Through September I was disappointed in the collection of new restaurants that had opened in the city this year compared to the fantastic year that 2017 was for newcomers, likely the best ever in Houston.  But things picked up in the last quarter, and it proved tough to limit the list to just ten restaurants.  Houston remains a wonderfully dynamic dining city and its restaurant scene grew, if with fewer ambitious restaurants this year than last.  Chef Chris Shepherd, especially, had a terrific year.  He and his team were remarkably busy, with three restaurant openings and Southern Smoke, the city’s best food event, all within the space of a few months.  All succeeded in more than fine fashion.  It was a busy year not only for them but other restaurateurs.  The folks from Agricole Hospitality (Coltivare, Eight Row Flint) opened four places, including Indianola with the skilled Paul Lewis (Osteria Mazzatini, most notably) at the helm.  Ford Fry of State of Grace opened a couple of fun spots in the spaces of the dearly departed duo of Hunky Dory and Bernadine’s.  On the counter-service side, our recent-years impressive barbecue landscape got even more impressive and more interesting.  It was a good year for new restaurants, and before the end of year, a hectic one, too. 
 
To note, the average prices reflect a typical dinner, which might be an appetizer, side or dessert in addition to the entrée – or a suitable number of small plates – a couple of drinks, tax and a 20% tip.  Below are the top ten new restaurants to open in Houston in 2018, listed alphabetically, and described in a sometime long-winded fashion.
 
Blood Bros. BBQ – $22 – This acclaimed barbecue pop-up opened their first restaurant in Bellaire just before the end of the year, much to the joy of local smoked meats aficionados and has been busy since the get-go.  They are still learning the business, as one of principals quickly admitted to me during a visit – the line moved at a glacial pace – but the food, especially the meats, was first-rate.  The requisite beef brisket is tender with wonderful, salty bark.  The fatty ends were absolutely terrific, though the leaner interior tasted just a touch dry in spots, nothing that the welcome slices pickled red onions, fresh jalapeño or the table-top slightly vinegary hot sauce couldn’t amend. The straightforward cheese-studded pork sausage was almost too easy to eat.  The pork ribs were moving as quickly as the brisket during my first time there, a good sign.  The sides here are better than most that include creamed corn, a mustard-free potato salad with skin-on new potatoes, rich soupy beans, and macaroni and cheese.  There are just four proteins to start – turkey, too – but I was told that meats will be added as the restaurant gets some more time under its belt.  As good as it is now, this Bellaire smoker will likely be even a good deal better in a few months.  5425 Bellaire (at Chimney Rock), 77401, (832) 582-5992
 
Calle Onze – $50 – Tex-Mex might be considered passé in some quarters, but Calle Onze – and to a lesser extent Superica – shows that our long-loved regional cuisine can still entice with dishes that might not be new, but done in a more considered and an even refined way that can satisfy even more.  An expansive cocktail program can add to that, too.  Around the corner from the popular Eight Row Flint and taking its name from its location, 11th Street, Calle Onze, valet-only and all, and maybe in part because of the fine-dining-like valet-only, has been packed since opening in depths of the summer; a perfect match for those newer Heights residents who can afford those high six- and seven-digits digs.  Fittingly slicker and nicer than just about any local Tex-Mex stop, the cooking is generally better, too, certainly more attractively plated.  Grilled chicken in an enchilada typically means bland pieces of protein that rarely aid the dish.  Not here, as the nicely marinated and attentively grilled chicken provides a nice complement to the cheese and quality tortillas.  In addition to the familiar local Tex-Mex dishes like that, there are also one like smoked pork belly with pineapple and watermelon, duck carnitas, scallops with masa dumplings and crispy chicharron, and lobster and cheese ravioli.  Ambitious might not be the proper adjective to describe the menu at Calle Onze, but it’s appealing at the very least. 222 W. 11th Street (just west of Yale), 77008, (832) 767-1417
 
Eunice – $90 – Serving Creole or maybe more accurately Creole-inspired fare, the restaurant that became Eunice had garnered very considerable buzz beginning in 2016 when it was going to be star New Orleans chef and restaurateur John Besh’s first foray into Houston.  With Besh no longer actively involved in the restaurant group due to allegations of extensive sexual harassment, Eunice, named after the southern Louisiana hometown of its executive chef, Drake Leonards, fell a bit under the radar until almost its opening in October.  And the gorgeous restaurant in Greenway Plaza – clean-lined and modern, yet quite inviting, comfortable and light – can also be easy to miss as its set off the intersection.  A foray into the menu during its first month with a group of friends included the roasted oysters with bits of shrimp, blue crab, and then brown butter breadcrumbs, which were excellent, with the toppings working well with the moist, milky oysters.  Maybe even more pleasurable were the chicken liver mousse served with a fig jam and thin slices of quality toasted bread.  Mild yet flavorful, its similar in quality to the different, also exemplary adaptions of the dish at nearby Giacomo’s and Georgia James.  The crispy Boudin Balls and Dan Dan Shrimp – named after a friend and former co-worker of the chef, not the Szechuan noodles – were both worth ordering.  The first-rate entrées included hanger steak from the lunch menu, slices of duck breast with some dirty rice not that clearly described as “Duck Duck Rice / sweet potato, celery root, dirty rice,” and a sautéed Gulf black drum with some crab and brown butter.  The only misstep was overcooked nearly mushy pasta substituting for the traditional rice in the shrimp etouffee.  Ask for the rice.  The friendly, attentive and knowledgeable service extended to the bar service, with an excellent martini for just $6 – a very welcome surprise since I paid for $14 for a simple and small gin-and-tonic earlier in the year at one of their sibling establishments in New Orleans. Eunice proved better and a better value, and a welcome addition to Houston.  3737 Buffalo Speedway (at Richmond), 77098, (832) 491-1717
 
Feges BBQ – $20 – A barbecue joint in a subterranean office food court?  Yes, and it’s worth the hassle for non-Greenway Plaza workers to visit during the weekday when its open.  And, yes, they are smoking meats onsite courtesy of a seemingly lengthy venting system.  From the husband and wife team of Erin Smith and Patrick Feges, both of whom have impressive culinary CVs – and that includes Killen’s Barbecue for Feges – and it shows at this fairly humble counter-service spot where not only is the requisite beef brisket top-notch but its brethren are better than is typically found at a barbecue joint.  Pork belly, turkey and pulled pork are a few of the other admirable smoked meats plus an interesting array of often piquant sides like sweet + spicy sprouts, braised collard greens, Moroccan spiced carrots, spiced cracklins, sweet potato + banana mashers and the yogurt + cilantro slaw.  With the lengthy list of quality sides and a couple sides, you can even do well going vegetarian for lunch here, a welcome oddity among barbecue restaurants.  But, if feeling less like healthy eating, there are also a trio of sweets including the PB&J Chocolate Cake that has drawn raves.  3, Greenway Plaza, basement food court (south of Richmond between Buffalo Speedway and Edloe), 77046, (832) 409-6118
 
Georgia James – $150 – Houston can actually use another steakhouse, especially if it is from Chris Shepherd and company. The reprise of the popular One Fifth Steak set in the former home of Underbelly offered a different take on the expected chop house that has managed to please both those customers attracted to the city’s more interesting fine-dining spots and those who consider a nice meal out a visit to a steakhouse.  Likely with the latter group in mind, the menu is little less adventurous than its One Fifth predecessor, but it’s still the most unique steakhouse in the city.  It starts uniquely with wonderfully crusty small loaf of bread from Bread Man Baking Co. that’s served with a jar of clarified butter infused with smoked brisket from nearby Feges Barbecue (Patrick Feges is an Underbelly alum).  Though the expected strip (loin), ribeye and porterhouse are served, there is no filet.  And no Caesar Salad to start, either.  Customers should be more than satisfied with one of the other beefy options, including the succulent sirloin, the tender Wagyu Zubaton – cut from the upper portion of the chuck – or the 100-day-wet-aged hanger steak, a true onglet cut that is tasty but not really funky and a relative deal at $35.  Somewhat differently, the restaurant sources from the regional 44 Farms and Marble Ranch and cooks most of the steaks in a cast iron skillet.  The soft and juicy cast iron-cooked ribeye was delicious, if maybe with just a little more exterior fat than ideal.  But it, and the Zabuton were both absolutely terrific on a subsequent visit, sporting wonderfully crusty, salty exteriors without as much fat for the ribeye and juicy, tender and flavorful meat.  There are also bone-in versions for the bigger spenders including the long bone ribeye dry aged for 100 days for $150 and a daily butcher’s cut.  The starters and sides are largely fun, intelligent riffs on the standards including domestic caviar and a raw bar with pricey seafood towers.  The wine list is terrific, eclectic for a steakhouse, and with nice prices for the quality, which is what you can expect from Matthew Pridgen who also does the wines at UB Preserv and One Fifth.  1100 Westheimer (at Waugh), 77006, (832) 241-5088
 
