Co-owners Kris Jakob and Skylyn Gibbons named Brasserie 1895 in Friendswood after a word commonly used in Europe to describe restaurants where friends can come together to enjoy a meal and hang out, Jakob said. “There was a need in Friendswood for more of an upscale restaurant,” Jakob said. Brasserie opened on April 15, 2016. According to Jakob, business has been good over the last year. Brasserie serves New American fare and, as a chef’s concept, does not repeat many menu items. “There are no recipes,” Jakob said. “We just cook what we have for the day.” While Gibbons handles the financial and human resources side of the business, Jakob primarily works in the kitchen alongside Belgian chef Christian Echterbille, Jakob’s mentor. According to Jakob, the menu is inspired by the available ingredients, all of which are sourced locally, as well as Jakob’s own creativity. “You go through cycles,” Jakob said. “You find one ingredient, and then you’ve going to use that one ingredient five, six, seven ways … until you fully understand the ingredient.” According to Jakob, the creative process of creating a menu from scratch daily is one of the most gratifying parts of the job. “You get to create every day, which is nice,” Jakob said. “What is also nice about the restaurant business—and the creative process—is you start every day from scratch, but you get instant gratification because you have to complete the project in one day.” Some popular dishes reappear on the menu, such as the chicken-fried steak in foie gras cream gravy, which is a customer favorite. While the reputation of some restaurants is a result of their most popular dishes, Jakob believes Brasserie’s popularity lies in the innovation behind each dish. “It’s based off me and chef (Echterbille). People come here for us and to see the creations. The brand is the creativity,” Jakob said. “You come here for an experience every time … If you are a person that likes chain restaurants, this is probably not your bet.” Brasserie 1895 607 S. Friendswood Drive, Ste. 11, Friendswood 832-385-2278 http://brasserie1895.com Hours: Tue.-Thu. 11 a.m.-2 p.m., 5:30- 9 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 5:30-10 p.m., Sun. -Mon. closed