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6. Reef, Houston

In a city awash in chain seafood restaurants, Reef is a pearl. Chef/co-owner Bryan Caswell can thrill you with dishes like bronzed tripletail in a lilting barigoule (a broth with tender artichoke hearts) or moist, crispy red snapper sided by sweet-and-sour chard (dark leafy greens are a specialty here). His unexpected creations have been a hit from the day Reef opened; on a typical Saturday night at seven o’clock, the line of cars at the valet stand stretches for nearly a block. Inside the spacious, glass-walled room (a former Pontiac dealership), pale aquas conjure a blue lagoon, and a strikingly patterned back wall suggests shifting sands. At times the kitchen stumbles—one tripletail preparation went stodgy with a too-stout citrus beurre blanc, and the fried mac and cheese was heavy and bland—but appetizers like elegant shrimp spring rolls always right the ship.

7. Max’s Wine Dive, Houston

With “dive” in the name, you know the food’s not prissy. With “wine” in the name, you know it’s not prole. At cacophonous, brick-walled Max’s, duded-up comfort food in chic surroundings fills the restaurant every night. The Kobe beef burger is juicy and the fried chicken hearty, but the dish that says it all may be the Texas Haute Dog, which consists of a grass-fed-beef frankfurter crowned with St. Arnold beer–braised sauerkraut or spicy venison chili. While the plush banquettes are reserved for larger parties, singles and twosomes can squeeze in at the forty-foot-long counter and watch the action in the stainless-steel kitchen. Some customers fretted when chef Michael Dei Maggi took over the food operations in October, but he plans to keep the favorites coming while offering his own seasonal variations. One thing that’s not likely to change is the Big Ass Brownie. It’s perfect for anyone seeking a wee-hours sugar fix (local chefs have been known to make a beeline for it around midnight).

8. North, Austin

Yes, it’s part of a scottsdale, Arizona–based chain. And yes, it’s in the Domain, the Dallas-oid shopping center that has somehow taken root in my beloved, onward-through-the-fog Austin. But I’ll just have to buck up. Good food is good food, and North has it. Consider chef Peter Lindquist’s grilled and sautéed whole artichokes, smoky and subtle, sided by a tart aioli dip. They make a perfect opener for braised short ribs with Parmesan polenta, a dish with stupendous depth of flavor. My favorite choice from among the thin, crisp pizzas is the one with figs, goat cheese, and prosciutto. If I’m not having a pizza, I like a pasta such as strozzapreti, loosely rolled ribbons tossed with mushrooms, fresh spinach, and Parmesan cream. Sometimes, though, it’s fun to stop in for nothing more than some wine and the sight of people shopping till they drop. If you can’t lick ’em, join ’em.

9. Aló, Dallas

Take a smidge of peru and a dash of mexico, toss, and you get alo. This casual spot, smartly dressed in apple green and chestnut brown, is the second concept from Espartaco and Dunia Borga, the husband-and-wife chefs who masterminded the popular La Duni Latin Kitchen & Baking Studio. With Aló, they’re delving further into their South American roots, but not so far that norteamericanos will feel lost. Only the names stump you; the flavors are easy. Chef Julia Lopez’s fantastic tuna tiraditos reminded me of sashimi doused with a puckery sauce of lime juice and Worcestershire. The causas (below) turned out to be tall, tartly seasoned mashed-potato cakes topped with nibbles of seafood (grilled shrimp, smoked salmon, crisp calamari). If there is sometimes a flub, like an overly soy-sauced saltado, or stir-fry, you can take solace in owner–pastry chef Dunia’s lovely French- and Mexican-accented desserts.

10. The Porch, Dallas

This is crazy: There is an hour wait for a butcher-block table in the sprawling room and people are saying, “Oh, that’s not so bad.” And what are they waiting for? Not the ne plus ultra of refined dining but comfort food with an upscale twist. Chef Scott Freeman is employing the trusty value-added formula that has worked so well at nearby Fireside Pies, another of Consilient Restaurants’ hugely successful dining establishments. Want to start with some pâté? It’s made with chicken livers and foie gras. In the mood for a cheeseburger? You get a choice of aged cheddar, Gruyère, Point Reyes blue, or Port Salut. The farmers’ market cobbler uses seasonal fresh fruit. You get the idea. You could call it home cooking for yuppies. Or a cash cow. Or just plain fun. All are true.

