(From June 2011) The restaurant in the historic Gage Hotel has reopened after a slight makeover in both decor and menu and a big makeover in name. Diners no longer have to experience the austerity familiar to the cattle barons who made the place famous: Out are the awkward tables and hard seating, in are leather banquettes and upholstered chairs. And there might be a few more cow skulls on the walls. As for the new food items on offer, we found a mixed bag: a rich and delicious seafood “cheesecake” (a quiche, really), fried oysters (not the mountain kind but almost as chewy), and wagyu beef (for those who can afford it). The wine list is better than you’d expect to find out in the desert. Bar.

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(From January 2011) Across from the Alamo, dining choices are unfortunately limited to fast food, burgers, and pizza, so if you want something a bit more locally sourced, stop into the casual dining room of the new Hotel Indigo, a restoration of the old Gibbs Building on the site of the Maverick homestead. Living up to that heritage is a challenge, but the light, and lighthearted, menu and clever kitchen seem up to it. Witness hand-cut potato chips with Texas blue cheese, smoked chicken and Gulf shrimp salad served in avocado halves, and even pan dulce “imported” from Mi Tierra. As old Sam (Maverick) himself might have said, “Bring it on!” Bar.

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(From June 2011) From our vantage point in the small, mod-looking dining room, its bright walls adorned with local art, it was clear that this oldie but goodie still draws a steady crowd. We contemplated a charcuterie plate to start, but the more than generous bowl of Drunken Citrus Mussels had us at Thai chiles and fresh cilantro. A silken cauliflower bisque soothed with each rich and buttery bite. Panko-crusted chicken piccata came lavished with beurre blanc, but it was the haystack of crisp french fries atop the well-seasoned hanger steak that had us begging for more. Beer & wine.

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(From August 2011)

The sultry aroma of woodsmoke and the fresh scent of surrounding orange groves swirl about this converted two-story home, quaint with wood siding and Texas memorabilia. Step up to the counter and place an order for fall-off-the-bone baby back ribs and succulent beef ribs (sometimes hard to find at barbecue joints). They’re seasoned with just a little dry rub, and they both go well with 492’s thin vinegar-pepper barbecue sauce. Wash it all down with a cherry lemonade, perfect for a hot South Texas afternoon. 

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(From January 2011)

Landmark Hospitality Group’s takeover of the restaurant in the Galleria Saks store included a welcome redo, and the resulting white-to-beige space, featuring a lighted rose sculpture on one wall, should suit savvy shoppers who crave a break from the chase. For lunch we chose the special, halibut with crab and saffron risotto, along with a salad of greens and cantaloupe, but we found the chicken and wild mushroom crepes in basil-chardonnay sauce even more special. This quiet haven beats nearby fast-food joints, and it’s only a few dollars more. Bar.

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(From May 2011) It can be a bit crowded and loud, but this hip pizza joint earns its merits. The crust is superthin and crisp, the sauce light and spicy, the ingredients varied and excellent. Try the mysteriously named Surgeon, heaped with pepperoni, sausage, roasted red peppers, portobellos, and garlic, or the decadent Hampton Clam. Or build your own pie from a list of 35 fresh toppings. There are also great salads, daily lunch specials, and a huge selection of beer. Don’t miss the trio of desserts: espresso brownie, cherry bread pudding, and coffee almond ice cream torte. Alas, no delivery. Beer & wine.

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Photograph by Bill Terry

(From October 2011)

This unaffected bistro serves memorable food in a charming historic building. We ate our way through the menu, starting with hot bread sticks (think mini baguettes), followed by barely breaded crab cakes and a bowl of tender mussels simmered in a spicy tomato broth (the better to facilitate the eating of more bread sticks). Entrées range from flawlessly cooked, fork-tender beef filet and tasty grilled snapper to succulent duck breast (though the skin could have been crisper). Beer & Wine.

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(From November 2010) This new, order-at-the-counter spot is bringing Italian beef sandwiches, Chicago-style hot dogs, gyros, and more to downtown Midland. If you enjoy Polish sausage, try The Works, with mustard, relish, chopped onions, tomatoes, and sport peppers on a poppy seed bun. The Italian beef sandwich is served on a French roll with sweet or hot peppers and stuffed with thinly sliced beef drizzled in jus, while the Reuben features toasted rye with thinly shaved corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese. Everything comes with a shortbread cookie.

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(From June 2011) If this counter-order place reminds you a bit of Asia Cafe, a mere half a mile down the highway, it’s because both a chef and some servers from the front of that house have gone over to this one. A+A is a place to be adventurous, friends. Try the Cold Jelly Noodles, chopped thick and sea-soned with ma la (also called prickly ash or Sichuan pepper-corn), which produces a tingly, tongue-numbing sensation and has a lemony taste. Or check out the twice-fried pork, identical to thick bacon and as rich as the description sug-gests; stalks of garlic shoots, a cross between green beans and asparagus in texture, soak up the delicious fat. After that, the deep-fried triangles of sesame tofu in a light, sweet sauce will seem like diet food.

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(From December 2010)

Looking like a small, colorful Tower of Pisa were stacked rounds of buffalo mozzarella brushed with pesto, slices of yellow and red heirloom tomatoes, and a sprinkling of tiny sourdough croutons and water-cress. A pyramid of truffle whipped potatoes and baby vegetables came parked beside a hefty hunk of wood-roasted beef tenderloin napped with a velvety red-wine butter. If you’ve never had sage ice cream—who has?—it’s a treat, especially paired with a blackberry crisp, as it is here. Note the sizzling bar scene, where everyone seems to be celebrating some sort of corporate coup. Bar.

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