Montrose French Restaurant has Surprising Star Dish

Houston Chronicle food critic Alison Cook is quite taken with a Southern-American classic at a French restaurant in Montrose (240 Westheimer Rd.). Cook calls the fried chicken and Champagne pairing at L’Olivier “joyous.” She’s also a fan of their decidedly not-French mac ’n’ cheese that’s “top-of-the-line.”

The chicken’s preparation starts three days before it lands on a plate when it begins to marinate in a mix of spices, hence its flavorful result. You can find L’Olivier’s food-critic-approved fried chicken special on their Wednesday happy hour menu (3:30 — 6:30 p.m.) bubbly included.