Restaurants

A Moveable Feast

9341 Katy Frwy, I-10 West @ Echo Ln, Houston, TX 77024 713-365-0368

Description: KATY. Originally a health food and vitamin store, this restaurant developed from the owners' desire to share the belief that healthy eating tastes great. All dishes are made fresh in-house and never have anything artificial added to them. Special diet? No problem ­ they "specialize in special requests." The menu offers soups, sandwiches, desserts, breakfast items, and tasty entrées that will surely have you coming back to try what you didn't get to order the first time. A limited selection of beer and wine is available, or you can bring your own.
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Américas

1800 Post Oak Blvd, The Pavilion, Houston, TX 77056 713-961-1492

Description: GALLERIA/UPTOWN. With its Jetsons-meets-the-Flintstones interior, only more chic and elegant, Américas has an otherworldly ambience that's as much theater as it is dining. The cuisine follows suit, effortlessly melding substance with spectacle. Dishes incorporate ingredients from a multitude of global destinations, and the resultant offerings include pan-roasted Gulf snapper, grilled venison, paella, and buffalo tenderloin. Excellent service is a treat, as is a decadent tres leches cake. Great cocktails too.
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Arcodoro

5000 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77056 713-621-6888

Description: GALLERIA. Whether you dine in Arcodoro's casual grill area or in its white-tablecloth dining room, you can be certain of spectacular Sardinian cuisine. An offshoot of Italian fare, it's the rustic, simple cooking of farmers and shepherds, but it's delicious enough for folks of all classes and inclinations. Homemade pastas enlivened with wild boar, roasted vegetables, and black truffles are wonderful, as are veal medallions, broiled lamb chops, roasted chicken, and a host of gourmet, wood-fired pizzas. Italian wines allow the restaurant's culinary heritage a chance to shine.
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Bar Annie

1728 Post Oak Blvd, Houston, TX 77056 713-840-1111

Description: GALLERIA. Cafe Annie serves innovative regional cuisine amid polished woods, white tablecloths, and exquisite floral arrangements. The elegant, perennially popular restaurant has won many culinary awards, including ones from James Beard, the Fine Dining Hall of Fame, DiRoNA, and Gourmet magazine. Specializing in what has come to be known as Southwestern Cuisine, the establishment serves tempting fare like wood-grilled shellfish, cinnamon-roasted pheasant, and coffee-roasted filet of beef. Bar Annie is the restaurant's less formal, less pricey venue.
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benjy's

2424 Dunstan St, Houston, TX 77005 713-522-7602

Description: RICE VILLAGE. Airy, open, and bright, this busy restaurant unites fabulous food, impeccable service, and terrific people-watching. Happily, the accomplished and ever-changing menu is a sensory treat any time of day. It features gourmet salads, wood-oven pizzas, and small and large plates offering beef arepas, pan-seared Texas redfish, and mustard-molasses glazed chicken. Brunch offers omelets, French toast, and dishes like scrambled eggs with either grilled steak or crab cakes, and tempura shrimp with eggs and grits. Breakfast cocktails are available. Brunch is served 11am till 4pm Saturday and Sunday.
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Bistro Lancaster

701 Texas Ave, Lancaster Houston Hotel, Houston, TX 77002 713-228-9500

Description: DOWNTOWN. Noted for its terrific service and great bar, Bistro Lancaster is a tried-and-true favorite. Its New American fare is reason in itself to show up, and the menu invites you to whet your palate with poached mussels or wild mushroom risotto. From there, it's hard to choose among dishes like Madras curried duck, seared blue crab cakes, and slow-braised osso buco. Nevertheless, anything you choose, and any time you opt to stop in for a meal, you're certain to be pleased.
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Churrascos

9705 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77042 713-527-8300

Description: HOUSTON. Add a dose of spice to standard steakhouse dining at this gem, whose South American-influenced decor features lush greenery and tropical flowers. Try something out-of-the-ordinary, like South American-style ceviche with hearts of palm, black bean-stuffed empanadas, sliced roasted duck breast with green peppercorn sauce, and churrasco beef marinated in chimichurri sauce (olive oil, garlic, spices). Pork, chicken, and seafood can also be had.
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Daily Review Cafe

