The Flavors of Uruguay Sing at This Houston Restaurant

HOUSTON, TX — Everyone knows about beef and wine from Argentina. It's Malbec and steaks, and it can be awfully good. But there's another country in South America that produces some great things for the table, and one Houston restaurateur is representing it well.

The land is Uruguay, and Gianfranco Percovich, owner of Sal y Pimienta, is the man. His family has run restaurants for years, and he's introducing Houston diners to, among other things, Tannat (Uruguay's unofficial national wine), grass-fed tenderloin from cattle raised in Uruguay, and empanadas made the way they should be (with a thin and tender crust, not one thick and doughy).

I dined recently at the restaurant, located in Houston's City Centre, and between pours of Tannat sampled some of Percovich's menu items. His executive chef, Israel Munoz, was on hand, and the pair had the kitchen running in fine form. There wasn't a weak dish to be had.

While not everything at Sal y Pimienta hails from Uruguay, the aforementioned tenderloin is a must-try. I prefer grass-fed beef; its herbal notes can be unique, and the tenderloin I had on my visit was a perfect example of that uniqueness. Cooked medium-rare, and served under chimichurri, it was full of flavor, tender, and memorable.

We began with the Empanadas Uruguayas, one filled with spinach and cheese, the other with beef. I've had my fair share of these savory pastries, and the ones made by Munoz's team are near the top of the quality list. I don't like thick dough, all too often a characteristic of the South American foodstuff. One bite fills your mouth with what feels to be Saltine crackers, and the empanada's filling is obliterated in the mixture. These, however, boasted paper-thin crust, a crust that melted away in the mouth and let the well-made fillings shine.

Vitello tonnato — veal with a mayonnaise-based sauce containing tuna — is also on the menu at Sal y Pimienta, and it's a good one. Crisp capers, veal cooked well, and a creamy sauce that I would happily use as a sandwich spread.

The wine list at Sal y Pimienta includes an abundance of bottles from Argentina — including Felino and Pascual Toso Reserva — and a healthy selection of Uruguayan Tannat, all supplemented by vintages from California, France, Spain, Oregon, and Spain.

Percovich is proud of his heritage, and that pride shines on the plate.