Seared scallops with romesco sauce, yukon gold potato and truffle oil
Jamon Iberico de Bellota
Thomas Perez pours a crisp Spanish Albariño for a couple at the bar in his restaurant, Plane and Level. He’s describing his time in Prawn tortellini with jamon Iberico consomé
Spain, where he studied oenology. His favorite food and wine city in the world is San Sebastian in the Basque Country region. “It’s where I got this idea, this concept,” he explains.
Grilled Spanish octopus with sweet peppers, saffron, and patatas
Crab stuffed piquillo peppers with pimento aioli
Perez and partner Brian Culwell opened Plane and Level in 2020 in a cozy building on Midway in Old Town Spring. They’ve decked out the space in beautiful lights and shiny sheet metal, the kind used as the “skin” on vintage airplanes. “I’ve opened a few luxury hotels and restaurants,” says Thomas, whose resume includes stints at La Table in Houston, the luxury hill country ranch resort The Inn at Dos Brisas, and at L’Auberge in Carmel, California. “I didn’t want to do the same thing again. I wanted to do something unique. I wanted a statement, people taking pictures and posting.” He says he was brainstorming, throwing out ideas, when the notion of a vintage plane came into his mind. The concept came to include a bar top made from a vintage plane wing. The food at Plane and Level is a tribute to Thomas’s love of Spain and the wines he experienced there. He sources the restaurant’s impressive wine list from small family wineries in Spain as well as Italy, Slovenia and France. “Most wines that we acquire have never been to Texas or to the U.S. before. These are tiny wineries. Sometimes we’re buying their entire production.” True to the restaurants and tapas bars of Spain, a cluster of jamon Iberico de bellota legs dangle from the ceiling, and another one, ready for slicing, sits atop the bar behind a row of wine glasses, perfect for a pre-dinner nosh as guests ponder the menu. “My first passion was the kitchen, and then I got into wine,” says Thomas. “I’ve pursued wine for most of my adult life. It wasn’t until this opportunity that I came back to the kitchen.” Plane and Level has a loyal following who are attracted to the menu’s Spanish delicacies, Thomas’s astute wine pairings, and the precision of the preparation. CONTINUED > JUNE 2 0 2 2 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/TH E WO O D L A N D S
29