“Father’s Day is a family day,” says chef Aaron Bludorn, the father of two boys under four and the owner of three restaurants in Houston. With his demanding schedule, the holiday doesn’t need much fuss, just time together, eating good food (while dirtying as few dishes as possible). “We as Americans are somehow losing the amount of time we have to spend at home. That time is the most valuable commodity we all have.”
It’s easy to see where Bludorn is coming from, having opened three restaurants across the Houston metro area since the pandemic started. In 2020, he debuted his flagship, Award of Excellence-winning Bludorn, which melds French techniques with a Gulf Coast perspective. His second restaurant, Award of Excellence winner Navy Blue, focuses on seafood. In early 2024, he opened his latest restaurant, Bar Bludorn, a warm, tavern-like space serving bistro staples. “What we’re trying to build here are fun restaurants that [evoke] contemporary luxury,” he says. “Places where guests can come in, dress how they want, but still be in a space where they’re being taken care of at a high level.”
Before moving to Houston with his wife, Victoria, Bludorn built up his skills on the line at the Healdsburg iteration of Sonoma’s luxurious Cyrus restaurant and worked up the ranks at New York City’s Cafe Boulud, where he became the executive chef. Following the lead of his mentor, chef Daniel Boulud, Bludorn is currently focusing on mentoring his chefs and staff. “I’ve homed in on training our next generation of chefs, making sure that as we grow—which we have grown pretty quickly—that we have people there that really believe in what we're doing,” he explains.
Needless to say, having a day to recharge like Father’s Day is more than welcome, especially if Bludorn can spend it with a glass of wine in hand and something sizzling on the grill—like his recipe for grilled octopus with an herb-filled chermoula sauce.
Relatively simple to prepare, grilled octopus is a memorable dish that few cooks have the gumption to try at home. However, the biggest drawback to cooking octopus at home is the amount of dishes afterwards, says Bludorn. His version is streamlined, including his recipe for court-bouillon, a classic stock used in French kitchens to quickly poach fish, vegetables and more while imparting a delicate fragrance. Blanching and poaching the octopus is essential to gently tenderize and flavor the meat before setting it over the grill; otherwise, the meat will end up rubbery and tough.
At the restaurant, Bludorn serves grilled octopus over pureed garlic potatoes, providing a silky contrast to the meaty tentacle. But the dish easily works with other sides like roasted potatoes or other veggies, a lettuce salad with vinaigrette or an heirloom tomato salad.
The star of the plate is easily Bludorn’s chermoula, an eye-widening, bright sauce of fresh herbs and warm spices. While chermoula is made in kitchens across North Africa in many variations, his version relies on chopped cilantro, parsley, garlic, preserved lemon and a special spice mix. The sauce can be made a day in advance and keeps for a week in the fridge. Bludorn uses chermoula liberally at home, for slathering on virtually any meat, dressing roasted potatoes or spooning over soft scrambled eggs.
For any summer hangout, and especially one featuring grilled octopus, Bludorn grabs a bottle of cold Grüner Veltliner. “I like how crisp it is, but still fuller-bodied at the same time,” he says. “It has that versatility, where it’s not too thin, like a Sauvignon Blanc might be, and you get almost the same richness of a Chardonnay. It’s perfect for me.” For other wine-pairing options, Bludorn suggests a fizzy Lambrusco or a fridge-friendly red, like the ruby-tinted wines from the Jura.
To help fill your cooler, Wine Spectator’s editors have singled out 11 recently reviewed, refreshing and food-friendly Grüners from Austria and Italy’s Dolomites. All $30 or less, these white wines will work with almost anything thrown on the grill, especially with fish and vegetables.
Grilled Octopus with Chermoula Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 Spanish octopus, 6 to 8 pounds
- Court-bouillon (recipe below)
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Chermoula sauce (recipe below)
Court-bouillon
Ingredients
- 4 quarts water
- 2 onions, large dice
- 1 garlic bulb, split in half
- 1 carrot, large dice
- 1 celery rib, large dice
- 1 fennel head, large dice
- 1 cup fresh thyme leaves
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon coriander
- 3 lemons, cut in half and squeezed
- 3 oranges, cut in half and squeezed
- 3 limes, cut in half and squeezed
- Salt to taste; should taste like the sea
To make court-bouillon
Add all ingredients to a large stock pot and simmer over medium heat, 2 hours. Strain before using it as a poaching liquid and keep excess stock in the fridge.
Chermoula Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 cups fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon Mousa spice mix, (available from La Boîte)
- 1/2 tablespoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 4 cloves garlic, minced into a fine paste
- 2 strips of preserved lemon peel, finely chopped
To make chermoula
Add all ingredients to a medium bowl. Mix well and then serve. Can be made a day in advance.
