What a Dish!
Every good restaurant has at least one great specialty. Here are 66 choices for Texas’ best eating.
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Fresh filets of humble catfish are marinated in something that co-manager Bob Gazdek is “not allowed to say.” Then they’re basted in butter and thrown on the mesquite grill by specially trained cooks, who almost always manage to make them come out moist, flaky, and irresistible. Served with homemade tortillas, rice, pinto beans, a dollop of guacamole, roasted onions, and roasted red and green peppers, the catfish dinner is so high class that some customers don’t even recognize it as catfish. $8.95. 4902 Kirby (520-9153).
Boiled Crawfish
Tony Mandola’s
Tony Mandola gets his acclaimed crawfish from a farm in the Atchafalaya River basin and boils them in cayenne, chile powder, lemon and orange juice, black pepper, garlic powder, and other things. He says he got the recipe from a mysterious Louisiana horse trainer who wandered into the kitchen one day. “I wish I could remember his name,” says Mandola. He serves these fabulous critters only in crawfish season, between November and May. $11.95 for three pounds. Gulf Coast Kitchen, 1962 W. Gray (528-3474), and Blue Oyster Bar, 8105 Gulf Freeway (640-1117).
House Special Sandwich
Givral’s Sandwich Shop
Called banh mi, the Vietnamese sandwich puts ordinary sandwiches to shame. The house special consists of a crusty French roll spread with homemade mayonnaise and stuffed with pâté, barbecued pork, fried chicken, slivered carrots, sliced cucumbers, jalapeños, and cilantro, and finished with a splash of soy sauce. $2. 2704 Milam (529-0462).
Chile Con Queso
Felix Mexican Restaurant
Don’t snicker—this cheese dip is a classic. “I don’t know why we don’t bottle it,” sighs Mrs. Felix Tijerina, the widow of the founder. Probably because she’s the only one who knows how to make it. A staple for generations of clients, the fluffy, surprisingly complex cheese goop is made with Kraft American cheese, ancho chiles, and three very expensive ingredients that Tijerina declines to reveal. Houstonians buy it in bulk for parties. $2.15. 904 Westheimer (529-3949).
Lamb Dumplings
Dong Ting
Chinese dumplings are, in themselves, must-have dishes, and for those who’ve tried them all, the best are to be had at popularly acclaimed Dong Ting. The fragrant minced-lamb stuffing is savory and flavorful, and it comes packaged in a delicate crêpelike dough. There are many memorable dumplings in Houston, but none are better than the dumplings at Dong Ting. $4.50. 611 Stuart (527-0005).
Limeade
Avalon Drug Company
The best thirst-quencher in Houston is the fresh-squeezed limeade at the Avalon Drug Company and Diner, the dump with the most elegant clientele and the worst bathrooms in the city. It’s made with fresh lime juice (ask for extra), sugar syrup, carbonated water, and a cherry. $1.50. 2518 Kirby (529-9136).
Amor di Polenta
Allegro
The attractive, youthful staff at this noisy espresso bar changes so fast that even your waiter may not know about amor di polenta, which means “love of polenta.” Made of cornmeal and powdered sugar, these humble little confections help keep the place in business. $1. 2407 Rice Boulevard (526-4200), with three downtown locations and one in the Galleria.
Grilled Quail
Carrabba’s
Just about everybody in Houston has a different favorite dish at Carrabba’s—if only they could get past the crowds to order it. Undeniably, though, the grilled quail is worth waiting in line for. The plump little brown birds, lovingly wrapped in pancetta, look so delicious lying these on a bed of polenta that you could eat them bones and all. $10.95. 3115 Kirby (522-3131) and 1399 S. Voss (468-0868).
Roasted Turkey Sandwich
Heritage Tearoom
This genteel nonprofit tearoom, staffed up front by eager Heritage Society lady volunteers, serves the best American sandwiches in town. Fresh roast turkey on homemade honey-wheat bread baked daily is only one of several offerings. Manager Candy Payne deserves all the credit. $3.25. In Sam Houston Park, 1100 Bagby, downtown (655-8514).
