SheltonChoked
08-01-2013, 02:31 PM
Here is my list of areas to stay in, resturants to eat at, and some suggested bars.
Places to stay for the game:
Anywhere along the light rail line.
Downtown
Medical Center
Museum District
Pro's:
easy access to bars downtown and the game via light rail
near the zoo, and museums (for Kid's/wife)
Con's:
Probably the most expensive
Not much shopping for wife
Galleria area
Pro's:
lots to do eat and see
Con's:
Not many bars
Have to cab or drive to the Bar areas
TRAFFIC
Expensive
All other areas of town have the same Con's as the Galleria, but without the upside.
Places to avoid (and why):
Anywhere near the Staduim (Not a good part of town)
The Woodlands, Cypress, Katy, Conroe, Kingwood (Not close to the Staduim or anything else; all are at least 1 hour without traffic and can be 2-3 hours if you don't know wherre you are going and traffic is bad)
Most places on SW freeway (not a good area)
Resturants:
There is a huge list of great places to eat in Houston. I'll list some of my favorites. All Chain's listed are Local.
Best Brunches
Hugo's (on Westheimer near Montrose) Best Authintic Mexican Mexican in the city, maybe the country
Brennan's of Houston
3300 Smith, 713-522-9711
Brunch is the best time to don your Sunday finest and pretend you're starring in Terms of Endearment at this grande dame of dining. The $20 brunch at Brennan's includes your choice of appetizer—we recommend the classic, sherry-laced turtle soup—and entree. Although eggs benedict are one of the two entree choices, we'd go with another Brennan's favorite: the plush Texas pecan-crusted catfish with corn maque choux, French beans, and spiced pecans in a Creole meuniere.
Ouisie's Table
3939 San Felipe, 713-528-2264
As with Brennan's, brunch is our favorite time to visit the country club-like Ouisie's Table and settle in with a few mimosas for the day. The $20 brunch menu at Ouisie's features a large selection of chef/owner Elouise Adams Jones's best dishes, from crab cakes with corn relish and jalapeño tartar sauce as appetizers to brunch-perfect entrees such as grilled asparagus with two poached eggs, crabmeat, and a truffled hollandaise sauce.
Latin Bites
5709 Woodway, 713-229-8369
For something altogether different from your standard brunch, Latin Bites has created a menu that highlights Peruvian influences with a soulful Southern twist. The $20 brunch menu at chef Roberto Castre's restaurant features such interesting dishes as a lúcuma French toast, which we only imagine makes extraordinary use of the lúcuma fruit's sweet caramel-custard flavor. You can also go full South American at brunch, indulging in choripán as your main course: a grilled Argentinean sausage sandwich that sports tomato, lettuce, and spicy aji amarillo mayonnaise with a side of shoestring fries and tangy chimichurri sauce.
RDG + Bar Annie
1800 Post Oak, 713-840-1111
Get gussied up and get your girlfriends together for a brunch at RDG + Bar Annie that would normally cost an arm and a leg—that's because Robert del Grande's flagship restaurant is offering a three-course brunch menu instead of the standard two-course affair. The $35 brunch menu at RDG starts with your choice of dishes such as house-smoked salmon on brioche with avocado and fennel salad and a chopped egg sauce before moving on to entrees like wood-grilled hanger steak with huevos rancheros and fresh salsa. You can be good at dessert with a berry and yogurt sundae, but brunch is for fat pants and roomy dresses; get the chocolate brioche bread pudding or the pecan pie with butter pecan ice cream instead.
Serious Steals
Cinq at La Colombe d'Or
3410 Montrose, 713-524-7999
Newly installed chef German Mosquera has been drawing positive reviews recently for his seasonal menus that are heavy on the vegetables and heavy on flavor. During HRW, the $45 three-course dinner menu showcases Houston's diverse culinary influences as well, ranging from braised goat with squash blossoms to pan-seared redfish with sea urchin butter, shisito peppers, and kimchi vinegar.
Del Frisco's
5061 Westheimer, Suite 8060, 713-355-2600
Our own Robb Walsh once called the tomahawk-cut rib-eye at Del Frisco's "the most flavorful steak in the city." While that pricey cut of meat isn't on the HRW menu at the Galleria steakhouse, plenty of other options are: a $20 lunch menu includes choices like sliced filet mignon and filet medallions, while the $45 dinner menu offers up a USDA Prime New York Strip as well as non-steak options like salmon in a tchoupitoulas sauce.