3412 W Lamar St, Houston, TX 77019 713-520-9217

Description: MONTROSE. This small, trendy cafe has earned quite a faithful following, and folks can't seem to get enough of its bistro-inspired dishes. Offerings combine greens, cheeses, fruits, nuts, meats, and seafood to brilliant effect. Although the menu changes frequently to take advantage of what's seasonal, you can expect to find wonderful salads, pizzas and pastas, and items like Thai fish tacos, fried chicken, crab cakes, a hot brown sandwich, and seared red snapper. A lovely brick patio is sublime during good weather.
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Gravitas

807 Taft St, Houston, TX 77019 713-522-0995

Description: MIDTOWN. A jazzed-up historic building distinguished by concrete, brick, and original art sets an appealing scene at Gravitas, whose light-hearted atmosphere is more than its name might indicate. A boisterous ambience shows how comfortable patrons are in the well-attended eatery, and an open kitchen ensures that no one feels subdued or put-upon. The menu takes bistro fare as its inspiration, turning out incredible steak frites, roast chicken, Texas quail, and lamb sirloin with panzanella salad. Blue plate specials can also be had, along with classic appetizers like veal sweetbreads and calf's liver. Count on a good selection of wines.
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Hugo's

1600 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006 713-524-7744

Description: MONTROSE. Set in a lovely historic building, Hugo's serves regional Mexican cuisine that's a far cry from typical chips-and-salsa fare. Instead, you'll discover complex flavors and textures that'll definitely shake up your expectations of south-of-the-border cookery. Gorditas come stuffed with chicken, pork, and rabbit, while quesadillas feature everything from achiote-marinated pork to Swiss chard and potatoes. Other options: roasted goat, slow-cooked baby pig, grilled beef tenderloin, and bacon-wrapped shrimp. Incredible sauces and marinades really kick up the flavor. On Sundays, the brunch buffet lets you feast to the accompaniment of live music.
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Indika

516 Westheimer, Houston, TX 77006 713-524-2170

Description: MONTROSE. Recipient of many rave reviews and much well-earned praise, Indika has taken Houston by storm. The airy, clean-lined restaurant, enlivened with sunny hues, attracts a wide range of folks entranced by a menu that combines Texas ingredients and Indian spices and preparations. Kudos go to salmon tikka, duck tandoori, roasted eggplant with paneer, and foie gras with fig chutney. The nan is also a revelation, and you absolutely can't miss the desserts. Chef-owner Anita Jaisinghani was formerly a pastry chef, and she still has a sure, innovative hand with sweets.
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Mockingbird Bistro

1985 Welch St, Houston, TX 77019 713-533-0200

Description: RIVER OAKS. A charming dining room with stained glass accents and self-proclaimed "funky gothic" decor welcomes enthusiastic guests to this appealing bistro. Sophistication and comfort mix in the setting and in the food, which is rustic, flavorful, and impeccably prepared. Steak frites is a natural classic, as are roasted chicken with mushroom risotto, grilled ahi tuna, cider-glazed pork chop, and tagliatelle with slow-braised lamb. Desserts keep up the creative theme, and the international wine list is delightfully well priced. A wonderful neighborhood institution.
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Monarch Restaurant & Lounge

5701 Main St, Hotel ZaZa, Houston, TX 77005 713-527-1800

Description: MUSEUM DISTRICT. A richly adorned dining room, replete with dark paneling, patterned carpets, and exuberantly dressed chairs, sets the scene for accomplished, eminently satisfying cuisine. The menu takes Continental dishes and kicks up their treatment, resulting in olive oil-braised prawns, domestic lamb with shiraz sauce, wild mushroom-crusted halibut, and a 20-oz. prime bone-in rib-eye. Add a side of white cheddar truffle mac & cheese or potato, bacon, and brie gratin, and you're set for a sumptuous meal. And that's even before warm Valrhona chocolate cake with champagne ice cream! Great bar scene, too. Business dress at dinner.
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Ouisie's Table

