Talk about coincidences. I was eating lunch at Elizabeth Street Café, in Austin, one of my favorite new restaurants (great Vietnamese-style fried rice with crispy oysters today, and amazing avocado ice cream. . . but I digress). When I got back to my desk, there was an email from a friend saying, “Have you seen this?” And enclosed was a link to Bon Appétit’s newly revealed list of its fifty best new restaurants in the country, selected by restaurant editor/foodist Andrew Knowlton. On the list was, yes, Elizabeth Street. The round-up is a prelude to the magazine’s list of the ten best new restaurants (and, of course, The Best), which will be revealed on August 14. Until then, the seven finalists can bask in the glory of just being nominated. The Texas Seven are Elizabeth Street, Austin; Lenoir, Austin; Oak, Dallas; Oxheart, Houston; Uchi, Houston; Underbelly, Houston; and Woodshed, Fort Worth. Congratulations to all. And good luck! Picture of Elizabeth Street Cafe from Bon Appétit, September issue