Tom Ka Gai
Kanomwan
An unforgettable Thai soup with coconut milk, crushed red pepper, lemongrass, and chicken, this traditional dish achieves the perfect balance of flavors at Darawan Charoenrat’s little place on Houston’s East Side. Seasoned with Thai lime leaves and a sour, gingerlike root called galangal, the buttery, lemony, spicy nectar is good for the digestion as well as the soul. Have it with a tall glass of bright-orange iced Thai tea, a sweet sassafras-flavored drink made with cream. $5.75. 719 Telephone Road (923-4230).
Red Snapper in Lemon-Butter Sauce
Chez Georges
Chef Georges “Monijo” Guy has chosen to locate his tiny French provincial restaurant—where else?—in the provinces. Stuck way, way out in the ugliest possible strip center on the farthest edge of the prairie, this sophisticated little place serves up a wonderful whole snapper grilled with fennel and served with an elegant sauce of white wine, butter, and lemon juice. Prices are very reasonable, thanks no doubt to the low-rent location, and savvy customers happily drive across town to eat here. $35 (serves two). 11920-J Westheimer, at Kirkwood (497-1122).
Bean Soup
The Grotto
Known as pignato grasso in Italian, this exceptionally tasty, hearty soup is made with white and red beans, assorted vegetables, and Italian sausage heavily flavored with fennel. Some devoted customers pour it over a bowl of pasta for a more substantial dish. Tony Vallone owns the noisy, stylishly casual Neapolitan restaurant, and he wouldn’t dream of changing the house specialty. Eye-popping people-watching here, and a great mural. $3.25. 3920 Westheimer (622-3663).
Carnitas
La Mexicana
Upwardly mobile La Mexicana, an authentic Mexican food market and restaurant close to River Oaks, serves moist, tender, crisp-crusted roast pork to a decidedly mixed clientele. The carnitas sometimes sell out, but you can while away the time waiting for more to be cooked by listening to a heartfelt corrido from the guitar players strolling past the bottles of liquid detergent and pumpkin-seed paste. This funky joint is at the moment the Mexican restaurant of choice among the avant-garde. Carnitas available Saturday and Sunday. $5.50. 1018 Fairview, at Montrose (521-0963).
Austin
Vegetarian Tamal
Las Manitas
Visual and culinary artist René Anguiano invented the dish, a coalition between Tex-Mex and vegetarian. First, the tamal dough is spiked with Japanese red-pepper bits, olive oil, and margarine; then a subtle filling is prepared from sautéed corn, eggplant, broccoli, carrots, “and I don’t know what else,” says restaurant co-owner Cynthia Perez. The finished tamal is topped with a dauntingly rich mushroom cream sauce and a sprinkle of pecans and raisins. The busy, packed cafe serves these tamales Fridays and weekends only. $5.50. 211 Congress Avenue (472-9357).
Wild Boar and Antelope
Hudson’s on the Bend
This Southwestern appetizer is so pretty you almost hate to eat it—but not quite. The pleasure comes in deconstructing the arrangement with a fork, poking through the red Roma tomatoes, green tomatillos, and black olives to get to the meat of the matter: smoky, moist tenderloin of boar and antelope. The two sauces—mango-jalapeño marmalade and plum-pistachio chutney—walk the tightrope between sweet and spicy without missing a step. $7.25. 3509 Ranch Road 620, 1.5 miles southwest of Mansfield Dam (266-1369).
Eggplant Sandwich
Granite Cafe
On a whole-wheat sesame-seed bun are piled, in this order, grilled eggplant, red onion, melted provolone cheese, lettuce, and fresh tomato. A swatch of chipotle mayonnaise adds sizzle; red and blue tortilla chips lend an artistic touch. This is the best meatless cheeseburger you’ll ever eat. Have it on the cafe’s terrace in the treetops. Available at lunch only. $4.75. 2905 San Gabriel (472-6483).
Chicken Chile Relleno
Matt’s El Rancho
My Library
