Any Don't miss places in Houston?

[cbionic]

I'll be in Houston on a business trip for 4 days. I've never been and want to find some authenic restaurants. BBQ, other staples of the area and some possible high end. Any help would be great.

[Motochef]

It would help to know that part of Houston you will spend your time. I'd suggest Goode Company BBQ & their Taqueria. I'd also give serious consideration for a visit to Mark's American Cuisine for some superlative high end eating. Truluck's Seafood, Steak and Crab House is also a nice spot.

Have a great trip.

Motochef.

[Jay Francis]

Here are some places, unique to Houston, that I typically introduce to my out of town visitors.

You can find more details and addresses at www.b4-u-eat.com

Himalaya Indian Restaurant

Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen

Tampico Seafood

Las Gorditas on Bissonnet

Kasra Persian

Cafe Caspian Persian

Molina's Mexican on Buffalo Speedway

The orignial Ninfa's on Navigation

Goode Company on Kirby

Goode Company Seafood on I-10

Kelly's Country Cooking on Park Place

Vieng Thai on Long Point

El Hidalguense on Long Point (cabrito..go on Sat or Sun morning only)

Arirang Korean

San Tong for dumplings

Jasmine for Vietnames fish 7 ways

The food court at Hong Kong City Mall on Bellaire for Banh Xeo

Rainfrop Chocolates for gelato

Glass Wall for upscale

Corkscrew for wine

[Peter Green]

I've always had a love-hate relationship with Houston. Mainly, I love to hate it. But I was poisoned against the city, I must admit, by a 2.5 year stint there with no car, no tv, and no money.

I was back last year, on someone else's money, a company car, and one of my old buddies who likes to spend all of his available income on food and wine.

Here's what I liked:

Beso - inside the 610 (the Loop) on Westheimer (I believe). Excellent atmosphere, nuevo latino cuisine, and a tenderloin with blue cheese I loved. Very good martinis and a nice selection of sipping tequilas.

Ragin' Cajun - on Richmond, again, just inside the Loop. Right next door to the liquor store. Go for the upscale experience and take a spot in the tacked onto the side of the place waitered section to the right after you go in. Excellent crawfish, good oysters (but not as good as Vancouver, of course), and a boudoin I love to distraction.

Goode Company up on I-10. I think that was it. The bbq is good, but part of the experience is wandering through the gun shop next door.

Perry's in Clear Lake. 6 inch pork chop. 'nuff said.

The Raven, on Bisonnet, has a nice, local feel to it. Their breaded oysters are good, and they make much ado about their blue corn meal and grits batter. Good, but perhaps not a place for the list of "must dos".

Also, if it's still there, Marfreles is a fun place to take people late at night. No signs, and the entrance is on the back of the mini-shopping complex on the south side of West Grey. It's not as seedy as it used to be back in the 80's and 90's but still a great place for a martini. 2006 Peden Street.

Recommended, but I haven't eaten (or drank) there:

Arvid's Wine Bucket - out on Alabama on the East side. A friend called Arvid saw this place and had to go. He came back well impressed with it as a good spot for a nice, knowledgeable glass of wine.

[cbionic]

Thanks for the help. Motochef, I'll be staying in the 610 loop right by Greenway Plaza and about 3 miles from the Galleria.

[Caroline923]

You have to try Polo's - in Greenway Plaza - new and GREAT - owned by same chef that has the Post Oak Grill - and if you have tons of money and are into thte hi end - Tony's on Richmond in Greenway - they will cook anything you aske for andin any way you want - no matter how you do it - but you pay for it!

[MarkinHouston]

Thanks for the help.  Motochef, I'll be staying in the 610 loop right by Greenway Plaza and about 3 miles from the Galleria.

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Ragin Cajun is just west of your location a few blocks. Tony's is in Greenway Plaza as just reported--break out the old expense account! You are less than two miles from Central Market which is a fun place to spend extra time and money. The original complex of Goode Company restaurants (seafood, BBQ, and Taqueria) are at Kirby and West Park, just southwest of Greenway about two miles. There is a Molina's Mexican restaurant on Buffalo Speedway southwest of Greenway about one mile away from you.

[Peter Green]

Some friends went to Tony's the other week. Great foie gras. And definitely a place with an expense account attitude.

Is Cafe Annie still around across from the Gal? I know Americas, with their Klingon rain-forest decor was cleared out awhile ago.

[FoodMan]

In your area also you'll find Bistro Moderne in Hotel Derek on Westheimer. I've heard very good things about it from both local and national press. For very well made Italian food, check out Simposio or Da Marco. I believe both have their own thread here in this forum. Tony's is great and pricy. Cafe Annie...is pricy and I was never a big fan of it.

[LDLee]

I work in Greenway Plaza area and am confused where you are. 610 is 3 miles from Greenway Plaza.