La Lucha – $60 – Though this is supposed to take inspiration from the old San Jacinto Inn, a restaurant I loved as a kid, it doesn’t remind me at all of it.  No matter.  This place has often excellent, casual food that can also be a lot of fun in an attractive and vibrant setting that is a far cry from the San Jacinto Inn.  It’s not surprising that this new place specializing in fried chicken and Gulf seafood joint occupying the space of the dearly departed Hunky Dory has a fine selection of oysters from the Gulf and a great happy hour special on those on the half-shell, as it’s siblings with State of Grace, which might have the best oyster program in the city.  Though those bivalves are a definite attraction, the star of the menu might be the fried chicken, served in half or whole bird portions.  The fried shrimp are also quite good, done a little differently than found elsewhere in town.  Except for the full fried chicken and roasted oysters orders, the Texas Gulf classic redfish on the half shell, and the Louisiana caviar (bowfin) served with an onion dip and uber-processed Pringles, the dishes are under $20, well-suited for sampling and sharing.  OK, the Pharmacy Burger might be to, tougher to share, but it’s terrific (and far better than any of the ones I ever had at the nearby Yale Street Grill).  There are handful of house cocktails, though the list of wines is limited.  Nicely, there are over twenty types of sparkling wines that include nice prices on good Champagne, which might be the perfect pairing for fried chicken, after all.  1801 N Shepherd (at 18th Street), 77008, (713) 955-4765
 
One Fifth Mediterranean – The third concept to occupy One Fifth, Chris Shepherd’s eleven-month restaurant in the former home of Mark’s, serves food largely inspired from the Levant and points west, Turkey and north Africa.  The cuisines that have not been represented in fine-dining establishments here, and rarely in this country, but taking some cues from the lauded Zahav in Philadelphia, this is another successful turn of One Fifth with laudable, upscale interpretations of preparations of various cuisines of the eastern and southern Mediterranean.  The light, fresh-tasting hummus was easily the best I’ve ever eaten as was their airy, house-made pita bread.  When I visited, the Daily Hummus was topped with an as least as delicious braised lamb short ribs off the bone.  There are several types of hummus preparations and other dips and spreads that can be a no-brainer to start a meal.  With a number of these easily shareable dishes, including family-style large preparations like an entire fish and braised lamb, a visit with a few at the table can make for an especially pleasurable communal meal.  The wood-burning oven used for the pita and other breads gets a lot of use, with fish, meat and vegetables appealingly cooked al ha'esh (on the fire).  I was told that this current incarnation of One Fifth has resonated with local Persians, among others.  For many not nearly as familiar with the items, one of the two tasting menus, at $60 and $75, might be the way to go.  1658 Westheimer (nearly at Dunlavy) 77006, (713) 955-1024
 
Shun – $110 – From the son of the owners of longtime favorite of Japanese transplants and visitors, Nippon in Montrose, Shun is something nicer, hipper and more ambitious than his parents’ comfortable stop.  A little less traditionally Japanese, too, with locally attuned flavors and ingredients make their appearance in some of the dishes. With a mix of sushi and sashimi, grilled robatayaki items, and a grab-bag of Japanese small plates, the menu might be tough to navigate for some, but the servers are helpful guides.  One of the highlights we were directed to on a recent visit was the Lengua Gyoza, a trio of big, soft and delicious dumplings filled with tender tongue meat from wagyu cattle – a far cry from what’s in cheap lengua tacos – and served with salsa verde in a ponzu mignonette.  The pricey, but large pieces of nigiri sushi and sashimi are excellent, as you might expect with the experience at Nippon, with some sourced from more exotic waters.  Fun and delectable rolls like the Sun Blast filled with salmon, apple, tobiko, micro cilantro, lime, spicy aioli and topped with a piece of crispy salmon skin might have more wide-ranging appeal.  Shun can seemingly appeal to a range of customers with familiar items like tempura, miso soup, pork katsu, and sushi rolls, those interested in a meal of mostly sushi and sashimi, and there’s a separate sushi counter, or those wanting something more unique.  The customers appeared to reflect that, with families with young children, middle-aged Inner Loopers along with plenty of Japanese folks.  They all looked as happy we were, the highballs and well-compiled sake list helped see to that.  2802 South Shepherd (between Westheimer and West Alabama), 77006, (832) 409-5888
 
UB Preserv – $80 – Underbelly has moved down the street to a smaller, livelier and louder, space that was more deemed more appropriate – if maybe a little too small given that it’s seemingly always crowded – and is showcasing Asian influences even more and from a seemingly broader footprint.  Not that the ever-evolving Underbelly got old or stale, but the move and new chef de cuisine, Nick Wong, an alumnus of David Chang’s Momofuku kitchens, has made its successor more interesting and a visit more exciting, and more fun.  The many dishes among the two dozen or so that easily and smartly mix some of the different cuisines that get traction among Houston diners.  Executive Chef Chris Shepherd showed over the tenure of Underbelly, and at the several-cuisines-at-once One Fifth Romance Languages, how he and the team can combine items from seemingly disparate cooking traditions into something sensibly delicious, which continues here.  The menu skips merrily around the world for inspirations: China, Vietnam, Italy, Mexico, Mitteleuropa, Texas, Thailand, etc. The pork schnitzel was a favorite across the street.  Here, the tender piece of bread pork is flavored with the spicy and sweet Korean gochujang sauce for a fun twist.  If you have trouble deciding among the offbeat, tempting options, the four-course tasting menu is well-priced at $55.  For their Sunday brunch, The Crispy Rice Salad is a star, featuring puffed and crispy grains of rice providing a welcome textural contrast to the array of fresh herbs and the bright ripe cherry tomatoes.  As much attention and acclaim that Shepherd and the restaurants have received, they’ve never quite received their due for their excellence with vegetables.  One example was The Tomato & Avocado Salad, an early brunch dish, that also came with a medley of well-chosen fresh herbs, wedges of ripe green avocado and even more tomatoes in hues of deep purple and robust red, all nicely ripe and tasting terrifically.  It’s what you would expect from one of the city’s best.  1609 Westheimer (between Mandell and Dunlavy), 77006, (346) 406-5923
 
Wanna Bao – $40 – Yes, you should.  Proclaiming itself on its signage as “Hearty Chinese Bistro / Dumpling House.”  It is.  And a good one at that, and in a hip, industrial-sparse bistro-like setting at the edge of Midtown is well beyond what would be typical of a similar place along Bellaire Boulevard, serving both dishes from Shanghai and the madly popular Szechuan region, Wanna Bao seemingly succeeds with both – as with both ends of its signage, the dumplings for certain.  I really enjoyed their take on that Shanghai specialty, soup dumplings (xiao long bao), along with the piquant, even messier for me red oil dumplings.  Those Shanghai dishes are done correctly and tastily from what I have heard from some Shanghai natives.  And, for what it’s worth, Chinese and Chinese-Americans make up most of the patrons at this oft busy spot.  But, even for casual fans of Chinese fare, there will be more than a few familiar items like Kung Pao Chicken, various types of fried rice, along with those steamed dumplings. 2708 Bagby (just before Tuam), 77006, (832) 623-7265
​


A Brussels sprouts dish at Eunice

​There were a couple of bottles of Moscato d’Asti in my refrigerator that I had forgot to add to the crowded cooler before heading to my brother’s house the other day that would have been a perfect pairing for some of the Christmas celebration.  There was even a request for it on Christmas.  But I have to admit, when I was initially invited on a recent trip to Piedmont, I paused slightly because Moscato was on the itinerary (the Moscato d’Asti consortium was one of the trip’s sponsors).  I had not been a big fan of Moscato.  Though not long after arrival, actually with my first few sips, I realized any trepidation I had was because I had conflated Moscato with Moscato d’Asti.  I had confused the cheap, overly sweet, unbalanced and simple versions from Australia, California and elsewhere in Italy with the Moscato wines made in the Asti appellation.  Moscato d’Asti is something better and quite nice for holidays and much more.
 
Moscato d’Asti are aromatic, lightly sparkling wines – frizzante in Italian – from the region of Asti in northwestern Italy made entirely from the Moscato Bianco grape that’s Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains in French.  Courtesy of a stuck fermentation, these are vinified to a low alcohol amount of alcohol, 4.5% and 6.5%.  Often tasting of honeysuckle, pear, lemon, and orange, Moscato d’Asti wines are somewhat sweet, with a high amount of residual sugar, 120 to 130 g/l.  Tawny port, for example, is between 95 and 110 g/l of residual sugar.  But even with more sugar, Moscato d’Asti does not taste as sweet as port.  This is due to the considerable acidity that helps makes for wines that are rather balanced, if still sweet.  And all of the wines I sampled during my recent time in Piedmont, were obviously very well-made and certainly more complex and interesting than the Moscatos I had had in my memory.  I agreed with the notion we heard that “Moscato d’Asti is definitely not a simple wine.” 
 
Part of the reason for that is the vast majority of the vineyards are on hillsides, usually in prime settings.  And the Moscato d’Asti needs to be picked, usually manually, at the right time so that acidity, sugar and aromas are all in balance, which might require more attention for harvest than for other varietals.  So, production more expensive, which might not be completely reflected in the prices.  You can usually pick up a Moscato d’Asti for under $20, and even under $15 for top producers like Saracco and Michele Chiarlo. 
 
