can also order the vegan cashew queso on its own ($12) with chile rajas, tomatillo salsa and chips.

The mighty grass-fed burger ($20) is sure to quell the fiercest appetite. Topped with melting organic raw cheddar house-made bacon jam and pickles it is sandwiched between a scratch-made sesame bun. (BTW that’s a turn of phrase-scratch-made-you’ll find scattered throughout the Picnik menu as the kitchen prides itself on crafting its own better-for-you products.)

Tacos here are sold by the pair and are served with jasmine rice and black beans. The carne asada ($20) and crispy fish (market price) are cradled in your choice of cassava or almond tortillas and neither will leave you hungering for corn or flour — in case you are wondering.

Eating a salad (or a protein-rich bowl) can make you feel virtuous anywhere, but at Picnik that’s particularly so. The Cobb ($22) is inspired by the famed Hollywood Brown Derby classic. It is made at Picnik with tender Cavolo nero (or Tuscan kale, a variety that is high in carotenoid compounds, including neoxanthin, lutein and beta carotene, all of which have significant antioxidant activity) along with avocado, raw bleu cheese, no sugar bacon and chopped hard-boiled Vital Farms eggs, topped with a green goddess dressing, which like all of Picnik’s dressings are made with avocado oil. Other entrees include a taco bowl ($17), seared Wagyu skirt steak with garlic butter ($31) and salmon with quinoa tabbouleh ($29) made with sustainable salmon.

To guild the lily — you can do this with any dish on the menu — Picnik offers a menu of adaptogens ($1.50 to $3 each). New to the concept?

These are essentially dried herbs, roots, and other plants like mushrooms reputed to help our bodies restore balance and manage stress. Here they’re served as a side you can sprinkle like seasoning over a dish. Diners can request Reishi to promote relaxation, Sharp to enhance your energy level, or Lion’s Mane to tweak your focus and enjoy more than just a meal but a sense of better well-being.

Yes, Picnik brings plenty of extras.

Picnik can be found at The Montrose Collective at 888 Westheimer Road. The restaurant is open for 9 am to 11 pm daily. Picnik visitors can get free validated underground parking for two hours.