To make the octopus
1. Blanch the octopus in a pot of boiling water for 30 to 45 seconds. Remove, and push out the beak and cut off the head . Cut off each individual tentacle and poach in court-bouillon over low heat, around 1 hour. Once tender, place on a hotel pan (or sheet pan) with ice to cool down.
2. Heat grill on high. Meanwhile, toss the octopus in salt and olive oil. Oil the grill generously and wipe down. Place the octopus tentacles on the grill and cook for 3 minutes on each side until grill marks are achieved. Toss in chermoula and serve. Serves 8.
11 Great Grüner Veltliners for Summer
Note: The following list is a selection of outstanding and very good wines from recently rated releases. More options can be found in our Wine Ratings Search here.
LOIMER
Grüner Veltliner Kamptal Langenloiser 2022
Score: 91 | $30
WS Review: Attractive, creamy white with subtle salty brioche note infusing a lush core of apple and peach all driven by orange zest-edged acidity. Mouthwatering savoriness to the lasting finish, marked by smoke and flint. Drink now through 2028. 420 cases imported. From Austria.—Kristen Bieler
WINZER KREMS
Grüner Veltliner Kremstal Ried Kremser Wachtberg Reserve 2022
Score: 91 | $29
WS Review: Distinctive, characterful white offering intriguing mix of white pepper, smoke, brioche, flint and spicy herbs infusing a base of green plum and persimmon. Nice concentration and complexity, with turmeric and tarragon flecking the medium-length, oily finish. Well done. Drink now. 600 cases imported. From Austria.—K.B.
LAURENZ FIVE
Grüner Veltliner Kamptal Charming Reserve 2021
Score: 90 | $32
WS Review: A medium-bodied white marked by white cherry, lemon oil and chamomile flavors. Boasts bittersweet lemon-lime acidity, which offsets the richness of custard and white mocha elements through the well-hewn finish. Drink now. 400 cases imported. From Austria.—K.B.
ABBAZIA DI NOVACELLA
Grüner Veltliner Alto Adige Valle Isarco 2022
Score: 90 | $22
WS Review: A classic Grüner Veltliner for the notes of lentil, white peach, smoke and milled pepper. Lithe and creamy, this light-bodied version is backed by citrusy acidity. Drink now through 2026. 600 cases imported. From Italy.—Alison Napjus
PFAFFL
Grüner Veltliner Weinviertel Zeisen 2022
Score: 90 | $20
WS Review: An enticing white, with a pleasing mix of peach, white pepper and melon flavors on an open-knit palate. Opens with time in the glass, revealing white pepper, celery and orange blossom details, while wet stone accents line the modest finish. Drink now. 600 cases imported. From Austria.—K.B.
GROISS
Grüner Veltliner Weinviertel 2022
Score: 89 | $20
WS Review: With nice intensity to the apple, apricot and clementine notes, this dry, firm and interesting white layers green herb oil accents over plenty of floral charm. White pepper and turmeric details bring savory dimension to the medium palate, while chamomile and yeast hints add to the texture. Drink now. 1,248 cases imported. From Austria.—K.B.
PFAFFL
Grüner Veltliner Niederösterreich Vom Haus 2022
Score: 89 | $13
WS Review: A tasty, friendly Grüner. Round and supple in feel, with salted green herbs infusing a core of white nectarine and apple notes. Shows smoke and floral high tones, which stretch out on the silky finish. Drink now. 3,000 cases imported. From Austria.—K.B.
JURTSCHITSCH
Grüner Veltliner Niederösterreich Terrassen 2023
Score: 88 | $18
WS Review: Pretty spring blossom notes in this high-toned version, filled in with yellow fruit and green herbs. Salty underpinnings and sharp minerals firm this up on the pleasing close. Drink now. 4,000 cases imported. From Austria.—K.B.
LAURENZ FIVE
Grüner Veltliner Kamptal Friendly 2022
Score: 88 | $18
WS Review: A lithe, floral white, with a delicate display of apple, mandarin orange and lilac flavors. Perfumed and unadorned, with hints of white tea and pepper on the fresh, modest finish. Drink now. 6,000 cases imported. From Austria.—K.B.
LETH
Grüner Veltliner Wagram Ried Steinagrund 2022
Score: 88 | $20
WS Review: Silky texture to green pear and herbs, with white pepper, meadow blossom and ground ginger accents. Medium-bodied, straightforward version with succulent acidity moving through. Drink now. 1,000 cases imported. From Austria.—K.B.
ROCKWERK
Grüner Veltliner Niederösterreich 2023
Score: 87 | $20
WS Review: A direct, supple version, showing creamed melon and apricot flavors laced with a hint of petrol on a round palate. A zesty tang of bitter herb and mineral notes hovers in the background. Drink now. 1,500 cases imported. From Austria.—K.B.