With the balance, enjoyable flavors, a light body and low alcohol, the wines of Moscato d’Asti are easy to drink.  In its home region, Moscato d’Asti is often the dessert, but it is also good with cheeses including gorgonzola dolce, though not aged ones.  Elsewhere, Moscato d’Asti might work with dishes that pork with prunes, with soy sauce, some spicy dishes, and possibly a big range of Chinese dishes.  Here in Houston, the lightness, low-alcohol, quality and value help make Moscato d’Asti a nice pairing for our too often subtropical weather, even without any food.
​
Vineyards near Asti earlier in the month

After finishing my initial cocktail during a recent visit to Anvil and expressing a like of martinis, the bartender recommended a Ford Cocktail.  I had never heard of it.  But, it turns out that has been around since before the turn of the twentieth century, making it to print in 1895 in George Kappeler’s Modern American Drinks.  It is a variation of a martini, hence the sage suggestion.  It features Old Tom gin – the sweetened variety that was popular in the 19th century before improved distilling methods allowed for the classic London dry version – dry vermouth, the cognac-based and honey-enlivened herbal liqueur, Bénédictine, orange bitters, and finally orange peel to garnish.
 
Though it might have been around for 125 years or so, the Ford Cocktail has been a rare bird, one that was seemingly dormant until the resurgence of the cocktail maybe a dozen years ago – or maybe somewhat earlier in Old Tom’s home turf in London.  A useful cocktail book I have at home by the estimable Anthony Dias Blue published in 1993, The Complete Book of Mixed Drinks, which has roughly 1,000 cocktail recipes, does not have the Ford Cocktail.
 
The Ford Cocktail at Anvil tasted like a more rounded martini courtesy of the slight sweetness from the Old Tom gin, the orange bitters, and Bénédictine, along with the lively citrus notes from the orange peel.  Still on the dry side, it was excellent and almost too easy to consume.  It’s yet another classic cocktail that Anvil does extremely well, likely much better than it once was.
 
Anvil’s recipe for the Ford Cocktail:
 
1.5 ounces – Hayman’s Old Tom gin
0.75 ounce – Dolin Dry vermouth
0.5 ounce – Bénédictine
1 dash – Regan’s Orange Bitters
Garnish – orange peel
 
Stir with ice for at least 30 seconds and strain into a Nick and Nora cocktail glass

​Somewhat updated again on December 22, 2018

If you are visiting Houston for work (or even fun) and want to experience its terrific restaurant scene like a local while not traveling very far from your hotel – which is likely downtown or in the Galleria area – this article recommends a number establishments that can suit a variety of tastes and moods. Places in the recently burgeoning Heights and other points too far from the hotel clusters, with a few exceptions, are omitted. But, most of Houston’s best restaurants are located between downtown and the Galleria, so most visitors are in luck, just needing a quick cab or Lyft or Uber ride, or maybe even, in the very un-Houston-like fashion, a short walk. The types of diversions are listed alphabetically.

Barbecue – Since the opening of Killen's in suburban Pearland in early 2014, barbecue in the Houston area became a little more interesting and has drawn more regional and national attention. Killen's is worth the drive, but prepared for long lines, which are a feature daily. Brisket, pork ribs and, increasingly, beef ribs are the stars of the show in Houston barbecue. Sausage should be good, too. Across the street from MinuteMaid Park downtown, Jackson St. BBQ combines the talents of top local chef Bryan Caswell of Reef fame and, for the pork ribs, Greg Gatlin of his well-regarded eponymous family barbecue spot on the near north side, Gatlin’s. This is worth the trip, but prepared that service can be very slow even on slow days.  Also northeast of downtown, though closer to downtown, is Pinkerton’s, that opened to rave reviews in 2017, and even serves cocktails in addition to lauded Texas barbecue (open from Wednesday through Sunday). The Pit Room is a slick mid-2016 newcomer to Montrose, not too far from downtown, has quickly matured into one of the best barbecue spots in the city with its properly moist and flavorful brisket, peppery rubs and diligent smoking, plus there are even top-notch barbecue-centric tacos.  Opened early in 2018, Feges BBQ is oddly set in a basement food court in an office complex, but run by two accomplished chefs, husband and wife, and having ventilation to smoke on site, it turns out excellent Texas-style barbecue and better and more interesting sides than most. West of the Galleria on Voss, Roegel'shas drawn raves since it rebranded and upgraded the Dallas-based chain they had been operating, offering not just well-regarded brisket but more chicken than you'll find elsewhere and daily specials like pastrami beef ribs and pork belly. Still known for its pork ribs, Pizzitola’s just south of I-10 west of downtown has had a barbecue pit in operation since in the 1930s. Though long popular, especially during lunchtime since it is easily accessible from downtown, it has somewhat recently been drawing attention from newly fashioned local barbecue enthusiasts again. Longstanding Goode Co. Barbecue doesn’t get much attention from critics and self-styled barbecue snobs, but it remains popular and often very good, with a ranged of smoked meats beyond brisket and pork ribs and the very best sides including house-made cheddar-jalapeño bread and the easily the most efficient counter-service around. A hike north to Old Town Spring, but highly acclaimed is Corkscrew that features some twists on the menu like tacos and a triple pork sandwich plus top-notch brisket.

Beer – Houston boasts the very first modern beer bar in the country, The Ginger Man, in the Rice Village, which opened in 1986 that is still a popular stop offering a great, relaxed atmosphere in which to imbibe. The most serious and polished of the local beer bars is The Hay Merchant offers over 75 drafts including five casks – nearly all from the more interesting craft breweries, Belgium and Germany and served through beer lines better attended than elsewhere; it shares a building on lower Westheimer with the estimable restaurant Underbelly. Not too far from the downtown hotels, Mongoose versus Cobra in Midtown, is a casually slick spot serving an unbalanced array of mostly very hoppy or alcoholic domestic brews aimed at the younger hop-heads but also a well-chosen array of spirits, all to be consumed on attractive communal tables or at the bar. For something different, there is the historic West Alabama Ice House that dates from 1928, a remnant of the days in Houston when beer was mostly consumed from bottles while sitting outside (and smoking). There is also an outpost of The Flying Saucer, conveniently located on Main Street downtown, which offers scores of draft domestic craft beers, and Saint Arnold Brewing Company, just north of downtown, has an expansive new beer garden that opened in the summer of 2018, and should be even better after a few months of operation and cooler temps.  A little further out, just past the 610 Loop is the city's best brewery and its best brewer, Karbach, which sold out in late 2016 to the beer behemoth ImBev, much to the chagrin of most Houstonians.  It has a popular beer-centric restaurant, events and tours.  En route to downtown, King’s Bierhaus is German / Austrian restaurant and bar with its Bavarian beers the real attraction.  Most of the best Munich-area beers are available – also still no Augustiner here – on tap including five dopplebocks and even a couple of the fame monastery beers from Andechs.  Closer in is The Heights Bier Garten on N. Shepherd that was built to order to very attractive effect and serving over 90 beer taps, an expansive and gorgeous arrangement of liquors in a structure separate from its beer dispensary, an attractive crowd and horrific parking. Just down a flight of stairs near a busy Main Street intersection, The Conservatory is an underground beer, wine and food hall with around fifty local beer options, mostly hoppy or fairly alcoholic. Also downtown, a few blocks away is the Craft Beer Cellar, a cool retail-cum-draft beer bar featuring mostly local craft beers plus an emphasis and heavy-hopping and sours.

Breakfast – If you are up for breakfast on a weekend morning, a couple standouts provide an excellent taste of Houston in the morning. Goode Co. Taqueria on Kirby just south of Highway 59 serves breakfasts that are strongly influenced by Mexico and south Texas ranch cooking, and are consistently exceptional and hearty. The recipient of some national attention, The Breakfast Klub in Midtown is friendly, eclectic and properly caloric, sporting local and Southern-rooted flavor and nice vibe whose only downside is that you’ll likely have to wait in line for a while. Who knew that catfish and eggs can make for an excellent morning meal? The Dunlavy, set attractively above Buffalo Bayou off Allen Parkway west of downtown, offers attractive and even healthy breakfast options that can be accompanied with a mimosa or wine, if you must. Picos does an excellent job with Mexican breakfasts, done more nicely and refined than most, seven mornings a week.

Breakfast Pastries – Bringing donuts or pastries when visiting another office or making a sales call can help win some friends or bring smiles, at the very least.  The sweet dough Kolaches are a regional specialty, both sweet and savory, and the best in Houston are found at the Kolache Shoppe in the Greenway Plaza area.  Their kolaches might even be the best in the entire state, a recent trip to West, Texas strengthens that notion for me.  Common Bond looks well beyond Texas to France for their baked goods and does a fantastic job with croissants and pretty much everything.  Almost as good are those goods found at the stand-apart Bake Shop at Weights and Measures in Midtown.

Brunch – As distinct from breakfast, brunch is little nicer, longer and much more alcoholic. There are a number of options including Brennan’s in Midtown, the sister restaurant of Commander’s Palace in New Orleans, which serves a classic Crescent City-style brunch that is refined, rich and with rarely a table that hews to single drink per person. A Houston classic brunch is Backstreet Café, which has a similarly appealing courtyard and kitchen. Its stablemate, Hugo’s, does the morning fare of Mexico and more on the weekend, including a mariachi-drenched buffet, a very nice buffet, as does another one, Caracol, in the Galleria on the weekend, though more seafood-oriented, and its most recent sibling, Xochi in the Marriott across from Discovery Green downtown that is similarly enticing. Not incidentally, these are the three best Mexican restaurants in the city.  For something more casual, but with the expected quality of fare and well-made cocktails, there is Weights and Measures in a quiet part of Midtown.  For something different and a drive, but excellent, is the city’s best and most copious dim sum at Fung’s Kitchen, about 10 miles southwest of downtown on I-69, though be sure to get there before 11:30 as the 500-or-so-seat dining room will already be packed.

