Cary Attar, restaurateur extraordinaire and creator of Fielding's Wood Grill, opened Fielding's Local Kitchen + Bar in summer 2015 - expanding his empire and bringing even more of his amazing dishes to a broader swath of The Woodlands. The Local Kitchen + Bar was built using as many re-purposed and energy efficient materials as possible, and includes an open air patio with an eastern view of the green space which separates two rows of businesses at Creekside Green; the open-air mall at Creekside Park, The Woodlands. The second of two eateries by Fielding's Culinary Group, LLC, Fielding's Local Kitchen + Bar is a casual, upscale neighborhood restaurant. Fielding's local features in-house dry-aged steaks, handmade artisan pasta, in-house cured charcuterie, open flame pizza, imaginative adult beverages, and re-invented desserts.
The Salumi board changes daily, and our server was well-informed as to what is included each day. Unfortunately for the purposes of this review, I've manage to misplace my notes and cannot rightfully recall the names of each of the selections we enjoyed. But enjoy them we did, as Cary and his staff expertly paired each charcuterie with hand-crafted condiments alongside Fielding's artisanal bread. As a self-professed carb-hound, I assure you, I'd have eaten an entire loaf of that in-house baked goodness given the opportunity.
Unlike anything you've ever been told was a Kolache before, and yet perfect in every way - Fielding's Kolache is more sandwich like in appearance, made with garlic sausage, and served on brioche with caramelized onions, macerated figs and Madeira sauce ($9). Incidentally, it is presented open-faced, however we were anxious to dive in and took our photograph after assembling. It really didn't matter that we were there for dinner, we would recommend a Fielding's Kolache any time of day. Clearly they would agree, as this wonderful item is on the "starters" menu, and not from the brunch menu.
All of the pastas at Fielding's are hand-made on site, and the Pappardelle ($12) lives up to it's name. The name derives from the verb "pappare", meaning "to gobble up," and one taste of that seven-spice short rib, with Shiitake mushrooms, fried egg and fresh parsley leaves will having you wanting to do that with abandon. Our server provided fresh grated Parmesan, and as we were splitting all of the dishes we sampled, we found ourselves fighting over the last bites.
The Diver Scallops, served with truffle polenta, leek fondue, and with a hint of apple cider essence ($29), were expertly prepared; neither under- or over-cooked. The polenta and fondue offered a mild yet interesting accompaniment to the scallops; definitely a dish we would recommend.
As there were two of us, of course we opted to try two different desserts. And while of course you could go for something that may seem more recognizable (chocolate cake or upside down apple tart, anyone?) a major draw for Fielding's is it's eclectic and exciting menu. The Coconut Rice Tamale ($4) certainly will not disappoint; made with Jasmine rice, piña colada sauce, and served with mango habanero salsa, the best word we could come up with for it was "interesting." But don't take that in a negative light; quite the opposite, in fact. The mix of flavors along with the spice of the salsa made for a fantastically different rice pudding.
And the Ivory Bread Pudding ($4) is certainly deserving of the title "signature" when discussing the dessert menu. The mild flavors of white chocolate and hazelnut brittle served warm, paired perfectly with the fresh raspberry granité.
If you enjoy the adventure the wildly imaginative Mr. Attar wants to take you on, then you're sure to enjoy Fielding's Local Kitchen + Bar. Like Fielding's Wood Grill, the menu consists of familiar comfort foods and exotic new dishes. There are a wide enough range of selections for any palate, including specialty items for vegetarian and gluten-free diets, and a kid's menu.
Fielding's Local Kitchen 26400 Kuykendahl Road The Woodlands, TX 77375 281.351-2225