La Casa de Caballo
322 Westheimer, 832-623-6467
As with Del Friscos, Houston's Tex-Mex steakhouse is known for a signature massive cut of meat—a $170, four-pound rib-eye cap called a tapa de lomo. While the steak (which can easily feed six people) isn't on the HRW menu, plenty of other tempting choices abound at La Casa de Caballo at both lunch and dinner. At lunch, the $20 menu offers chicken in a salsa borracha and enchiladas saltillos. But the restaurant breaks out the beef at dinner, when the $35 HRW menu offers an 8-ounce eye of the rib-eye, a 10-ounce beef shoulder, and a massive 20-ounce brisket—and that's just for one course.
Perry's
Multiple Locations
By far the restaurant with the most widely dispersed locations, Perry's ensures even folks who live far outside Houston can enjoy HRW with locations in Champions/Spring, The Woodlands, Clear Lake, Katy, Sugar Land, and Memorial. Each steakhouse is offering dinner only during HRW, when the three-course $45 menu includes choices such as an 8-ounce filet Perry topped with jumbo lump crabmeat or Perry's [rightfully] famous pork chop—carved tableside, of course.
Philippe
1800 Post Oak Boulevard, 713-439-1000
The French Cowboy—chef Philippe Schmit—is showcasing some of his namesake restaurant's most popular French-Texan dishes at both lunch and dinner during HRW. During the $20 lunch, look for braised beef Ã* la Provençale and bananas foster bread pudding with cajeta caramel sauce. On the $35 three-course dinner menu, try the mussels stuffed with housemade chorizo or the roasted pork tenderloin served with dried apricots, confit eggplant in honey, and Morbier cheese.
Quattro
1300 Lamar, 713-276-4700
Believe it or not, one of Houston's best Italian restaurants also has some of the best gluten-free and vegetarian options during HRW. Quattro chef Maurizio Ferrarese has come up with lunch and dinner dishes ranging from an organic, Tuscan-style rotisserie chicken served with a Texas pecan and goat cheese salad to a gluten-free risotto with bay scallops, shrimp, and baby octopus. For veggie lovers, there's his quattro formaggi pizza or an eggplant parmigiana.
Spindletop
1200 Louisiana, 713-375-4775
This downtown classic atop the Hyatt Regency Hotel does indeed spin: the restaurant makes a full rotation every 45 minutes, meaning that even if you're only enjoying a quick dinner you'll still see all the amazing views the 34-story Spindletop affords. But why rush it? Kick back and enjoy the $45 three-course dinner menu and such dishes as a grilled Texas peach salad with pickled onions, chorizo-lentil soup with chipotle crème fraîche, and Southwest seared salmon with blue corn grits and a saffron cream sauce.
The Oceanaire Seafood Room
5061 Westheimer, Suite 8050, 832-487-8862
This stately, elegant Galleria anchor restaurant charms with deco details and old-school service. Also charming: the sheer number of different dishes available on its HRW lunch and dinner menus. All the Oceanaire favorites are represented, from the black-and-bleu fresh catch of the day and the fish & chips with matchstick fries to the stuffed Alaska sole florentine and the center-cut filet mignon with shrimp. And, of course, you can always follow your meal with warm cookies and a glass of milk.
Vic & Anthony's
1510 Texas, 713-228-1111
Downtown's signature steakhouse, Vic & Anthony's, is accustomed to pulling out all the stops on a regular basis. So it's no surprise the $45 three-course dinner menu is full of sumptuous selections like an 8-ounce filet mignon, lobster bisque, Atlantic salmon with a king crab tapenade, and the steakhouse's amazing croissant bread pudding with dulce de leche and bourbon sauce.
Treat Your Folks
Backstreet Cafe
1103 S. Shepherd, 713-521-2239
As with its sister restaurant, Hugo's, the venerable Backstreet Cafe has assembled an amazing assortment of HRW menus for lunch and dinner. Evening is the time to go, however, when you can choose from a four-course vegetarian menu for $35, a three-course red wine dinner (wine pairing $25 extra), a three-course white wine dinner (another $25 for the wine), a three-course cocktail dinner (with cocktail pairings for $26), or a beer dinner paired with three beers for an additional $19. As is always important when dining out with the parents, there's a choice to please every member of the family.
Benjy's
Two Locations
Whether you're dining at the original Benjy's in Rice Village or the elegant new Benjy's on Washington Avenue, there's something for everyone on the $35 dinner menu: Dr Pepper-braised short ribs or pork chops with succotash for Dad, saffron risotto or blackened salmon for Mom, an Atkinson Farms tomato salad for anyone who loves the taste of Texas in the summer. And for dessert: Benjy's own mother's cake, served with vanilla ice cream.