Chinese – Until a couple of years ago, there was no Chinese food inside the Loop in Houston. Well, there was Chinese-American food – and likely truly Chinese dishes cooked for Chinese patrons – but recently there have been a trio of quality, truly Chinese to open in the greater Montrose area west of downtown. All are Sichuan, the spicy, chile- and Sichuan pepper-laden cuisine that might be the most popular in China. Nicely set Mala Sichuan, the quaint and bare-bones and the rapidly multiplying Pepper Twins are worthy of a visit, and all quite popular with Chinese nationals, a good sign, but still inviting to those not knowing any Mandarin. The location on West Gray might be the nicest with a slightly different menu and seemingly better ingredients, and alcohol, too.  The Kirby one is also quite pleasant, both much more so than the original on Fairview, which did get a shout out, though, for having the appetizer of the year in 2017 according to a writer at GQ, the innocuously named Mr. & Mrs. Smith.  The most attractive Chinese restaurant in the city, and one of the most expensive, is Yautcha in the Galleria.  It's  a lively, upscale place specializing in dim sum dishes that's similar to its Michelin-starred sibling in London's Soho neighborhood.  If you want to make the drive, Chinatown, which is centered around Bellaire Boulevard west of I-69 in southwest Houston is largest Chinatown in the country area-wise – really – and jam-packed with often wondrous and inexpensive Chinese, Taiwanese, Vietnamese and even Korean and Malaysian restaurants, tea shops and supermarkets and a lot more.

Cocktails – Opened in 2009 as Houston’s first serious craft cocktail bar, Anvil in Montrose has deservedly earned a fair amount of national press, and continued local attention from appreciative, savvy imbibers. Their cocktails are impressive and it has also spawned several other very worthy sprits-centric establishments that are also worth a visit. This evangelist of mezcal amid the cluster of Main Street bars downtown, The Pastry War, can provide a great setting for an introduction to this beguiling spirit that has deservedly gained acclaim in the past half-dozen years while being a fun bar that also has an array of bottled Mexican beers and one of the very best house frozen margaritas around. Tongue Cut Sparrow, the quaint bar-within-a-bar upstairs at The Pastry War, provides a very cool setting with attentive service and fabulous cocktails.  Nearby, OKRA is a casual stop in the early evening just off Main Street for a quality cocktail, a well-chosen and nicely priced wine or an interesting-enough beer, and like most of its neighbors, a bit more hectic later. Another member of the group, Julep on Washington Avenue not too far west of downtown, riffs on a Southern theme and serving updated classic cocktails plus an envious list of brown spirits led by the pride of Bourbon County. Opened by an alumnus of the Anvil is the Bad News Bar perched above the bustle of Main Street that has mellowed somewhat into a top-flight cocktail bar. Though known for its wine and whisky,  Public Services does a wonderful service with cocktails that are finely updated versions of the classics, always spot on.  Something outside the expected fold and a little different, is El Big Bad that specializes in casual infused-tequila concoctions that can be quite tasty while offering a great deck overlooking a stretch busy downtown and a kitchen with long hours.
 
Coffeehouses – Starbucks are ubiquitous as in everywhere as in every industrialized country in the world, but there are also homegrown spots with a little more personality and likely even better coffee, as the Port of Houston is a big hub for coffee imports. Catalina Coffee in a storefront on Washington Avenue just a mile west of downtown was one of the first of the more serious coffeehouses in Houston, featuring roasts from its sister company, the local Amaya Roasting Co. Blacksmith, nearly across the street from Underbelly on Westheimer in Montrose and part of its restaurant group, features coffee, well-chosen teas and friendly service from acclaimed local roaster Greenway Coffee and a casual, eclectic menu that also draws in the crowds for breakfast and lunch. A block away on Westheimer, Southside Espresso is a quaint spot that offers a different range of also locally roasted coffees from their sister company, Fusion Beans Coffee Roastery and an European feel, plus teas, food, wine and odd or very hoppy beers.  Not far away, also in Montrose, as most of the most interesting coffee spots reside, Campesino on Waugh north of Westheimer provides “a Latin perspective on Montrose coffee culture” featuring a strong coffee from a couple of local roasters including Katz’s, a Houston favorite found at a number of places, along with food like empanadas and tamales.   Siphon further south in Montrose has the unique Siphon method utilizing halogen burners for much of its coffees and then espresso machines for the rest, all from a couple local roasters and some well-regarded national ones. Fairly spacious, it also offers a decent-sized menu at breakfast and lunch, with foodstuffs from top local and regional purveyors. Less serious, if more arty, Inversion provides an easily accessible stop for a quality cup just off busy Montrose Boulevard and an interesting food truck always in its parking lot to provide sustenance.  Mercantile is another roomy one in Montrose, with a second location in the Rice Village, offering not just coffees from a local roaster, but wine and a small number of specialty groceries.  A few blocks away from their Rice Village spot, Italian-owned Fellini Caffe does an excellent job with the requisite Italian-style coffees that attracts a steady European clientele.  A few blocks from the ballpark in EaDo near I-69, Tout Suite, is a casual, industrially chic bakery and coffeehouse that should be able to satisfy the morning needs. In downtown proper, The Honeymoon Café, attractively set on a glass-lined corner on a stretch of busy Main Street, has become a popular place for weekend coffees, which are roasted in house, and hearty morning eats, with some of the menu drawing inspiration from New Orleans.

Crawfish – Crawfish season runs from about late January through May, and is a big deal to a lot of Houstonians, who eagerly await the taste of the invariably messy, often spicy boiled crawfish consumed by the pound. One of the best is The Boot located just west of the Heights proper that features regular shipments of crawfish from southern Louisiana and properly relaxed atmosphere for enjoying it.  Even more casual, T-Bones is a very dumpy sports bar in near northwest Houston that happens to do a very good job with crawfish.  Ragin Cajun is more expensive and much more popular than these two, but a go-to for many for crawfish during the season, and it also has a good-sized menu for those not wanting the mudbugs. For something a little different and a drive to Chinatown in southwest Houston, Crawfish and Noodles is among the best purveyors of Vietnamese style boiled crawfish, something that has become popular in the past decade.

Downtown – Though not quite a dining nexus, yet, downtown became a lot more interesting during the Super Bowl year of 2017.  Clustered around Discovery Green are Xochi a Oaxacan-themed sibling to Hugo’s and Caracol, the city’s best two, now three, Mexican restaurants, and Brasserie du Parc from one of the city’s top French chefs, both a creperie during the day and offering a enticing range of familiar French dishes both day and night.  Located conveniently across the street from the Hilton Americas and the George R. Brown Convention Center on Discovery Green like the previous two, The Grove offers an attractive contemporary space and approachable and tempting locally attuned menu under the aegis of one of the city’s venerable chefs, Robert Del Grande. And, for steakhouses, there are Vic & Anthony’s and a location of Pappas Bros. Steakhouse and Quattro in for Italian, which lost its star chef in late 2017, but should be worthwhile, at the very least, as all Four Seasons restaurants are. Main Kitchen in the JW Marriott on Main Street provides a well-executed array of appealing options with global and regional influences and often some spice in a lively open space that bleeds into the attractive bar with big windows looking out on a street scene enlivened by light rail passing by.  Another hotel eatery, this one near The House of Blues, in the Hotel Alessandra is 64-seat Lucienne  that serves only four- and six-course tasting menus at night featuring largely French-inspired preparations, but more casual a la carte dishes during the day including a range of salads, sandwiches and tartares for lunch. Opened right across from MinuteMaid, whose proprietor is fittingly Astros owner, Jim Crane, is Potente, a pricey Italian-inspired New American – “Downtown Caviar Service” is among the starters – that has well-regarded Brennan’s former executive chef and Commanders Palace alum, Danny Trace, leading the kitchen. Around the corner is its casual sibling Osso & Kristalla, opened for three meals a day offering a well-run pizza oven and fair amount more of Italian food with a very strong American accent. Not bad. A very scruffy, dumpy, lunch-only burger joint, the Hubcap Grill, has deservedly won legions of fans for its well-rendered take on the great American burger. Christian's Tailgate serves another very good burger, a basic one done well, in sports bar environment on Congress.  For something still relaxed, but when a burger is not in mind, there is MKT Bar serving Middle Eastern fare and more, along with well-chosen wines and beers, that is set in the base of Phoenicia Specialty Foods near Discovery Green. And, then there is the bare-bones Bombay Pizza Co. on Main Street with its Indian-flavored pizza-like creations that can work very well.  Just a block or so away is the Finn Hall, a food hall that opened in December 2018 with eight diverse dining options from Sichuan, Vietnamese, seafood, pizza and burgers and included edited versions of local favorites like Goode Co. Taueria.  Booze, too, but long hours from 7:00 to late night.  Near Main Street and down a flight of stairs is The Conservatory is an underground beer, wine and food hall with several options, and quite cool.  The fourth branch of one of Houston’s most laudable sandwich shops, upscale and interesting at that, Local Foods is the heart of downtown on Main Street. On the other side of the freeway from the convention center, Vinny's, a late 2018 addition, dishes up commendable rectangular slices that works well hen sober and not, and something different from the broadly similar-looking Sicilian and grandma pies of the New York area.

