Houston’s Own Taste of Napa Valley — Champagne Guru’s New Restaurant Succulent Channels a Cali Farmhouse

Shawn Virene’s newest Houston restaurant dubbed Succulent Fine Dining, you could very well say, grew from his passion for gardening. Look around the light-filled space dressed in varying shades of leafy greens and herbs, and you’ll spy hundreds of liliputian succulents cultivated in his own backyard. Named for the varietal Virene cultivates as an off-hours hobby, the owner of the French champagne-fueled boite a’Bouzy is all in on his new Succulent restaurant.

It has taken up residence in the former two-story home of the short-lived Pastore in the Regent Square mixed-use development.

Inside, the design is meant to bring to mind a modern Napa Valley farmhouse dressed with antiques, reclaimed wood flooring and an array of collected china patterns. A four-seat chef’s table adjoins the semi-open kitchen, where diners can reserve a seat and experience an omakase menu of sorts. That’d be an array of dishes not necessarily on the menu that the Buckley conjures nightly.

Upstairs, the expansive patio is shaded by pergolas and lush greenery, and here you’ll also find a pair of charming, ivory-painted vintage greenhouses that can be reserved for a private occasion.

Like its interior, the Succulent menu plays up the Napa farmhouse theme with skilled chef David Buckley behind the range. A San Diego native who, like Virene, is a lifelong gardener, Buckley’s culinary career started in Southern California, although many of us had a chance to dine on his food when a recent move brought him to both The Woodlands Resort and The Westin at the Woodlands.

Naturally embracing that West Coast style of cooking, the duo procures farm-fresh produce locally from Virene’s family-owned Huckleberry Farms in Round Top, as well as herbs and vegetables they intend to cultivate onsite. The offerings at lunch, dinner and weekend brunch are a verdant, alluring romp through the garden focused on techniques like brining, marinating and pickling to bring out the best in each ingredient.

While Virene brings his vintner pedigree and relationships with wineries to the restaurant’s wine list and beverage program, focusing on domestic wines with a curated worldly list.

“Succulent is much more than a restaurant, it’s a destination where food, design and the culture of the vineyards come together,” Virene says. “My dream is to create a space where fine dining feels approachable and engaging, bringing the essence of vineyard dining to Houston. Gracious and warm – where you are well taken care of.”

Dinner menu highlights include starters such as the chicken liver mousse ($13) tucked in a crunchy Indian pani puri shell accented with a cherry mostarda and a deconstructed caramelized onion tart where julienned white onions are slowly cooked for six hours in butter, later enriched with sherry, chicken and veal stocks before the caramelized onions are cradled in a pate brisee crust and accented with midnight moon goat cheese ($14). Summer brings gazpacho ($10) made with heirloom tomato varieties that chef Buckley planted in their Round Top garden.

Entrees include the vegetarian-friendly hand-rolled carrot gnocchi, where steamed and roasted carrots take the place of the traditional potatoes ($24). The exterior of these little dumplings is seared, then cooked in white wine and tossed with English peas in a butter-enriched herb pistou. For the carnivore, the hanger steak frites ($39) are brushed with a salsa verde and served with a fresh horseradish cream sauce.

Succulent Fine Dining is located at 1180 Dunlavy Street in Regent Square. It is open 11 am to 10 pm Mondays through Thursdays, 11 am to 11 pm Fridays, 9 am to 11 pm Saturdays and 9 am to 10 pm Sundays.