Houston restaurants figure prominently inTexas Monthly’s new“Where to Eat Now,”its annual list of the state’s best new restaurants.
Releasing today, food critic Pat Sharpe’s canvassing of the state’s best new restaurants -- opened between Dec. 1, 2020 and Dec. 1, 2021 – yield more than 40 highlights of the best dining in Texas. The list is divided among small plates, sandwiches, entrees, desserts and alcohol (beer, wines, spirits).
PANDEMIC-PROOF: Some of the new Houston restaurants that opened during the pandemic
Sharpe notes that the list took shape against a pandemic backdrop as the state’s restaurant and bar industry continues to struggle to stay alive (one out of five dining establishments, a “shocking nine thousand between March 2020 and November 2021,” Sharpe writes).
Still, important restaurants opened in Covid times and the list recognizes what they’re adding to Texas’ food scene. And Houston chefs, restaurant and bar owners are doing their part to contribute to the vast and dynamic state of dining (and drinking) in Texas.
Here are some of the Houston restaurants called out in “Where to Eat Now”:
Ixim:The Mexican cuisine operation inside Bravery Chef Hall downtown impressed with its fried lamb and pork meatballs on an avocado puree. “Credit goes to classically trained chef Tim Reading, who learned tricks of the trade under chef Hugo Ortega at Caracol,” Sharpe writes.
Winnie’s:The Peacemaker po’boy at Midtown’s valentine to Gulf and New Orleans dining and drinking traditions is recognized for its savory authenticity: crispy fried shrimp and oysters tucked into a real Leidenheimer loaf. Sharpe called the “fancy sandwich” lounge “the closest that Texas comes to a funky New Orleans watering hole.”
Da Gama Canteen:Portuguese-Indian restaurant from Oporto chef/partners Rick and Shiva Di Virgilio at M-K-T Heights excels in vegetables, especially oven-roasted seasonal root vegetables. The chef’s weaving of the traditions of two nations results in “a trove of novel small dishes, almost all of them ideal for sharing.”
Chivos:The new Mexican restaurant in the Heights from Night Moves Hospitality is where you can find chef Thomas Bille’s standout Pollo a la Lena, slow-roasted chicken finished on a wood-fired grill. “Prepare to be impressed,” Sharpe writes, with this chicken served with avocado-tomatillo salsa and earthy homemade tortillas.
March:The boutique, 28-seat restaurant in Montrose from Goodnight Hospitality was recognized for chef Felipe Riccio’s special tasting menus. Sharpe reviewed the restaurant when the menu was exploring Riccio’s “highly inventive” take on the cuisine of southern Spain. March’s new menu, launched last week, is a study in the foods of southern France.
Duck n Bao:The Chinese restaurant on Memorial specializes in soup dumplings and Sichuan cuisine but it was the “miraculously prepared” whole Peking duck that caught Sharpe’s attention. “Presented on a large tray for sharing, the glossy, crispy-skin fowl is attractively carved and served with a bamboo steamer full of paper-thin crepes.”
Urbe:James Beard Award-winning chef Hugo Ortega’s new Mexican street food restaurant in Uptown Park was recognized for its “stupendous” huarache, a masa cake “paved with soulful refried black beans and loaded with tender, smoky carnitas and rajas.”
Le Jardinier:The fine dining restaurant in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston impressed the magazine with is “dazzling” signature butterfly dessert – a showy flutter of yuzu mousse, raspberry compote and pistachio shortbread cookie. “This singular sensation” is the work of culinary artist and executive pastry chef Salvatore Martone.
Night Shift:东区鸡尾酒酒吧吸引了赞扬的色情文学tar Martini that is “having a Houston moment.” The cocktail is a marriage of vodka, passion fruit cordial, lime juice, vanilla and a sidecar of chilled sparkling wine.”
In a sidebar that recognized the want/need to dine outdoors, the magazine noted alfresco trends in key cities. In Houston the patio options at Backstreet Café, Brennan’s of Houston, Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co., Coltivare, Hungry’s, J-Bar-M Barbecue, Kuu, and Mutiny Wine Room got the nod.
Greg Morago writes about food for the Houston Chronicle. Follow him onFacebookorTwitter. Send him news tips at greg.morago@chron.com. Hear him on ourBBQ State of Mind podcastto learn about Houston and Texas barbecue culture.