French – Though it might come as a surprise to most locals, there has actually been an unmistakable French influence on Houston mostly through the patronage of the Menil family who recruited the architect Philip Johnson to the city to work on their family home and the main quadrangle at the University of St. Thomas after the war, and Johnson become the favorite, and most significant, architect working locally and alighting the skyline with the Williams Tower in the Galleria, the Pennzoil and the BankAmerica buildings downtown. The Menil Collection and Rothko Chapel are other significant legacies.  Their fortune came from the Schlumberger, which is joined by large operations by Total, Techniq and AirLiquide among the most prominent ones. There are a fair amount of French nationals to enjoy their home cuisine that is done very aptly and attractively here, if not terribly adventurously. The two most lauded are Le Mistral on the far west side and Etoile in Uptown Park. The latter has a similar sibling that opened downtown just a month ago, Brasserie du Parc, which is expected to shine. Not far from downtown is Artisans that features a dramatic open kitchen surrounded by about two dozen seats and a menu of familiar French fare usually done exquisitely and always expensively.  In the Galleria area, the attractive La Table has pleased with its approachable, comfortable and noticeably very well-executed French fare since it opened a little over a year ago.  The former chef at La Table opened Maison Pucha Bistro in late 2017, a stylish and hard-working bistro serving quality renditions of familiar fare that’s been popular since its start.

Galleria – These will be within walking distance of the big hotels, if you care to be a pedestrian. Café Annie works for a drink, a somewhat casual meal and a more ambitious and usually excellent one from the kitchen of long-lauded Robert Del Grande, and a chance to catch a something sleek crafted in Maranello or Modena pull up to the valet stand. Run by the star of the recent “Deli Man” documentary, the gregarious Ziggy Gruber, Kenny & Ziggy’s produces comically caloric creations that you would expect in a quality traditional Jewish deli with roots in New York. Their open-faced pastrami Reuben is glorious, absolutely delicious, ungainly monstrosity, possibly the best in an array of tempting, heart-stopping sandwich choices. For top-notch Mexican and seafood in an attractive space and setting, there is Caracol.  Striking, quite competent in the kitchen and mostly French, La Table is nicely, if expensively, located a few steps from Café Annie.  In or at the Galleria are outposts of a few national or international restaurant groups that attract visitors and locals: Yautcha, a lively, upscale dim sum restaurant that's similar to its Michelin-starred sibling in London's Soho neighborhood; a branch of the globally popular Peruvian-spiked Japanese Nobu that opened in mid-2018 to throngs of well-shod and -heeled patrons; and the soaring, masculine Del Frisco's, long one of the city's most popular steakhouses.

Houston notables; notably Houston – A few restaurants don’t fit neatly in any of these other categories, but would be remiss not to mention to restaurant-savvy visitor. At the top the list is the nationally acclaimed UB Preserv in the heart of Montrose is the successor to the famed Underbelly that won the James Beard Award for chef Chris Shepherd.  Burnishing the phrase, “The Story of Houston Food,” the kitchen incorporates not just products but flavors from the disparate cultures that are part of the Houston mosaic, and succeeding in nearly every dish.  Café Annie from Houston’s most famous chef and a pioneer of Southwestern cuisine in the 1980s, Robert Del Grande, provides top-notch fine dining, much more casual noshing and attractive lounge activity in seamless, gorgeous contemporary space in the midst of the Galleria area’s hotels. In late 2017, the restaurant added the Prime Room, separate room with a separate, small menu featuring old school classics led by the Slow Roasted Prime Rib.  Backstreet Café is a wonderful expression of a locally attuned American bistro that has matured in its three decades as a favorite along with the city’s dining habits. A tough reservation since opening in late 2015, and quickly a clubhouse for the well-heeled from the surrounding neighborhood, State of Grace has a seemingly scattershot menu – Gulf Coast-inspired fare, Tex-Mex, Italian, expense-account-worthy steaks, and some Asian flavors plus a postcard-pretty tiled oyster bar – that nonetheless makes sense here and is well done. Though it focuses primarily on Creole fare and is the sister restaurant of Commander’s Palace in New Orleans , owned by the Brennan family, the fare at Brennan’s has longed been attuned to local tastes while providing much of the best of nearby New Orleans, with flavors from Latin America finding space on the plate in recent years. Unfortunately, it might have slipped since the departure of its chef in mid-2017.  Maybe not Houston-centric, but Nancy's Hustle is quite well-suited for the still-gentrifying EaDo – a hyphenated East Downtown – with its quickly boisterous and nicely casual set-up in a new strip center coupled with a serious kitchen churning out delectable dishes with flavors ranging from the Mediterranean on either side of the Bosphorus to stateside, most designed for sharing, and an expertly chosen array of wine, cocktails and even beers to complement the evening. 
 
Indian – Just reopened, possibly the best, and also the most expensive, Kiran’s is many ways a very good, hushed fine dining restaurant that happens to serve Indian food. But, the trueness of the cuisine to its roots and its quality is why you will find many Indians in the hushed dining room. Indika is also a nice restaurant out of the typical mode, even more so, with its fusion cooking that combines that flavors of what is now Pakistan with more Western ones, always done intelligently and to good effect, even since the founding owner and chef sold the restaurant to concentrate on the more casual and multi-concept Pondicheri.  A second branch in Manhattan and was one of New York’s top ten new restaurants in 2016 for the New York Times.  Quaint, contemporary Surya tucked in a tiny strip center along the Washington Corridor a few miles west of downtown, has grown into one of the city's best Indian restaurants, offering familiar northern Indian dishes and more, often with the chef's sure, personal touch. Himalaya south from the Galleria area down I-69 serves terrific, vibrant Pakistani fare and more in a humble setting that has drawn deserved raves from food writers since not long after opening.

Italian – There is actually some good Italian in the city. A few miles west of  Westheimer, Amalfi specializes in the vibrant and familiar cooking of the Amalfi coast, the home area of chef-owner Giancarlo Ferrara, who also does a proper Venetian-style risotto and an excellent table-fileted Dover sole courtesy of stints working in northern Italy and a French restaurant bearing two Michelin stars. Da Marco on Westheimer in Montrose has been on the short list of best Houston restaurants for fifteen years and turns out refined upscale trattoria fare with dishes from across Italy in a quaint and quite setting. At the much more casual and popular Giacomo's east on Westheimer, affordably priced and well-rendered small plates of trattoria-style Italian dishes that often highlight Rome and Tuscany, but also including items like mozzarella in carrozza and fine quality freshly made pastas, are paired with a nicely assembled, interesting, and very nicely priced 75-bottle or so mostly Italian wine list that has many tempting choices between $25 and $40, and a setting that is comfortable and coolly retro. Maurizio Ferrarese, one of the best Italian chefs in the state, became executive chef at RIstorante Cavour at the Hotel Granduca in Uptown Park in late 2018, making this fine-dining spot another top destination for Italian fare.

Italian (-American) – Serving what most people think of Italian food featuring a plates with a palette heavy in reds, whites and greens signaling vibrant and hearty flavors, this is still one of the country’s favorite cuisines. And, several long-popular Houston restaurants – whose owners are all part of the Mandola clan – can more than aptly oblige a craving for it. Not far from downtown, Damian’s has been a favorite for upscale takes on familiar fare since the early 1980s. Then there is Carrabba’s, on Kirby begat the national chain, but in this original site is something different and much better, and a preternaturally popular for restaurant-going locals who appreciate the friendly, professional service and lively atmosphere. Nino’s, an option among a cluster of establishments, has a menu filled with robust Italian-American choices with evident Sicilian roots; among their best dishes is the superb Veal Vincent, a tender veal scallop that is coated with Parmesan, pan-fried and topped with artichoke hearts and lemon-scented butter.  Not Italian-American, but not really Italian, either is Potente, a pricey Americanized Italian that has highly regarded executive chef Danny Trace leading the way. 

Live music – The quaint McGonigel’s Mucky Duck in the Upper Kirby District has been a popular stop for regional and national Americana acts – or just “Texas music” here – since 1990, and also offers a nice selection of wines and beers – including the city’s best pint of Guinness – and even kitchen dishing far-better-than-can-expected pub-inspired fare. Just down Kirby is the larger, and a little twangier and more raucous Goode Co. Armadillo Palace, a newly renovated “one-of-a-kind tribute to all things Texas.” The Continental Club on a rail stop in Midtown has great, club-like setting and an array of local, regional and national acts. The Heights Theater featuring regional Texas troubadours and more brings a cool new venue in an old one, a long abandoned movie theater in the Heights, which is now burgeoning with things to do after dark.  Also newish and even cooler, a few miles east of this on the other side of I-45 just north of downtown is White Oak Music Hall with both indoor and outdoor stages featuring younger and edgier acts along with some  great views of the downtown skyline, especially from The Raven Tower, a bachelor-pad-the-sky during the swinging 70s.  A hip addition to the gentrifying Montrose neighborhood is Goodnight Charlie's that features up-and-coming Texas- and rockabilly-themed music plus an inviting and attractive setting for a drink early in the evening.  It's got some local food and wine cred, being helmed in part by a top area wine pro, Master Sommelier David Keck, who is a former opera singer, to boot.