Other restaurants to consider:

Cova Wine & Tapas Bar -- Good selection of wines by the glass and excellent food.

Max’s Wine Dive –- Developed by the owner of the Tasting Room, supposed to be an upscale hole-in-the-wall. Allison Cook loves this place. The wine is reasonably priced and the food is okay. The oyster nachos are outstanding.

Catalan Food and Wine -- Right now, my favorite restaurant in Houston. Every time I have been there the food has been amazing.

Tony’s -- I have only been here for lunch a couple of times and have enjoyed my meals each time. It is definitely an expense account dining experience.

The Breakfast Klub -- Best breakfast in town. Have the wings and waffles.

T’Afia -- Monica Pope is a talented chef. Focuses on foods grown in the region.

Yia Yia Mary’s -- I am not a Greek food fan. My friends like this place a lot. If I want Gyro’s, I go to Niko Niko’s.

Dolce Vita Enoteca Pizzeria – Some people like this place, others think it is over rated. With good weather, it is a nice to place to hang out on the patio and have pizza. Another place for hanging on a patio, eating Italian food and drinking wine would be Grappino di Nino

Other Comments

Houston is not the place for barbecue. Personally, I don’t like Goode Company. Of the places near Greenway, I prefer Luling City Market (Yes, I am a heretic).

Many excellent places for hamburgers. Consider Lankford Grocery & Market, Christian’s Tailgate Grill & Bar or Bubba’s Texas Burger Shack.

I think Mexican food here is marginal. The best places are little taqueria’s that are hard to find and harder to convince people to go to. I would trust Jay Francis on this topic. In addition to Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen, I have heard good things about Teotihuacan and Otilia’s.

To those not from here, it will seem strange to hear that Asian food is where the city shines. Vietnamese, Korean, Thai, Indian, Pakistani – you name it we have it and it is good. Skip Vietopia (near Greenway) and go to the little Asia area in midtown or go to the Asian area near Bellaire and the Beltway. Egulletteers can give you some excellent suggestions if it interests you. For Indian, I prefer the lunch buffet at Khyber (coorected 2/21/07) over Bombay Brasserie.

Mark’s and Da Marco are both excellent restaurants. If you go to Da Marco, make sure they don’t put you at the table near the front door or near the door to the side room. Noë is another excellent expense account restaurant.

For casual semi-high end, try either Shade or Ouisie’s Table.

I like the Glass Wall. It is less than 5 blocks from my house. Be warned, it is LOUD.

Edited February 21, 2007 by LDLee (log)

[FoodMan]

Indian, I prefer the lunch buffet at Himalaya over Bombay Brasserie.

Just a minor quibble. This is the second time Himalaya is refered to as Indian. It is not, it's Pakistani and while excellent, they have no buffet. For a good Indian Buffet my top pick goes to Mayuri in the plaze on Fountainview and Westheimer.

Mexican food marginal in houston? I also disagree. Other than the many good Taquerias (I trust Jay Francis on his recs too BTW ), if you want a nice white table cloth Mexican dinner head down to Hugo's on Westheimer.

cbionic, are you confused yet?

[LDLee]

Indian, I prefer the lunch buffet at Himalaya over Bombay Brasserie.

Just a minor quibble. This is the second time Himalaya is refered to as Indian. It is not, it's Pakistani and while excellent, they have no buffet. For a good Indian Buffet my top pick goes to Mayuri in the plaze on Fountainview and Westheimer.

I meant Khyber, and I have corrected in my post. I will have to grab a group of friends to try Mayuri.

[SuperLuckyCat]

I take family and friends visiting me to Tampico, Thelmas (which may be closed so then I would go to Goode Company partially for the absurd huge armadillo next door) for BBQ, Lankfords for breakfast, Hugos (everyone is impressed by their margaritas, ceviche, fish, and desserts), t'Afia and Cafe Annie for food unique (at least to Yankees) to here. Other previously mentioned places I agree with but not something very Houston would be Niko Nikos and Dolce Vita. When family comes into town and wants to go out for big steak, I pick either Brenners or Pappas. I have a hard time dealing with the location and the corporate parent of Brenners (Landrys!) but once in there you don't notice it. Pappas is just a fabulous place for a scene of Texas Sugardaddies and their daughter-or-date? bar scene.

Hangovers must be serviced at Lankfords, Chachos, Breakfast Klub or Texadelphia.

[SuperLuckyCat]

Oh, and Specs. Specs is the best destination in town. And Central Market.

[jscarbor]

Here are some places, unique to Houston, that I typically introduce to my out of town visitors.

