Executive Chef John Ly and staff plate up contemporary American dishes using fresh, seasonal ingredients at a modern, award-winning eatery

• Expires Oct 10, 2012
• Limit 1 per person, may buy 2 additional as gifts. Limit 1 per table. Valid only for option purchased. Reservation required. Dine-in only. Not valid for Chef's tasting menu. Not valid for alcohol. Not valid for Happy Hour or any other specials. Not valid on holidays.
• See the rules that apply to all deals.

• $15 for $30 worth of contemporary American cuisine during dinner, which begins at 3 p.m.
• $5 for $10 worth of contemporary American cuisine during lunch, served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The dinner menu includes bow-tie pasta in a creamy tomato sauce with eggplant and capers ($10.95); herb-crusted salmon with mushroom risotto, sauteed arugula, and balsamic-roasted cherry tomatoes ($19.95 for an entree portion); and a 6-ounce filet mignon with grilled asparagus and potato pavé ($24.95). The lunch menu spotlights a po’ boy with lightly breaded shrimp and a dollop of rémoulade ($8.95) as well as chicken-fried chicken with pancetta cream and a hearty helping of bacon mac 'n' cheese ($8.95).

Though John Ly grew up helping out in the kitchen of his family's restaurants, his parents never wanted him to become a chef. The restaurant industry is competitive, they warned him—a lot of hard work with little recognition. Heeding their advice, Ly began pursuing a degree in computer science at the University of Texas, but soon realized that he longed for the creativity and chaos of the kitchen. Propelled by his passion for food and cooking, Ly renounced his degree and enrolled in culinary school. After years spent working his way up through scrubbing floors, washing dishes, and absorbing his managing chef's techniques, Ly finally spearheaded Strata Restaurant and Bar—naming the restaurant after the word for "different layers" to reflect the diverse international influences of his cooking.As executive chef, Ly captains his kitchen crew as they artfully plate innovative, American dishes using fresh seasonal ingredients, earning the restaurant Hungry in Houston's Best Restaurant award in 2010. His pan-seared sea bass and housemade habanero-infused sausage dishes have also enticed the taste buds of reporters from the Houston Press. Ly staffs his modern dining room with a friendly team of servers, while offering up an expansive outdoor patio, an ideal spot for a date night or celebrating recent acquisitions of rival rent-a-bobcat businesses.