Mexican – Be sure you see “Tex-Mex” below, too. Though the borders between the two cuisines can be fuzzy in Houston, there still is a difference, and the truly Mexican restaurants can be ambitious, and expensive. Hugo’s from James Beard Award-winning chef Hugo Ortega and company is a prime example that Mexican fare can be upscale and the centerpiece of a fine dining experience. Sporting often creative dishes rooted in tradition that are done very well and attractively, an excellent beverage program that extends far beyond its terrific Hugo Rita and a boisterous setting, the only downside is that it can be cacophonous. Its sibling, Caracol, a gorgeous, multi-purpose seafood-centric spot a few blocks from the Galleria is Hugo’s only real challenger to the best Mexican restaurant in city other than Xochi. Situated downtown in the Marriott Marquis across from Discovery Green, this Oaxacan-inspired sibling to Hugo’s and Caracol, and joins them among the very best Mexican restaurants in the city. Its array of small plates – though often quite small portions – makes sampling this likely unique cuisine easy and enjoyable. If you wonder about their authenticity, they just added a restaurant in Oaxaca to their small group of eateries. Not quite the level of these two, Picos on Kirby, has been favorite of Mexican food fans for decades and can make for a very enjoyable visit with its well-executed Mexican staples like conchinita pibil and fantastic margaritas bolstered by an excellent array of tequilas. Amazingly loud. You might also try Cuchara, a Mexico City-influenced bistro in a minimalist space serving the contemporary fare of our southern neighbor’s sprawling capital that is cool, casual and something just a little lighter and little different. South of the Galleria area is a quaint, comfortable space, Saltillo, specializing in locally adapted, upscale versions of the often beef-laden dishes from the northern Mexican town of the same name, which quickly became popular with weekend travelers to the Galleria from Mexico.  

Pizza – The city might not be a great pizza town, or even a very good one, but there are some pizzerias worth a visit. The best by a mile is Dolce Vita from Marco Wiles, who also run Da Marco, one of Houston’s top Italian restaurants down the street. Dolce Vita consistently excellent, thin-crust pizzas that are Italian in execution and a Neapolitan in inspiration. The pies are bolstered by an array of tempting, well-executed small plates and a terrific, nearly-all Italian wine list. Bare-bones Bombay Pizza Co. on Main Street downtown does tasty takes on oddly endearing Indian-flavored pizzas on a crusty Indian bread crust. Pi Pizza, not too far west of a drive from downtown, serves a creative, if somewhat hipster-like take on pizzas small and larger that is fun rather than off-putting; booze, too. Though inconsistent, Pizaro’s usually does enjoyable versions of Neapolitan-style pizzas in an appropriately casual setting. Convenient for convention goers, as it is a short work to the other side of the freewy, Vinny's, dishes up commendable slices that work well for an inexpensive meal, just don't look at the per pie prices, as the huge sizes result in huge prices.


Seafood – Houston has one of the biggest ports in the country, so the bounty of the Gulf is not too far away. One of the best places to savor it is at Reef in Midtown from acclaimed home-town product Bryan Caswell who offers terrific seafood showcasing the sensibilities of a top-notch chef with an international pedigree and longtime Gulf fisherman.  Unfortunately, it will not reopen until November 2018.  Danton’s and its influential predecessor Goode Co. Seafood offer more strictly local Gulf Coast-style seafood – which means, here, plenty of fishes and flavors from neighboring south Louisiana and Mexico. Goode Co.’s campechana, a piquant seafood cocktail appetizer, is a local favorite. 

Splurge – The Pass is the fine dining concept of the two-and-one Pass & Provisions that aims higher, maybe too high for some, than nearly any other restaurant in the city, and only offers set multi-course meals with optional drink pairings. It gets extra credit for its cool secret door entry. You don’t have to splurge at star chef Chris Shepherd’s One Fifth Mediterranean, but you easily can.  This third installment features the food of the Levant, North Africa, and also Turkey and Greece, giving the cuisines an upscale setting and attention that has not happened to often in this area. The eclectic and personal cuisine at Theodore Rex, successor to Oxheart that closed in the spring of 2017 that won Chef Justin Yu a recent James Beard Award, is more protein-oriented and user-friendly – a small list of a la carte offerings rather than a strict tasting menu – and is still a pilgrimage for many dedicated local diners to its location in a neglected part of downtown. If you are a visiting celebrity of a certain vintage, or enjoy spending time with the town’s society set, especially during lunch, decades-old Tony’s remains one of the city’s top restaurants, and most polished. It serves well-rendered versions current Italian fare and luxe items accompanied with an extensive wine list that's filled with trophy bottles, and is set in a posh, contemporary space featuring large works from modern art masters from the region like Robert Rauschenberg and Jesus Moroles. Opened at the start of 2017, Riel was one of the most anticipated new restaurants last year, featuring the talents of a chef who won plaudits working at Reef and Underbelly under two of the city’s culinary stars, and early on it lives up to the hype with an array of extremely well-executed and flavorful creations featuring Gulf fish, extraordinary vegetables and even superb steaks done in small plate fashion, meant for sharing. Downtown there is the new 64-seat Lucienne in the Hotel Alessandra that serves four- and six-course tasting menus featuring largely French-inspired preparations, sometimes indulgent, that are $95 and$125, respectively, when wine pairings are included.

Steak – Opened in October 2018, the most interesting steakhouse in the city is Georgia James from star chef Chris Shepherd and team, which is reprising the very popular and terrific One Fifth Steak from 2017.  Big cuts of beef, superior sides and starters, a different and excellent wine list, and a whole lot to entice, even for less-than-committed carnivores. For many, the best steakhouse in the city is Pappas Bros. Steakhouse just west of the Galleria, which has a second location downtown. From the family that owns the wide-ranging chain of Pappas restaurants, their steakhouse concept is properly upscale and extravagant, very masculine in feel, and offers the requisite offerings of the genre, just done better than nearly everywhere else. These also boast the most expansive and best wine lists in the state. They also offer the Pappas trademark of an extremely high decibel level most nights. Vic & Anthony’s is from another local restaurant chain, Landry’s, and is a take on the upscale Italian-American steakhouse concept (e.g. The Palm). Even locals who swear never to eat at any of the numerous Landry’s properties seem to love Vic & Anthony’s. Located in a nearly windowless fortress-like building, it sports a proper bit of refined raffishness that comes with the Italian-American steakhouse turf. That feel not forced, as Landry’s capo Tilman Fertitta is a nephew of the Maceos, the Sicilian-American businessmen who ran the gambling and entertainment operations in Galveston some decades ago. If not quite the reputation of the other two, B&B Butchers does a good job with the expected steaks and more, including some very pricey 55-day dry aged steak and even pricier ones with A5 beef from Japan. Plus, it has a couple of things that the other two don’t, plenty of parking, and more so, a fantastic view of the downtown skyline. Killen’s STQ from Ronnie Killen of Killen's Barbecue fame brings his smoking and grilling skills along with his steakhouse experience to the big city from suburban Pearland and offers a slightly different taste on steak and the steakhouse experience in a fairly quaint setting a few miles west of the Galleria.  The original location of Brenner’s near the Energy Corridor on the west side, has been serving customers since 1936 and is probably at its best and priciest ever, some years after the Landry’s empire upgraded it.  All of the best upscale national steakhouse chains are here, of course, sometimes with multiple locations.  West Coast-bred Mastro’s in the Galleria area, owned by Landry’s that also has Vic & Anthony’s, Morton’s and Brenner’s among their pricey steakhouse brands, which is the most luxe and over-the-top steakhouse in town boasting 12,000-square feet of interior, sixteen cuts of USDA Prime beef plus others, a dedicated sushi program, and a 20,000-bottle collection of wines, not to mention an adjacent Rolls Royce showroom. The scene is the real draw for many visitors. On the opposite end of the price range, Saldivia's in west Houston, a family run Uruguayan steakhouse, offers what is easily the best value steaks in the city along with a fine selection of beef-friendly Tannats and other wines from the home country. 

Sushi – Oft-bustling Kata Rabata in the Upper Kirby District with Manabu Horiuchi leading the kitchen, does a terrific job with not just the sushi house staples but also those raw preparations touching Peru and elsewhere. One of the toughest tables in recent years has been Uchi, a transplant from Austin whose guiding light grew up in The Woodlands north of the city. Its very well-received take on contemporary, consumer-friendly Japanese cuisine has an emphasis on the raw and the cured, which are the primary draws. MF Sushi in the Museum District is set in a beautiful, modern space, an excellent setting for Chef Chris Kenji’s set-course omakase offerings that has won raves since he arrived from Atlanta a few years ago.  A little humbler than these, in a quieter stretch of Montrose Boulevard is Nippon, Japanese-owned and -operated for three decades and a popular with Japanese ex-pats. The son of its owners opened  Shun in late 2018 serving sushi and sashimi along with number of other Japanese and Japanese-themed preparations from a well-regarded kitchen staff. There are also outposts of Roka Akor and Nobu that do a more than commendable job with sushi and a good deal more.

