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| Dining in Houston Style |
Whatever hours diners keep or cuisines they seek, the trends strive to meet a desire for experiences at the extremes by pushing the envelope for a unique and memorable meal that will open up some worldly perspective.
New dinning digs
Houston has new restaurants emerging all the time. Following are just a few of the newest additions to the Bayou City’s culinary canvas.
The upscale casual BlackFinn American Grille brings American and regional favorites to Midtown. Chef John Turner’s menu features classic and new concepts with fresh, local ingredients and handmade cocktails in a space that offers four distinct settings. The laid-back Grille Room is for casual dining with a full bar. Dining Room guests enjoy the rich ambiance of wood beams and high-end finishes with a traditional meal and award-winning wines. The Saloon gives diners a high-energy bar complete with flat-screen TVs and a late-night menu while the Patio offers a relaxed, pet-friendly outdoor environment for up to 100 people.
Chef Oscar Aguilar and Marta Vina have joined for an inner-loop tapas and small-plates concept called Convivio. The lively interior features rubbed concrete floors, a dramatic bar area, small patio space and oil paintings by Claire Richards. The spot boasts a 20-foot communal table, dramatic pendant lighting and an open kitchen that cooks up a Spain-inspired menu of contemporary tapas and montaditos, flavorful fare atop small baguettes and a solid wine list. Convivio also hosts weekend paella brunches with tapas, Spanish comfort food and sangria.
The Heights’ new El Gran Malo is shaking things up as a “gastrocantina.” Part restaurant and part tequila bar, the spot debuted in late summer 2011 with delicious Mexican food and an array of infused tequilas. The casual spot is funky and festive with a spacious patio and an interior colorfully accented with a Latin-inspired mural by Houston artist Kevin Hernandez. El Gran Malo features more than 50 tequila varieties, more than 25 craft beers and a spicy menu by Chef Greg Lowry that includes specialty tacos, crab-filled empanadas and other small plates.
The new Line & Lariat inside Hotel ICON brings modern Texas cuisine to the luxurious downtown property. Designed to appeal to hotel guests and locals alike, the bistro uses locally sourced ingredients to create innovative versions of classic dishes. Line & Lariat replaces Voice as Hotel ICON’s signature restaurant as part of a $5 million renovation at the property. The restaurant and accompanying L&L Bar also now feature a daily happy hour.
Rercently open in spring 2012 is Oxheart by Chef Justin Yu and Beverage Specialist Justin Vann. Named for a type of carrot, tomato and cabbage as well as the obvious meat affiliation, Oxheart serves three different four- or seven-course tasting menus each night with an emphasis on fresh, local produce with notable vegetable treatments as well as a dessert program from Yu’s pastry chef and wife, Karen Man. Complemented with unique beverage pairings, Oxheart focuses on an exploration of the Texas Gulf Coast, showcasing the largely ignored diversity of coastal ingredients.
The new upscale Saint Genevieve gastrolounge has a 5,000-square-foot split-level interior that is open and inviting with an interior of robin’s-egg blue and chocolate with wood accents. Perfect for professionals sipping signature drinks like a Nutella martini or champagne sorbet cocktail, the restaurant’s small plates offer flatbread pizzas, Mumbai fried chicken and Spanish meatballs benedict. Saint Genevieve also has an impressive build-your-own Bloody Mary Bar for Sunday brunch.
Sometimes pork, chicken and beef just aren’t enough when you’re craving something more exotic, and that’s the idea behind the new Sammy’s Wild Game Grill. Game meats have unique flavors and are becoming more popular in the United States as diners recognize the health benefits of the leaner alternatives to the American staples. At Sammy’s guests feast on the finest exotic game meats, from antelope and elk to rattlesnake and ostrich, which are all-natural, farm-raised and free of growth hormones, antibiotics and preservatives for a healthier and tasty dining safari adventure.
The barbecue arena in Houston is fiercely proud, and Stockyard Bar-B-Q is throwing its hat in the ring to draw high-end patrons into the Southern BBQ delights with its location in the Galleria area and by catering special events. Choose from options like sweet-and-wet or dry-and-spicy ribs, sliced or chopped brisket and boudin-stuffed pork loin. For sides, try fried sweet corn, dirty rice or savory mac ’n cheese.
Combining sweet and savory with spirits, Chef Ryan Hildebrand’s high-concept restaurant and bar at Triniti, which opened Christmas Eve 2011, features “progressive, regional American cuisines with California/West Coast sensibilities.” Although similar to Hildebrand’s famous fare while a sous chef at Textile, his new offerings have a lighter gastronomic touch. The core menu changes seasonally with a weekly supplemental menu that provides new tastes all the time from an open kitchen. Besides a chef’s table that seats 14 and a community table for 10, private dining is available for parties up to 36.
The much-anticipated Houston location of Uchi opened in late 2011 as part of the regentrification of the Lower Westheimer area. As the newest offering from James Beard Award–winning chef Tyson Cole, the nationally recognized sushi bar features a menu similar to its Austin counterpart with traditional sushi and sashimi as well as a diverse menu from the kitchen and sake, wine and beer.
