Houston

(From November 2009) When we need stress relief, we head for Backstreet’s shaded, fan-cooled gardens, where early fall nights are a welcome relief from summer’s heat. Sipping cocktails, noshing on house-made chips with a gor-geous medley of heirloom tomatoes, roasted corn, cucumbers, and avocado, and savoring a bowl of soothing poblano-corn chowder, we actually considered repeating the first course. Instead, we moved on hap-pily to pan-seared snapper with jumbo lump crabmeat and an order of exceptionally good chicken enchiladas. Backstreet just never disappoints. Bar.

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(From November 2009) This sleek new spot may offer the trendiest dining on what has become Houston’s new restaurant row. A stylish crowd packs the main room and balcony lounge, sipping their cocktails as they scan Benjy Levit’s well-conceived menu. A perfect tomato salad and crab gratin preceded a robust eight-ounce filet sided with mashed potatoes and asparagus. Scallops with Jerusalem artichokes also made a fine, light entrée. Don’t rush out the door before polishing off some of the tres leches cake, rich enough for sharing. Bar.

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(From November 2009) Many a wine bar serves cold cuts from the fridge and calls itself a restaurant. Make no mistake: This cool, art-filled space near the hot Washington Avenue scene is serious about food. Take the arugula salad with corn, tomato, and shallot vinaigrette. Or the roasted beet affair, with blue cheese, walnut vinaigrette, and a balsamic-citrus glaze. One of us went with the namesake burger—great beef, Gruyère, and smoked bacon—while the other ordered the fish of the day, a glossy pan-roasted red snapper over truffle polenta. Wines by the bottle are a bargain—by the glass, not so much. Beer, wine, & sake.

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(From November 2009) We visited right about the time that chef Jason Gould and owner Scott Tycer were parting company in a very public spat, so we expect menu changes are coming. (Tycer also owns and is chef at Textile.) That said, we liked our big, plump mussels, though we can never decide whether white wine or Stella Artois makes a better base for the broth (jazzed with tarragon and garlic). Other favorites were the smoked pork chop with herb bread pudding and apple cider sauce and the salads (especially any with a poached egg on top). The sprawling, brick-lined dining room features an open kitchen and a huge chalkboard listing available wines. Bar.

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(From May 2009) The famed musical venue has successfully planted itself in Houston. Floor-to-ceiling folk art pays homage to the blues, while great music plays at a tolerable level—and the food is pretty good too. From the Southern-inspired menu, our favorite choices were awesome sweet potato fries and an earthy gumbo with smoked turkey and shrimp. Also noteworthy was the signature “Voodoo shrimp” with sweet rosemary cornbread. On the other hand, the pizza was standard, the pulled pork a tad chewy, and the nicely seasoned grilled salmon much better than its bed of so-so jambalaya “risotto.” Bar.

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(From June 2009) Hip and contemporary, H&H dished up a lovely dinner despite timing miscues and blips in execution (like a bland noodle salad, despite the presence of a truffle ranch dressing). While eyeing our neighbors’ grilled flatbread with arugula and Pecorino, we dined well. We started with a sweet onion tart with pancetta and Gorgonzola and a cup of creamy tomato-basil soup, then graduated to a fine beef tenderloin with sautéed baby spinach and roasted root vegetables. Note: The restaurant’s breakfast menu looks fabulous. Bar.

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(From January 2009) The menu for this casual indoor-outdoor dining spot overlooking downtown’s Discovery Green park comes to us courtesy of Robert Del Grande (of Cafe Annie and the Grove fame). Consider it an uptown version of downscale fare, like a Kobe beef hot dog with chow chow and mouthwatering french fries. Burgers are offered too, and vanilla milk shakes should be on the menu by the time you read this (the kitchen was tweaking the recipe when we visited). Beer & wine.

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(From November 2009) We gave praise for our survival after being seated in the choir loft of this beautifully remodeled old church during a violent electrical storm. And we thanked the kitchen for one of the best salads ever, a special of heirloom tomatoes—all colors, sizes, shapes, and flavors—with avocado, pecorino cheese, little piles of herbs, and citrus vinaigrette. Gratitude was also expressed for the rich corn chowder studded with bacon and potatoes, the perfectly roasted chicken with cilantro-chicken sausage and grits, and the hefty and tender slabs of sashimi-grade grilled tuna. Bar.

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(From November 2009) Better than a neighborhood hangout needs to be, casual Raven actually draws from beyond the Rice area borders. Folks come for the hefty burgers, quesadillas, salads topped with salmon, seared tuna on a bun, and even the satisfying grilled cheese sandwiches. Entrées, including specials of the day, are also offered. The reliably good food and service, reasonable prices, and nice outdoor patio (complete with a resident chicken stalking the grounds) make Raven a go-to spot. Bar.

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(From November 2009) Robert Del Grande’s new venture involves a sleek downstairs bar and a classy upstairs dining room, with rustic redwood trim, ornately framed mirrors, well-spaced tables, and an open kitchen. The menu’s got both new (circa 2009) and classic Del Grande offerings (dating back to around 1984). We mixed and matched, blending old favorites like the wild mushroom soup with smoked duck with some great new dishes, such as a wood-grilled New York steak, a fine chunk of meat (that didn’t benefit, unfortunately, from the accompanying flavorless bacon-wrapped fingerling potatoes). Seared avocado with queso fresco and radishes made a great starter. Bar.

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