Crú Wine Bar

Add Crú Wine Bar to the list of excellent restaurants on Market Street in The Woodlands. Located beside 1252 Tapas Bar, Crú consistently delivers quality food & service. Knowledgeable staff are ready to answer questions about the sophisticated wine list, which offers over 300 different selections.

The atmosphere is romantic, with an elegant appeal. Wine bottles line the walls, accented with beautiful blue décor. Flawless lighting provides a glimpse into the open kitchen. Slightly hidden behind a wall, executive chef Eric McClanahan can be seen hard at work. Through commitment & determination, McClanahan just recently became executive chef of Crú.

Crú offers many different specials throughout the month. Wine pairing dinners include special courses created by the chef, along with a representative from a selected winery to help make your heart ache with wine happiness.

Each Wednesday evening, a rare large format bottle of wine is opened, which is offered by the glass. On Thursday, humans of female status may visit Crú and receive half off all champagne bottle purchases.

Total wine excitement arrived with a flight of chardonnay. Wine enlightenment began with a card describing the three chardonnays that would soon joyously appear. This card brings with it all knowledge any rookie wine connoisseur could imagine.

The flight #3 card begins with a description of the Cakebread Chardonnay ’09 from Napa Valley, California. “Our 2009 Napa Valley Chardonnay boasts lovely, perfumed aromas of fresh melon, yellow apple, lime and white peach, with complementary mineral and toasty-spiced oak scents. On the full-bodied, yet sleek palate, the wine offers concentrated, beautifully focused, peach, apple and citrus zest flavors, with mineral and spice tones enlivening the long, refreshing finish.”

The second wine is Mer Soleil “Barrel Fermented” ’08, from Santa Barbara County, California. “Fresh, rich, intense and vibrant. Full-bodied, with spicy pear, green apple, honeydew melon and light oak shadings, ending with a long, pure, ripe focus.”

The third wine is Far Niente ’08, from Napa Valley, California. “Crisp, flinty and tightly wound. A sour lemon, pineapple and leesy-citrusy edge gives this a fresh, vibrant mouth feel, ending with a sour green apple flavor that’s clean and refreshing.”

Complete & Total Wine Fulfillment.

Artisan cheese is served with rustic bread, apples, pears & grapes. There are four groups listed in this section, which are Classic, Great American, Chef’s Pick, and Sinful Experience. Servers offer suggestions to compliment the wine chosen. The array of cheese offered is vastly creative.

Crú provides total tomato basil satisfaction. This item is the first of two tomato basil experiences occurring at Crú. Offered on the appetizer menu, this sultry soup is accompanied by a grilled cheese sandwich like no other, being served with taleggio cheese Panini & white truffle oil.

The arrival of this exceptional sandwich has all ingredients perfectly in place. Look away, if only for a moment… to your surprise… You will return to an explosion of cheese oozing onto your plate, begging to become one with the… tomato basil soup. There is no exaggeration here. This app is fantastic.

Another delicious appetizer is the smoked salmon tartare, which includes a combination of crispy potato, onion, capers, lemon & cream cheese. This dish is simple & light, leaving a fresh healthy feeling, which is always refreshing. The appetizers range from $9 – $11, with two salads also included in this section. A house salad is offered, as well as the Bibb & Beet Salad.

There are several mussel dishes available at Crú. The steamed Prince Edward mussels are served in a lemongrass broth with white wine, parsley, garlic & shallots. This appetizer was probably my least favorite, not causing a moment of spastic hyperness.

Two other appetizers suitable for AVH are pan seared crab cakes consisting of jumbo blue crab, micro herbs & mustard remoulade. Also, the goat cheese beignet with lavender, honey & berry preserve.

The grilled salmon is served with haricot vert, couscous & basil citrus sauce. This entrée comes together combining the flaky fresh fish with citrus flavor… resulting in another impressive dish. Cru also serves oven roasted sea bass prepared in a mushroom ginger broth, served with white bean & wild mushroom ragu.

The chef prepared a seafood dish with angel hair pasta. Mixed together in a tomato saffron sauce are mussels, scallops, shrimp, bass & sausage. My humble request to the chef begged for… no sausage. The chef modified this entrée, adding a few other ingredients besides the listing on the menu.

Finally, the best of the best entrées at Crú. This is the big one… an entrée full of excellence. The seared sea scallops are beyond jumbo. Huge, gigantic, and enormously gorgeous, they are perfection at the highest level. Placed all comfy on top of a bed of the best tomato basil risotto to ever be created, this dish is completed with balsamic reduction & micro herb.

The chocolate fondue will make your taste buds rejoice. Creamy chocolate is served warm with moist angel food cake, plump strawberries, bananas, chocolate wafers & biscotti. Other desserts are warm berries & cream, molten chocolate cake, and crème brulee.

Executive Chef Eric McClanahan

Executive chef McClanahan runs the kitchen with confidence & ease. Crú has all the ingredients to provide its clientele with a solid dining experience. The flawless décor offers a relaxing atmosphere to soak in the flavors from the endless wine list. The combination of service & quality will leave wine lovers coming back for more.

FIVE: High 5!
FOUR: Please & Thank You
THREE: Yada
TWO: Double Wow
ONE: Wow + Ouch = Wouch

P.S. This bartender is so talented, she can braid her hair with… one hand. Heart.


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