Brenner's Steakhouse
10911 Katy Freeway, 713-465-2901
The old Brenner's Steakhouse on Katy Freeway just outside the Beltway was always a special occasion spot for my family growning up. But even if it wasn't for your own family, it's still a lovely little spot to treat the parents to a nice night out. The charming, old-school steak house is serving some of its long-time favorites on its $45 HRW dinner menu, including a 6-ounce filet mignon and weiner schnitzel with anchovies, capers, and a fried egg on top.
Cadillac Bar
1802 Shepherd, 713-862-2020
Take your folks lunch or dinner here—Cadillac Bar is offering a two-course lunch menu for $20 and a three-course dinner for $35, and both are full of festive favorites. At lunch, the carnitas enchiladas and the cantina nachos are sure to please. And at dinner, you can choose between generous portions of mixed fajitas with grilled shrimp, a parillada with roasted Cornish game hen, grilled shrimp, pork ribs, and more, or a lighter mahi mahi topped with sweet and spicy habanero salsa.
Charivari
2521 Bagby, 713-521-7231
The attentive European-style service matches the classic Continental fare at this gloriously old-school Midtown restaurant, where chef Johann Schuster serves updated twists on German, French, Austrian, and Hungarian food. The be-curtained and white-tableclothed dining room means you can actually have a conversation without yelling (perfect for the parents), and they'll love Schuster's dishes such as foie gras-stuffed schnitzel and homemade apple strudel with vanilla ice cream on the $35 HRW dinner menu.
Frank's Americana Revival
3736 Westheimer, 713-572-8600
The old Frank's Chop House has been renovated as Frank's Americana Revival under the watchful eyes of father-and-son team Michael and Christopher Shine, and now sports a fun yacht club vibe mixed with Rat Pack swank. In other words, it's perfect for Dad. You'll find food to match the mood on the $35 HRW dinner menu, including some of the best gumbo in town, chicken-fried steak, and a maple-brined 16-ounce pork chop.
Haven
2502 Algerian Way, 713-581-6101
Chef Randy Evans's farm-to-table mecca lets you enjoy summer's bounty without the sweat-producing labor of picking it yourself. (In fact, much of the produce and herbs served at Haven comes from its own gardens on site.) You'll find such seasonal favorites as Haven's whole-roasted tomato with ratatouille, quinoa, and purple hull pea hummus on the menu as well as meatier choices like fried chicken livers, wild Gulf head-on shrimp, and free-range chicken with bacon spaetzle.
Laurenzo's
4412 Washington Avenue, 713-880-5111
This clubby steakhouse from the Laurenzo family (they of El Tiempo) mixes steaks with Tex-Mex classics, so there's a little something for both sides of the table here. The incredibly warm, welcoming service will make you feel right at home—but that's only one of the things Laurenzo's is known for. The other is prime rib, which is served every night on the $35 HRW dinner menu (or inside a wrap at lunch) along with other choices like crab etouffee enchiladas and an amazing chocolate bread pudding.
Mockingbird Bistro
1985 Welch, 713-533-0200
My own parents adore Mockingbird Bistro for the fun, funky architecture inside the old Montrose building that houses the bistro, which keeps the place spirited and spunky in spite of its carpeted floors and white tablecloths. Chef John Sheely's food is the other main attraction, and his talents are on display in Mockingbird's $45, three-course dinner menu with choices such as roasted cauliflower souffle topped with shaved truffles, braised Colorado lamb shank, and Chicken Veronique: a roasted half-chicken with saffron-tomato couscous and broccolini.
Around the World
Artisans
3201 Louisiana, 713-529-9111
Chef Jacques Fox doesn't just have a ridiculously awesome French name—he also serves up some ridiculously awesome French cuisine at his palacial Midtown restaurant. The two-course $20 lunch menu is the way to go if you're looking for a quick business lunch, but the $45 dinner with four-courses of French fare is our choice for going all-out at night. Choose from dishes such as trout meunière aux amandes, escargot á la bourguignonne, and mousse au chocolat parfumée au Curaçao.
Cafe Brussels
1718 Houston, 713-222-6996
This charming cafe from Belgian owner Catherine Duwez is as close as you'll get to Bruges in the Bayou City. Cafe Brussels has the largest selection of Belgian beers on draft in town, which you can use to wash down your moules-frites at lunch or blanquette de veau at dinner.