New dinning digs
Houston has new restaurants emerging all the time. Following are just a few of the newest additions to the Bayou City’s culinary canvas.
The upscale casual BlackFinn American Grille brings American and regional favorites to Midtown. Chef John Turner’s menu features classic and new concepts with fresh, local ingredients and handmade cocktails in a space that offers four distinct settings. The laid-back Grille Room is for casual dining with a full bar. Dining Room guests enjoy the rich ambiance of wood beams and high-end finishes with a traditional meal and award-winning wines. The Saloon gives diners a high-energy bar complete with flat-screen TVs and a late-night menu while the Patio offers a relaxed, pet-friendly outdoor environment for up to 100 people.
Chef Oscar Aguilar and Marta Vina have joined for an inner-loop tapas and small-plates concept called Convivio. The lively interior features rubbed concrete floors, a dramatic bar area, small patio space and oil paintings by Claire Richards. The spot boasts a 20-foot communal table, dramatic pendant lighting and an open kitchen that cooks up a Spain-inspired menu of contemporary tapas and montaditos, flavorful fare atop small baguettes and a solid wine list. Convivio also hosts weekend paella brunches with tapas, Spanish comfort food and sangria.
The Heights’ new El Gran Malo is shaking things up as a “gastrocantina.” Part restaurant and part tequila bar, the spot debuted in late summer 2011 with delicious Mexican food and an array of infused tequilas. The casual spot is funky and festive with a spacious patio and an interior colorfully accented with a Latin-inspired mural by Houston artist Kevin Hernandez. El Gran Malo features more than 50 tequila varieties, more than 25 craft beers and a spicy menu by Chef Greg Lowry that includes specialty tacos, crab-filled empanadas and other small plates.
The new Line & Lariat inside Hotel ICON brings modern Texas cuisine to the luxurious downtown property. Designed to appeal to hotel guests and locals alike, the bistro uses locally sourced ingredients to create innovative versions of classic dishes. Line & Lariat replaces Voice as Hotel ICON’s signature restaurant as part of a $5 million renovation at the property. The restaurant and accompanying L&L Bar also now feature a daily happy hour.
Rercently open in spring 2012 is Oxheart by Chef Justin Yu and Beverage Specialist Justin Vann. Named for a type of carrot, tomato and cabbage as well as the obvious meat affiliation, Oxheart serves three different four- or seven-course tasting menus each night with an emphasis on fresh, local produce with notable vegetable treatments as well as a dessert program from Yu’s pastry chef and wife, Karen Man. Complemented with unique beverage pairings, Oxheart focuses on an exploration of the Texas Gulf Coast, showcasing the largely ignored diversity of coastal ingredients.
The new upscale Saint Genevieve gastrolounge has a 5,000-square-foot split-level interior that is open and inviting with an interior of robin’s-egg blue and chocolate with wood accents. Perfect for professionals sipping signature drinks like a Nutella martini or champagne sorbet cocktail, the restaurant’s small plates offer flatbread pizzas, Mumbai fried chicken and Spanish meatballs benedict. Saint Genevieve also has an impressive build-your-own Bloody Mary Bar for Sunday brunch.
Sometimes pork, chicken and beef just aren’t enough when you’re craving something more exotic, and that’s the idea behind the new Sammy’s Wild Game Grill. Game meats have unique flavors and are becoming more popular in the United States as diners recognize the health benefits of the leaner alternatives to the American staples. At Sammy’s guests feast on the finest exotic game meats, from antelope and elk to rattlesnake and ostrich, which are all-natural, farm-raised and free of growth hormones, antibiotics and preservatives for a healthier and tasty dining safari adventure.
The barbecue arena in Houston is fiercely proud, and Stockyard Bar-B-Q is throwing its hat in the ring to draw high-end patrons into the Southern BBQ delights with its location in the Galleria area and by catering special events. Choose from options like sweet-and-wet or dry-and-spicy ribs, sliced or chopped brisket and boudin-stuffed pork loin. For sides, try fried sweet corn, dirty rice or savory mac ’n cheese.
Combining sweet and savory with spirits, Chef Ryan Hildebrand’s high-concept restaurant and bar at Triniti, which opened Christmas Eve 2011, features “progressive, regional American cuisines with California/West Coast sensibilities.” Although similar to Hildebrand’s famous fare while a sous chef at Textile, his new offerings have a lighter gastronomic touch. The core menu changes seasonally with a weekly supplemental menu that provides new tastes all the time from an open kitchen. Besides a chef’s table that seats 14 and a community table for 10, private dining is available for parties up to 36.
The much-anticipated Houston location of Uchi opened in late 2011 as part of the regentrification of the Lower Westheimer area. As the newest offering from James Beard Award–winning chef Tyson Cole, the nationally recognized sushi bar features a menu similar to its Austin counterpart with traditional sushi and sashimi as well as a diverse menu from the kitchen and sake, wine and beer.
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