Houston’s Great Oyster Bar Retreat

One of the finest rooms in Houston in which to spend an hour or two is the Oyster Bar at State of Grace, a comfortable (if at times a touch too loud) space at the popular restaurant on Westheimer in River Oaks.

Sit at one of the small tables along the curved wall, or take one of the stools at the bar for a close-up view of the seafood offerings, and order a dozen oysters. You can select from a rotating selection of bivalves, including (on the menu now) oysters from Alabama (Shell Bank Select), Louisiana (Southern Belle), Canada (Tatamagouce), and Connecticut (Blue Points from the Long Island Sound), to name but a few.

I did the very thing on a recent afternoon, with a twist, one that you can also experience Mondays through Fridays from 3 pm until 6 pm. For $12, you can pair a glass of 2017 Mathilde Chapoutier “Grand Ferrage” with a half-dozen oysters.

The wine is made by the daughter of Michel Chapoutier, a Hermitage legend, the proprietor of M. Chapoutier. It was a wise selection for the Half and Half series, because its acidity is sublimely bold, and, combined with a slight minerality, does well with the oysters, especially when you drizzle a bit of the spicy mignonette over them. The crisp wine’s liveliness is made even spryer by the sauce.

Here’s another thing to do, however, that will, I have no doubt, please you. Order some mezcal, some Fidencio Clásico. Eat one of the oysters, followed by a sip of the mezcal. Smoky brininess, to such an extent that you’ll want this duo often. Again, the mignonette kicks in, the creaminess of the oyster is swaddled in that acid, and the smoke and green pepper from the mezcal buffets all. It’s a sensory wonder.

Of course, the raw bar at State of Grace is much more than oysters. Try the campechana (Gulf shellfish and avocado), a shrimp cocktail, or The State of Grace (a tower of oysters, shrimp, lobster, smoked redfish and crab).

Start with the Half and Half, though, and work your way up.