Churrascos
Multiple Locations
Whether you eat at the Westchase, River Oaks or Sugar Land location of Michael Cordúa's mini-South American empire, you'll be able to choose from roasted fresh Gulf red snapper with jumbo lump crab, the famous Churrasco steak, or a parillada topped with smoked lamb chops, bacon-wrapped filet, and grilled Argentine sausage. You can even add a glass of Chilean wine for $9.
Hugo's
1600 Westheimer, 713-524-7744
Always the overachiever, Hugo's has created one of the most amazing Houston Restaurant Weeks menus we've seen. Along with a huge selection of gluten-free and vegetarian items, Hugo's also has a slew of different interior Mexican cuisine menus for dinner—all of which are planned to pair with either red wine (which includes wood-grilled rack of lamb in a mole coloradito), white wine (where you'll find fried catfish topped with chicharrones), or agave (which comes with a duo of achiote-rubbed pork ribs and a cemita, a classic Mexican sandwich with braised pork). There's even a full, four-course vegetarian dinner for $35 (which you can also pair up with wine for an additional $28).
Indika
516 Westheimer, 713-524-2170
Chef/owner Anita Jaisinghani—she of the Meatless Mondays at Indika and its sister restaurant, Pondicheri—is one of the few participating chefs to offer a vegan menu for HRW. At her upscale Indian restaurant, Indika, you can choose from brunch, lunch, or dinner. But it's the three-course, $35 dinner that piques our interest, with choices of eggplant paneer chaat, green masala chicken, and Jaisinghani's famous saffron-pistachio ice cream.
Kiran's
4100 Westheimer, 713-960-8472
Houston is lucky to have two impressively upscale Indian restaurants run by powerful female chefs, with Kiran Verma's restaurant Kiran's as the kissing cousin to Indika. Kiran's is offering only one HRW menu—a three-course, $45 dinner menu—but it comes with your choice of favorites such as tandoori Texas red fish with with mango chutney, apricot biryani, and garlic naan; a soup flight that features tomato saffron soup, mulligatawny stew, and corn chowder with onion bhaji; and a so-called "Vegetarian Feast" with paneer makhni, bagare bengan, daal makhni, and more.
Kata Robata
3600 Kirby, 713-526-8858
Chef Hori-san's cuisine continues to be the best Japanese food you'll encounter in Houston, from his pork fat-laden ramen to his glorious omakase spreads at the sushi bar. And with the four-course, $45 menu Kata Robata is offering at dinner, you'll be able to sample a little bit of everything that Hori-san does best: Hawaiian amberjack sashimi with foie gras (which I named as my second-favorite dish in Houston last year), pan-seared U-10 scallops with shrimp miso macaroni and cheese, and a big plate of sushi and handrolls are among the options.
Le Mistral
1400 Eldridge, 832-379-8322
The Denis brothers started out in a tiny strip-center restaurant here in the Energy Corridor a decade ago, and eventually expanded their fine dining French cafe into a beautiful, standalone restaurant that does justice to their cuisine. And although there are plenty of French spots to choose from during HRW, none of the menus are quite the same—take Le Mistral's three-course $35 dinner menu that includes options such as chicken breast brochette and Provençal-style stewed beef with saffron rice.
Rioja
11920 Westheimer, 281-531-5569
This popular Westchase-area tapas joint is equally known for its paella and its pretty patio. You can enjoy both thanks to Rioja's extremely generous HRW menu. A four-course, $35 dinner includes paella as one choice, but also gazpacho, stuffed piquillo peppers, and pears poached in Rioja wine. At brunch, the HRW menu allows you to choose any four items from the extended tapas menu, so go nuts.
For more suggestions, Look Here (http://www.houstoniamag.com/eat-and-drink/find-a-restaurant#find-a-restaurant?feature%5B%5D=pick&page=1&_suid=137538543930505623825411244168)
Bars:
For a beer try:
The Gingerman in Rice Village
Mongoose Vs Cobra in Midtown
Haymerchant on Westheimer at Montrose
Flying Saucer Downtown
West Alabama Ice House
Most Little Woodrows
Petrol Station in Oak Forest
For wine:
Tasting Room Uptown and Town Centre
13 Celcius in Midtown
For Great Drinks:
Anvil on Westhiemer
OKRA Charity Saloon Downtown
Goro and Gun Downtown
Poison Girl on Westhiemer
Under the Volcano in West U
I have kids so I don't know where to go party anymore. I may still be Midtown and Washington Avenue.
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