Tex-Mex – Though it might not get much press attention as it once did, Tex-Mex remains very popular here; margaritas and longnecks, invariably loud settings, chips and freshly made salsas, and piquant, hearty if eminently enjoyable fare will likely be popular for quite a while. The small local chain El Tiempo is the best option for it in the area. Run by the family of Tex-Mex pioneer Ninfa Laurenzo, it does a terrific job with fajitas and other beef-laden items along with the basic frozen margarita that is just much tastier and more potent than the norm. The famed and always bustling and fun (if increasingly pricey) Ninfa’s sits across from one of the locations of her family's El Tiempo. Unfortunately, the fajitas and similar tacos al carbon at Ninfa's are shadow of what they used to be in terms of flavor and tenderness, and something else should be ordered there, though you’ll have fun, regardless. The attractive Goode Co. Kitchen and Cantina off I-10 in west Houston does the familiar Tex-Mex much better than most and with a distinctive locally attune style that has made all the Goode Co. restaurants justifiably popular. The scruffier El Patio on busy Westheimer is probably known to most Houstonians for its Club No Minors with its boisterous young atmosphere bolstered by copious amounts of strong and sickeningly sweet margaritas, but the food has actually been worth a trip itself for quit a while.  A newcomer in the summer of 2018 that has been packed since opening for good reason, is the Heights's Calle Onze, an attractive and hip spot with an excellent kitchen. Sylvia’s Enchilada House has three locations, and though you should probably get one of the many enchilada preparations, but just about everything is enjoyable here. The Westheimer near Kirby location of the Austin import Chuy’shas seemingly been packed most days and evenings since it opened over a couple of decades ago and remains a very enjoyable stop for the fun, caloric fare, often with frozen margaritas, that makes a strong case for being the best outpost of the entire concept.

Thai – When you are traveling for a meal at Vieng Thai in Spring Branch about a mile-and-a-half west of the West 610 Loop, you are traveling there for the food, as there is not much else: décor, service, or alcohol.  But the noticeably vibrant, always well-executed Thai fare that is seemingly more authentic than most and always worth the trip. Just remember to bring your wine or beer, as it is BYOB-only.  Longer-standing and long-loved, Kanomwan a few miles south of downtown has a similar, if even starker vibe, that is likewise an excellent value.  Much nicer than these two, is Songkran in Uptown Park that has all the accouterments of the typical nice restaurant while serving Bangkok-style Thai food that is often excellent.  Southeast of the Galleria, Thai Gourmet has served a devoted clientele with its properly piquant and flavorful cooking for a comparative song for over a couple of decades.
 
Whisky / Whiskey – In what was a Citgo gas station affecting the look of cool, upscale ice house in heart of the mostly residential Heights is the coolest whiskey bar in the city, Eight Row Flint, which specializes in bourbon and rye whiskies and attendant cocktails while also serving tasty tacos on house-made corn tortillas; the one with beef cheeks is among of the tastiest tacos in town. Believe it. Even better is the greasy, messy beef taco that might be the single best food served by this multi-restaurant outfit.  Public Services downtown has possibly the most intelligently curated selections of whiskies in the city in an attractive late 19th century building and setting. If without the charm or as knowledgeable staff as the previous two, Reserve 101 has the largest selection of whiskies in the city and it is closer to many of the downtown hotels. Izakaya at the cusp of Midtown serves a variety of Japanese and sensibly interpreted fusion cooking that riffs on the small-plate izakaya theme, and includes a big array of whiskies, from Japan, and the English-speaking country. Ninja Ramen on bar-centric Washington Avenue west of downtown is a restaurant focused on ramen while having what has been called the biggest collection of Japanese whiskies in the region, and it is open until at least 2 AM.  Not far from there is Federal Grill, a restaurant with an impressive array of whiskies, just one of which goes into their flaming Old Fashioned.

Wine – The list at nearly all of the city’s best establishments have sported decidedly Old World-heavy lists in recent years, and that has been echoed at the top wine bars. 13 Celsius in Midtown, but blocks removed from Midtown’s animated last-night scene, this a terrific, laid-back place to explore the ever-changing world of wine, done without pretension and help from the staff. On par with it, is Camerata, which might be a little more serious, as it is a popular stop for local sommeliers, and it has a shorter, but similarly excellent curated list of wines, though far fewer by the glass. Doing double duty with spirits, Public Services has a more limited selection – it is a whiskey bar, too – but has a number of well-chose Old World producers among the 75 or so wines, and it’s the best place to drink sherry in town. A little different, located near the Galleria in Uptown Park, The Tasting Room is large space, inside and out, with as much an emphasis on the bar as the wine, and has a busy singles scene that fills up its expansive patio. Vinology, easily accessible south of I-69, is something different for the city, a very inviting combination retail space with a small wine bar that features and ever-changing array of engaging flights, usually from distinctive producers. The roughly 350 retail selections are very well chosen with an emphasis on the Old World and those from the New that emphasis balance over fruit.  A summer 2017 newcomer is the champagne-centric a’Bouzy where, though a restaurant, the food is best ignored, to focus on the amazing list of sparklers, mostly from Champagne, which is usually priced below retail and the people watching featuring a largely attractive, if louche, cast of characters.

Vietnamese – Home to a large Vietnamese population since the 1970s, Vietnamese food is a staple for most regular local diners, enjoyed, in part, for the typical freshness, lightness and the ability to provide a surprisingly amount of flavor for ridiculously small amount of money. Huynh just the other side of the freeway from the downtown convention center is somewhat bare-bones, but friendly and charming, and quite a value for the quality of its fare, and it is also BYOB with a low corkage fee.  Long-standing Kim Son a veritable palace a half-mile down the street from Huynh or one of its siblings, has served as an introduction to the cuisine for many Houstonians and sports a lengthy menu with more than a few options that should satisfy. Just a block away, Café TH is a much smaller place, with a much smaller menu than its neighbor, but has plenty of choices and plenty of personality, though open for dinner only on Thursday and Friday night. Les Noo'dle on Montrose is updated, cool version of the popular pho restaurant (vegan pho, too) in a quaint, hip setting, with unfortunately very little parking. Bare-bones, but a favorite of the local Vietnamese community and savvy downtown diners, Thien An churns out tasty preparations of banh mi, pho, vermicelli dishes and steamed rice rolls for a comparative song from 8:00 to 6:00 from Sunday through Friday.  Quirky Cali Sandwiches not far away in Midown does nearly as good a job.

One of the excellent dishes found at Nancy's Hustle in Eado

​I returned from Piedmont earlier this month after a short trip that was sponsored in part by the consortium for the Barbera wines of the Asti and Monferrato regions – their name is more lyrical in Italian, of course, Consorzio Barbera d’Asti e Vini Del Monferrato.  The consortium brought around a hundred writers like myself and other wine professionals from across the globe to highlight some of the changes in their appellations and provide information about their wines.  We received some helpful information and some tasty wines, if not complete clarity.  This is Italy, after all.
 
There is a lot from which to choose among the Barberas and easy to get confused.  Among the DOCs and DOCGs, where the best Barberas are found, there is Barbera d’Asti, Barbera d’Alba, Barbera del Monferrato DOC, Barbera del Monferrato Superiore DOCG, Colli Tortonesi Barbera, Gabiano, Rubino di Cantavenna, Piemonte Barbera, and most recently Nizza. Then there are two versions of Barbera d’Asti: Barbera d’Asti and Superiore, which requires six months of aging in oak and cannot be released until January 1, the year after the harvest.  Superiore are the ones that can age.  Barbera is widely regarded to reach its peak with Barbera d’Asti and Nizza, which is actually a subzone of the Barbera d’Asti area: many, or maybe all, of the Nizza producers also make Barbera d’Asti.  Nizza takes its name from the town of Nizza Monferrato near the heart of its production and is meant in part to obfuscate or sever any connection to the cheap Barberas of yore and possibly be the highest expression of the varietal.  One of the reasons for the high quality of Barbera d’Asti and Nizza is that Barbera gets the best locations in these appellations.  In neighboring Alba, the best vineyard settings go to Nebbiolo for Barolo and Barberesco. 
 
Situated in upper, northwestern Italy, Piedmont is, along with Tuscany, the best region for wine in Italy.  Seventeen of the 74 DOCGs, the highest Italian wine classification, are in Piedmont.  It’s home to the famed wines of Barolo and Barberesco; was once widely known for Asti Spumante, and now Moscato d’Asti.  But, it’s Barbera that’s the most widely planted grape in the region, and it was Barbera that was once “consumed in copious quantities throughout northern Italy” we were told.  That was least until the methanol scandal of 1986 in which Barbera wines tainted with illegal methyl alcohol killed nearly two dozen people and blinded almost twenty more.  The reputation of Barbera – and Italian wines in general – have long since recovered from that criminal malfeasance, and Barbera is better than ever.  It’s always been an excellent food wine, the “favorite wine with pizza” and “terrific with pasta with tomato sauce, spicy foods, bitter greens and hearty dishes” for the authors of the very useful resource, Italian Wine for Dummies.  It’s long been one of my favorite wines with a range of Italian-themed dishes, especially.  Barbera wines have evolved over the past couple of decades and it is now a more serious wine. 
 
