Foodies Rejoice! The French Cowboy Rides Again FOOD

by Marene Gustin

Philippe Schmit, aka The French Cowboy — “French born, but Texas proud!” — has spent the last couple of years as a caterer and private chef to the rich and famous in Houston. But that’s all about to change, as once again he rides into town to open his own restaurant.

Schmit, born on Christmas Day in Roanne, France, who worked at Michelin-starred restaurants in his native country, came to America in 1990 to work as a chef at Le Bernardin and later as chef de cuisine at Park Bistro. Later, he became executive chef at La Goulue and then Orsay in New York City. In 2004, he was lured to Houston to open bistro moderne inside Hotel Derek to much acclaim. He later opened his eponymous eatery Philippe Restaurant + Lounge, which Texas Monthly called one of Texas’ “Best New Restaurants.” He last cooked at Toulouse Café and Bar in the swanky River Oaks District in 2016, but quickly left.

Then Schmit, who holds the designation of Master Chef of France, started his own company to cater and host private dinners for his legion of devoted and drooling fans. But now he’s opening a new restaurant in Upper Kirby in mid-March.

“I always wanted to go back to cooking in a restaurant,” chef Schmit says. “For the past four or five years I’ve just been saving up my money.” Schmit says he’s put all of his savings into the new venture — PS-21 — with partner and fellow Frenchman Sébastien Laval, a restaurant consultant. “The PS obviously stands for Philippe Schmit. Or it could be Philippe and Sébastien,” he says. “And 21 was last year when we started it. I don’t gamble, but I’ve heard that 21 is a lucky number.”

Another thing the chef doesn’t do is drink. “But I’ve tasted all the cocktails on the menu, and they are wonderful.” PS21 will also serve a selection of French wines. As for the food, chef Schmit says it will obviously have a French background.

“There’s no French onion soup on the menu,” he says. “Even though I make the best. But my clients aren’t very French, so I have to cater to Houston tastes. I have always tried to cook more internationally. I don’t do a lot of cream sauce; I try to cook healthy.”

He has been playing around with a Bouillabaisse, a traditional French fish soup, with grilled fish. And there’s a steak tartare with a truffle vinaigrette he’s working on. Schmit says it will be a chef-driven menu, but also with a very neighborhood feel. A small, causal spot to eat and drink well. But he doesn’t have a favorite dish.

Schmit says, “if a customer asks, I say ‘everything is good on the menu!’’

PS-21 will be open for dinner initially, and then expand to lunch and brunch. It will be closed on Mondays. The partners have leased 2712 Richmond Ave. near Kirby Dr. It is in the old The Queen Vic pub spot that shuttered in 2018. It seats a little over 100, with a long bar, private dining room, and a tree-lined patio for 25.

“I’ve worked very hard to make a name for myself,” the chef says. “And I don’t take anything for granted.”

Speaking of working hard, while getting ready to open PS-21, chef Schmit has had to turn down catering jobs and private dinners. But he’s hopeful that once the restaurant gets up and running he’ll be able to take on some private clients again. In the meantime, he’s hoping fans of his food will enjoy the neighborhood feel and French-based menu at his latest creation.

“As a Frenchman, I love to charm people,” he says. And PS-21 will hopefully do just that.

Philippe Schmit’s PS-21 2712 Richmond Ave. ps21htx.com