Wednesday, December 28, 7:00 pm
Members $90, guests $115

Wine, steak, and romance are the three words often mentioned when talk turns to the Grey Moss Inn. Not a bad portent for those lucky enough to attend a dinner presided over by executive chef Jeff White and owner/wine director Lou Baeten. Even more promising, the restaurant has received numerous Awards of Excellence from Wine Spectator and recently nabbed five spots on Citysearch’s 2004 Best of San Antonio list. A favorite with those looking to celebrate anniversaries and special occasions, the inn has remained popular since 1929 because, as Susan Yerkes of the San Antonio Express-News wrote, “its home-cooked essence has never changed nor has its rustic, romantic ambience.”

Though its essence may not have changed over the past 76 years, some of the dishes emerging from the kitchen certainly have—thanks to executive chef Jeff White. Historically known for excellent cuts of meat prepared on the outdoor mesquite grill, the restaurant is “now entering the culinary twenty-first century [with] a new daily menu to supplement the old,” according to a recent issue of Texas Monthly. White, who worked in restaurant kitchens to put himself through school, formerly held positions at prestigious area dining rooms like L’Etoile and Biga on the Banks. Capitalizing on his experience, White now turns out sophisticated but playful specials, such as ravioli of chipotle barbecued leg of lamb and Hawaiian blue snapper in phyllo with pancetta and shiitake mushrooms.

For 18 years, Lou Baeten has complemented the Grey Moss Inn’s popular fare with offerings from his award-winning, 500-bottle wine cellar. Baeten, who is a practicing orthodontist, bought the Grey Moss Inn in 1987 with his wife, Nell. He assumed the role of wine director and began traveling to obtain hard-to-find wines. The result is a unique wine list that “puts to shame the selection…of any comparable restaurant in Houston,” as Michael Lonsford of the Houston Chronicle noted.