The Best of the Rest

Located near the trendy Bishop Arts District, Kavala recalls the days when eager young cooks and entrepreneurs turned old gas stations and fast-food joints (in this case a Dairy Queen) into quirky personal restaurants. Kavala’s Mediterranean menu emphasizes several Middle Eastern dishes; the handmade dolmades with fluffy herbed rice are a special treat. Chef Kelly Hightower’s souvlaki, offered with either marinated chicken or lamb, comes skewered and sided by herbed new potatoes. Lesson: It doesn’t always cost a mint to open the restaurant of your dreams.

Burgers get tender loving care at artist">Dutch’s, where local celebrity chef Grady Spears and Austin chef-restaurateur Lou Lambert joined forces to create this frequently packed hangout near the TCU campus. The fresh-ground-meat patties come piled high with everything from mushrooms and blue cheese to grilled onions and chili. The mini–bundt cakes almost have to be ordered in advance, they’re so popular.

Elevating a once scruffy (all right, still scruffy) stretch of lower Westheimer, So Vino Wine Bar & Bistro has compiled a nicely done, highly accurate greatest-hits menu of the past decade. Longtime Houston restaurateur Manfred Jachmich and co-founder Elizabeth Abraham offer the requisite short ribs (decadently braised in Shiraz and served on Gruyère polenta) and a pretty roasted-beet salad with pistachios and goat cheese. Also of note: shrimp and grits and a fantastic New York–style cheesecake. Within a five-minute drive of the Houston museums, Brasserie Max & Julie has turned an old house into a reasonable and welcome facsimile of a casual French restaurant. The typical wine-simmered dishes like coq au vin and boeuf à la bourguignonne lead the menu, bolstered by a classic steak entrecôte with a proper béarnaise and thin, crisp fries in a paper cone.

Directory

Austin

Cibo, 918 Congress Ave., 512-478-3663. Dinner Mon–Thur 5–10, Fri & Sat 5–10:30. Closed Sun.

Lamberts Downtown Barbecue, 401 W. Second, 512-494-1500. Lunch Mon–Fri 11–2. Dinner 7 days 5:30–11. Brunch Sat & Sun 11–3.

North, Domain shopping center, 11506 Century Oaks Terrace; 512-339-4400. Open Sun–Thur 11–10, Fri & Sat 11–11.

Dallas

Aló, 4447 N. Central Expy. (U.S. 75), 214-520-9711. Open Mon–Thur 11–9:30, Fri & Sat 11–10:30. Brunch Sat & Sun 9–3.

Dallas Fish Market, 1501 Main, 214-744-3474. Lunch Mon–Fri 11–2. Dinner Mon–Thur 5–10, Fri & Sat 5–11. Closed Sun.

Fearing’s, Ritz-Carlton hotel, 2121 McKinney Ave.; 214-922-4848. Breakfast 7 days 6:30–11. Lunch Mon–Fri 11:30–2:30, Sat 11–3. Dinner Sun–Thur 6–10:30, Fri & Sat 6–11. Brunch Sun 11–4.

Kavala, 1417 W. Davis, 214-942-8100. Open 7 days 11–10. The Porch, 2912 N. Henderson Ave., 214-828-2916. Lunch 7 days 11–5. Dinner Sun–Wed 5–11, Thur–Sat 5–midnight.

Fort Worth

Dutch’s, 3009 S. University Dr., 817-927-5522. Open Mon–Thur 11–9, Fri & Sat 11–10, Sun 11–3.

Houston

Brasserie Max & Julie, 4315 Montrose Blvd., 713-524-0070. Lunch Tue–Sat 11–2:30. Dinner Mon–Wed 5:30–10, Thur–Sat 5:30–11. Closed Sun.

Max’s Wine Dive, 4720 Washington Ave., 713-880-8737. Open Tue & Wed 4–midnight, Thur & Fri 4– 2 a.m., Sat 11–2 a.m., Sun 11–midnight. Closed Mon.

Reef, 2600 Travis, 713-526-8282. Open Mon–Thur 11–10, Fri 11–11, Sat 5–11. Closed Sun.

So Vino Wine Bar & Bistro, 507 Westheimer Rd., 713-524-1000. Dinner Mon–Wed 5–10, Thur–Sat 5–11. Closed Sun.

San Antonio

The Grill at Leon Springs, 24116 I-10W, at Boerne Stage Rd. exit; 210-698-8797. Lunch Sun 11–3. Dinner Mon–Thur 5–10, Fri & Sat 5–11, Sun 5–9:30.

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