Barbera produces wines that are relatively high in acidity – hence well-suited for food – low in tannins and often with flavors of cherry, most prominently, and raspberry, dried herbs and that Italian trait of earthiness or underbrush.  My favorite versions have noticeable fruit to pair with the always-evident acidity that usually caused a sensation in the upper front part of my mouth upon first sip.
 
I really enjoyed the Barberas during the trip.  Well, all but the two wines with the consortium’s label (something I had not seen before, but these wines pursued us at every event).  The wines were all well-made and though certainly made to be consumed, they typically drank well alone.  This something that is fairly recent for Barbera, with its high acidity and sometimes missing fruit.  The basic Barberas from the Asti area – those not labeled Superiore – still exhibit freshness that its long been known for, but these are now medium- and full-bodied wines with a fair amount of alcohol.  Thanks to global warming, it was tough to encounter a Barbera that was not at least 14% alcohol.  Most were 14.5% and 15%.  But, the alcohol in every case was well-integrated.  With the added heft, a reduced acidity from years past due to use of malolactic fermentation, and oak-aging of the Superiore wines, I found that Barbera, Barbera d’Asti in particular, is still a very food friendly wine but with different types of foods than before.  In its Superiore form, it might be able to stand up to steak or other hearty dishes.  This was not the case in the past to my tastes.  But these can be big wines these days.  My recommendations are that the non-Superiore Barberas might match a range of dishes as long as they are not too light or too spicy – it worked very well with fresh pasta with or without white truffles recently – the Superiore for hardier fare and beef and other rich meat dishes.  More eating and drinking needs to be done.  And Barbera won’t set you too far back as you can find most for under $25 and usually well under $20 for the basic Barberas.


At a recent Barbera-supported luncheon in Nizza Monferrato.

As the weather has turned crisper and the days are moving inexorably towards Christmastime, I remembered this exchange, as it is an especially appropriate time for this wonderful beer.  In the evening  of a recent Christmas Eve, I received a text from a friend in the Boston area who was enjoying a terrific version  of "Belgian Champagne" with another mutual friend, a beer that I had touted them on the past.  I was glad to have done the groundwork for them.

Excellent beer is the cheapest of the gourmet indulgences. That goes especially so for the strong beers of Belgium.  One of the countless excellent Belgian beers is a somewhat unusual one, and it is easy to find in Houston, Karmeliet Tripel.  At least it is seemingly always at the main Spec’s in Midtown and the bigger of the area H-E-Bs, and likely the terrific D&Q Mini Mart.
 
I drank a bottle of the golden-colored beer not too long ago, and I was very impressed yet again by quality of this beer.  I don’t drink it enough, seemingly once a year for some reason, enough time to forget how outstandingly enoyable it is.  Featuring subtle aromas and a fairly crisp and complex taste with a touch of sweetness – like a muted bit of honey – it concludes with an extremely long, dry finish. It is both easy-to-drink and immensely satisfying with layers of flavor.  Late beer guru Michael Jackson wrote, “Karmeliet has great finesse and complexity.” Wonderfully balanced, it is delicious beer, with a smoothness and delicacy masking its 8.4% alcohol by volume.  
 
Karmeliet is also a different beer, even in the amazingly wide-ranging Belgian beer universe.  It is made with three grains.  Not just the familiar barley malt – from 3-row barley in Karmeliet’s case – but also wheat and oats.  This is typical for the lighter Belgian white beers like the once-great Hoegaarden White and its offspring Celis White, but not for the stronger beers.  But, Karmeliet does even more; the three grains are used in both malted and unmalted forms.  This grain mixture, a restrained use of the central European Styrian hops and a well-suited house yeast helps make for an interesting and multifaceted beer.
 
The use of three grains – actually six types of grains if you count both malted and unmalted versions – is not what makes Karmeliet unusual, though.  It is unusual because it is so very good and so very approachable.  It is a beer that might appeal to a wide range of drinkers, even those who might usually drink mass-produced light beers.  This is because of its relatively light and subtle flavor that can be easily appreciated.  Karmeliet is not just for beer aficionados, but it is perfectly situated to be a gateway for those to become one. Karmeliet should be a maintstay, too.
 
Karmeliet Tripel is around $14 for a 750-ml bottle and $8 for a 11.2-ounce one, both well worth the tarrrif.

So tasty....

I had had it a couple of times when I visited the northern Italian region of Piedmont some years ago and was looking forward to it when I was traveling there last week, carne cruda, an appetizer minced raw veal or beef that looks just like a slightly garnished version ground beef wrapped in plastic in your local supermarket.  That garnish was usually an egg yolk, a nicely deeply colored one at that.  It’s a dish that might not work for a lot of Americans, at least when in America, but it can be a wonderful start to a meal in the cooler climes of Piedmont, which is known for the high quality of their veal and beef.  The beef from the Alba area where I stayed, grass fed and as natural as can be, might reach its highest expression as carne cruda according to its purveyors.
 
Served a little cool, each time of the several times I had it recently was clean-tasting, fresh and relatively light, much more so than it looked, with more than a hint of a flavorful and fairly light, good quality olive oil, likely from nearby Liguria, and topped the egg yolk that provided some added richness and another, complementary flavor.  The dish is quite simple to prepare, especially in its most traditional and simplest form.  From a recipe from an Italian site, it’s just a bit of olive oil and lemon juice, salt and pepper, the raw egg yolk to crown each serving, and, of course, “the freshest and highest quality beef” ideally minced by hand – this not increasing the complexity but the time and effort.  This straightforward preparation is how I had it in Italy, if just with a small amount of additional garnish, always green.  Other recipes I came across often included mustard, onions, capers and Worcestershire sauce, with greens popular for presentation.
 
Carne cruda was served several times during my brief trip to Piedmont, always as part of the antipasti array, as a starter. It was sometimes pre-made in bulk – there were well over a hundred needing to be fed – and served in plastic containers.  These worked well, very well, to my taste and were fairly attractive, even in the plastic.  It probably didn’t hurt the desirability that I had it solely, or mostly, at Michelin-starred or -recommended restaurants during my recent visit.
 
But I find it hard to believe that carne cruda will ever get much traction here as appetizer.  It’s too bad, though I wouldn’t blame friends and potential guests who might sample the dish in Italy – at a Michelin-starred restaurant – but would hesitate if I served it, even if I told them it was made with beef or veal from Central Market or the like.  So, maybe not surprisingly, carne cruda or anything similar was not in the several American editions of pan-Italian cookbooks that I have, which were originally published in Italy.  A suitable recipe is easy to find online, though I doubt I will attempt it any time soon.  I trust those Michelin-starred restaurants in the Alba and Asti areas much more than I trust myself.


At San Marco in Canelli in Piedmont last week

When I pinged a cousin that I was heading to the Asti area for a few days this past week, she responded, “try the spumante.”  For a great many of us, before the rise of Moscato, Asti meant Asti Spumante.  And, Italian sparkling wine.  There was no other Italian sparkler in this country before Prosecco began its ascent this millennia.  These days, Asti spumante is dead.  Well, that’s not entirely true.  Dropping by the main Spec’s on Smith Street, there are still a few bottles from the big producers Martini & Rossi, Cinzano and Gancia, but these were made a few years ago and Asti Spumante is no longer being produced.
 
One of the sponsors of my trip was the Consorzio Tutela dell’Asti DOCG, the consortium of the wines of Asti.  A recently introduced slogan and one repeated to us is, “’A proposito di una terra, un’uva, tre grandi vini” with the gist “A land with one grape and three great wines.”  Now, from the area comprising 52 towns and villages and 25,000 areas represented by the consortium around the city of Asti in the region of Piedmont in northwestern Italy that sits between Milan and Turin, from the single grape of Moscato d’Asti, three wines are produced.  These three wines are made entirely from the light and aromatic Moscato d’Asti grape, which is known in France as Muscat à Petits Grains and is also widely used in other countries.
 
From the most dry to sweetest, the three wines made from Moscato d’Asti are: Asti Secco, Asti Dolce, and Moscato d’Asti.  The brand new Asti Secco averages just 17 grams of sugar per liter and these are about 11% alcohol by volume.  Asti Dolce usually has between 90 and 100 grams of sugar per liter, and around 6-7% alcohol. Moscato is the third, and undisputed star of the appellation, and also the sweetest with roughly 120 to 130 grams per liter and just between 4.5% and 6.5% alcohol.  Asti Dolce is what used to be Asti Spumante, though a little less alcoholic than in the past.  The bubbles are naturally produced in the bulk Charmat Method or as it’s called in this part of Italy, the Martinotti-Charmat Method, as the Frenchman got the credit for what the Italian invented (a claim that does actually have some merit). 
 
The three wines from one grape can be confusing.  The speaker at an event sponsored by the consortium from Jancis Robinson’s site admitted as much.  It’s all quite new, after all.  The 2017 vintage of Asti Secco was the very first.  If not as usually not as interesting as the wines of Moscato d’Asti, the Asti Dolce wines can work nicely as a digestivo, with its sweetness and notes of peach and lychee that are buttressed by welcome acidity, maybe with a dessert or fruit.  Asti is just another example that the wines of the Old World are ever-changing. 

And, though I didn't drink any Asti Spumante, I drink a lot of Asti, Secco and Dolce, and a lot of spumante, which is simply the Italian word for sparkling wine.


Old school Asti Spumante displayed at the Scarpa winery in Nizza Monferrato the other day