You can find more details and addresses at www.b4-u-eat.com

Himalaya Indian Restaurant

Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen

Tampico Seafood

Las Gorditas on Bissonnet

Kasra  Persian

Cafe Caspian Persian

Molina's Mexican on Buffalo Speedway

The orignial Ninfa's on Navigation

Goode Company on Kirby

Goode Company Seafood on I-10

Kelly's Country Cooking on Park Place

Vieng Thai on Long Point

El Hidalguense on Long Point (cabrito..go on Sat or Sun morning only)

Arirang Korean

San  Tong for dumplings

Jasmine  for Vietnames fish 7 ways

The food court at Hong Kong City Mall on Bellaire for Banh Xeo

Rainfrop Chocolates for gelato

Glass Wall for upscale

Corkscrew for wine

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Is Las Gorditas Gorditas AquasCalientas.

And San Tong is now SandDong Noodle House and while good it doesn't seem to be as good as the original dump.

[Bill Miller]

Mark's is great, Simposios is great Italian, Capital Grill for steaks, Cafe Annie for southwestern,--try DaMarco's for lunch, Zucchini's in the Galaria for lunch and Kinney & Ziggys for Deli.

[cbionic]

Thanks for all the input. My week was pretty busy so I didn’t get to many of the places recommended. Turns out I was staying just off Kirby right by the Goode Company Seafood.

I ordered the grilled catfish with verde and mole sauce. Turned out to be a great choice. The verde sauce was excellent with the catfish.

For dinner I planned on something but my coworker showed up late, so we had some fajitas at some bar and watched the Syracuse game. They were good and this is where I found Schiner Bock. It was much better than I expected.

The next day for lunch right back to the Goode Co, but this time the BBQ. I ordered a 3 meat sample, coleslaw, and Austin baked beans.

The first rib I tried was mediocre, but as I got to the meatier ribs they were solid. Great smoked taste and tender. The pork and beef brisket were all I could hope for. The jalapeño bread and the St. Arnold Pale ale added to the experience. So did the giant armadillo staring at me my whole meal. I grabbed a bottle of sauce for some Early spring BBQing in NY.

For dinner we wanted to try Tony’s but my GPS sent me to some closed up building near the Gallaria. In the end we ate at Café Anna’s. We weren’t really dressed for it so we sat at the bar, ordered off the pub menu and had a few glasses of wine with dinner. I ordered the Kobe beef sandwich which was quite good. Kobe beef had good flavor and the caramelized onions and mushrooms were a great mix. My co-worker ordered the Tortilla soup which she really enjoyed and a Caesar salad. For dessert I ordered the fresh cookies and my co-worker had the berries. The cookies were good, but I was hoping for hot out of the oven fresh. The berries with home made whipped cream were excellent. The bartender was very friendly and had some good recommendations on the wine. I can’t remember what we ordered but I had Cab and my coworker had Chardonnay. Good choice. A side note, I looked over the full menu, and it was quite pricey. The food looked good though.

The following day our work put us near Rice, so we had lunch in Rice Village a Istanbul Grill and Deli. We ordered the Humus to share which was great and followed up with a Lamb Gyro and I had a Grilled Chicken sandwich of some sort. For dessert I had the Baklava. This turned out to be a great choice. I recommend it if you haven’t tried it. It was my first encounter with Turkish food and I can’t wait to have it again.

That night we ended up at the rodeo, I know, but coming from NY I had to experience it. It was a similar experience to our NY State fair but Texas style. I had the Crawfish etufe and shrimp for a Cajun stand. Both were a good choice for fair food. Once again the Shiner Bock’s were a good addition.

Our final day we went to the last of the Goode Co…The Taquoria. I had a burger and a chicken soft taco. The burger and chicken were good with a great smoked flavor and the salsa was really good.

Again, thanks for all your advice. Culinary wise I enjoyed myself. Maybe next time I can hit the higher end restaurants and Asian food. Work just got in the way.

[Jay Francis]

Sorry about that. Yep, Gorditas Aguascalientes and Sandong Snacks.

Here is another one to add to the list. I had forgotten about this one.

Jarro Cafe on Gessner. Great hot sauce(s)

http://www.houstonpress.com/2004-04-29/din...blaze-of-glory/

[jess mebane]

For dinner I planned on something but my coworker showed up late, so we had some fajitas at some bar and watched the Syracuse game.  They were good and this is where I found Schiner Bock.  It was much better than I expected.

That night we ended up at the rodeo, I know, but coming from NY I had to experience it.  It was a similar experience to our NY State fair but Texas style. I had the Crawfish etufe and shrimp for a Cajun stand.  Both were a good choice for fair food.  Once again the Shiner Bock’s were a good addition.

Again, thanks for all your advice.  Culinary wise I enjoyed myself.  Maybe next time I can hit the higher end restaurants and Asian food.  Work just got in the way.

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Ahhh, the first Shiner in Texas. I envy you that, friend. I never wanted a tattoo, but if MOM, the Marines or a Boy Named Sue had an inky needle gun to my head, it'd still have to be a teensy Shiner bottle on the ankle for me.

Pity it weren't a balmy Friday in August.