THE CITY'S DINING scene has never been bigger or better. Step inside the trendiest and tastiest H-Town restaurants now!
Trend: Good Bones
Think bone marrow is bougie?! Not anymore. From accompanying comfort food like risotto at Tavola to a bone-marrow booze luge at Whiskey Cake, the ingredient and presentation have taken a fun turn, appearing on menus all over town. Levi Goode’s forthcoming Memorial City restaurant Credence will roast it on the hearth, while State of Grace stirs some in to its Spanish-octopus pasta.
Trend: Best Mex
Benjy Levit (photo by Gittings Photography)
Several beloved chefs known for higher-end cuisines are making moves to open casual-cool Tex-Mex joints, as in Ford Fry’s Little Rey, opening soon in Mid Lane, and Maximo Canteen, a project from Benjy Levit and Seth Siegel-Gardner which bows any day in the former El Topo spot. These follow Armando Palacios’ 2023 hit Mandito’s, a spinoff of his popular Round Top resto.
Trend: Hot Commodities
Drake’s Hollywood
Some of the hippest concepts across Texas are making their way to the H. Culinary aphrodisiacs like fresh oysters, lobster, sushi, and frosty cocktails draw crowds at imports like Clark’s Oyster Bar from Austin and Hudson House via Dallas. The latter’s owner is also soon delivering Drake’s Hollywood, which promises to woo with deep red leather booths, soft lighting, and heart-throbbing American fare. Nearby in Upper Kirby, PostScript HTX, also from a Dallas group, flaunts Instagram-worthy pink and florals — you can’t miss the bright pink exterior at Kirby and Westheimer! Plus: Ring a doorbell at one of the plush booths to order Champagne.
Trend: Chef's Choice
Nigiri at Oheya
Omakase isn’t new — but Houston chefs are putting fun and different spins on the Japanese culinary tradition. At Sushi by Hidden in Rice Village, savor 12 courses in just 30 minutes at lunch (45 minutes at dinner). The similarly discrete omakase-only Oheya next to Uchi has dishes prepared by a rotating roster of guest chefs, while sister resto Uchiko offers five- and 10-course options.
Trend: Any Way You Slice It
Nonno’s in Montrose (photo by Jenn Duncan)
Always enticing, pizza has never been so hip in H-Town! Anthony Calleo is dishing his Gold Tooth Tony’s Detroit Pizza in the Heights, while Terrence Gallivan’s Elro Pizza and Crudo packs in the Midtown crowds. And Esquire magazine named Nonno’s in Montrose, committedly decked out in a retro-chic-Pizza-Hut theme by Gin Braverman, 2023’s best pizza joint in the States.
Trend: Roe to Know
Caviar at March
Caviar service reigns supreme, but there’s more than one king in H-Town. At March, inventive caviar accoutrements include persimmon and Mallorcan melon tea. Nearby, Goodnight Hospitality’s forthcoming Marigold Club features a Mayfair-inspired menu with golden Kaluga and platinum Osetra caviar with chive creme fraiche, hard-boiled egg, and pickled pearl onions. Bite-sized caviar sandwiches with afternoon tea! Caviar service is classic French bistro style at La Colombe d’Or’s Tonight & Tomorrow. Choose Osetra or Huso Hybrid with chopped egg, chives, crème fraiche and blinis.