3939 San Felipe St, Houston, TX 77027 713-528-2264

Description: RIVER OAKS. Boasting upscale country decor and a Gulf Coast-inspired menu, Elouise Adams Jones's establishment promises comforts galore and has turned the heads of local and national critics alike. The skilled chef regularly wows patrons with fried crab cakes or seasoned quail with cheesy polenta and port glaze ­ and those are just appetizers. Entrees include crab-stuffed Atlantic salmon, three-cheese macaroni and cheese, fried oysters with blue cheese slaw, and chicken-fried steak. An international wine list provides apt accompaniments, and the dessert menu features decadent bourbon-pecan pie.
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Pico's

5941 Bellaire Blvd, Houston, TX 77081 713-662-8383

Description: WEST HOUSTON. Within its unassuming environs, Pico's delights patrons with authentic regional Mexican cuisine, which it dubs "Mex-Mex" (in contrast to the less inventive "Tex-Mex"). You can, of course, order customary enchiladas and tacos, but why would you want to when fresh ceviches, achiote-marinated chicken, and red snapper Veracruz are available? Broiled steaks, chicken with Oaxacan black mole, and roasted, pork-stuffed poblano peppers with walnut sauce are also fantastic. Outdoor dining and terrific tequilas serve as added perks.
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Rainbow Lodge

2011 Ella Blvd at E TC Jester, Houston, TX 77008 713-861-8666

Description: THE HEIGHTS. Occupying a hundred-year-old log cabin, this esteemed restaurant is filled with antiques, memorabilia, and mounted animals, all of which give it a romantic, historic ambience. The menu specializes in game dishes, including a grilled buffalo rib-eye, pan-roasted elk chop, and peach-glazed pheasant breast. Chicken, beef, pork, and fish also make appearances, and mixed grill options are available as appetizers and main courses. Sunday brunch is a feast of flavors as well, and lush desserts are mandatory. The Tied-Fly Bar features a magnificent carved bar, and outdoors, you'll find citrus trees, decks, and a kitchen garden.
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Ruggles Grill

903 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006 713-527-9400

Description: MONTROSE. Southwestern-styled cuisine is the forte at this well-received restaurant, which has received lots of local and national press since opening in the late '80s. Most dishes feature spicy, "on the border" ingredients like fresh cilantro, ground cumin, and habeñero peppers. The chef's innovative preparations also make an appearance in grilled vegetables and in seafood offerings ­ jalapeño angel hair pasta and pecan-crusted salmon with crab, to name but a few. Co-owner and chef Susan Molzan is known, too, for tantalizing dessert treats that you won't want to pass up.
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Shade

250 W 19th St, Houston, TX 77008 713-863-7500

Description: THE HEIGHTS. A casually hip neighborhood restaurant, Shade is romantic but unpretentious thanks to muted colors, clean lines, and broad windows. A menu that revels in flavor and texture pulls guests back again and again, eager to sample dishes like pan-seared red snapper with a wasabi kick, squid salad, rustic baked pastas, creative salads, and pork enlivened with citrus and herbs. Outdoor dining is available, along with a bar, a pleasantly affordable wine list, and service that's attentive without being intrusive.
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The Remington

1919 Briar Oaks Ln, St. Regis Hotel, Houston, TX 77027 713-403-2631

Description: GALLERIA. Elegantly appointed with French doors, richly patterned carpets, and potted plants, this hotel dining room gets a visual punch from vibrant red walls. Such meshing of tradition and the unexpected is also reflected in the menu, which seeks to capitalize on Texas culinary heritage. For proof, look to pistachio-dusted duck breast, mesquite-baked salmon with fennel citrus slaw, or lamb osso bucco. Texas steaks are also featured. Outdoor dining, Californian wines, an upscale bar, and scrumptious desserts ­ anyone for warm chocolate lava cake? ­ provide further reason for delight.
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Truluck's

5350 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77056 713-783-7270

Description: GALLERIA. A favorite with trendy Houstonites, Truluck's enjoys an upscale aesthetic. Professional servers make each diner feel special, and a superb international wine list helps set a refined tone. Contemporary interpretations of American seafood dominate the menu, and stone crabs are the specialty. However, you can also find seared sesame-crusted tuna with parmesan mashed potatoes, fiery Pacific Rim red fish with stir-fried vegetables, and grilled mahi mahi with Truluck's signature Ponchartrain seafood sauce. Save room for dessert, because you don't want to miss out on pecan praline cheesecake, carrot cake, or mocha almond fudge pie.
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