Houston

(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 July 2011)

Here’s another slick trick from the RDG group, with tile floors, banquettes in sea blue, and a view of the Kirby Drive treetops. Small appetizers include steamed clams, snappy with a flurry of quick-sautéed fennel and parsley; larger dishes feature a rich shrimp-and-shell-pasta number slathered thick with tomato cream sauce, red chile slivers, and butterflied crustaceans. Tasty thin pizzas proved inconsistently crispy, though we got a winner with a speck, onion, and arugula combo, a great mix of savory, smoky, sweet, and bitter tastes. Bar. 

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(From May 2012)

Chef Jacques Fox sauntered over to talk about the food as we were seated along the halfmoon stainless steel counter surrounding his kitchen in this handsome new restaurant. Yes, we liked the fresh scallops resting in lobster cappucinno and the silky foie gras over thin slices of poached pear. Equally fine, we reported, was a juicy, tender, black-pepper-crused beef tenderloin, lavished with a green pappercorn sauce and sided with potatoes and buttery haricots verts. All in all, an auspicious first meeting. Bar.

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(From November 2011)

These cozy confines just off Voss seem just the setting for congenial Arturo Boada’s multicultural menu. Guests and staff alike appear in high spirits, no doubt inspired by dishes like Camarones Henesy en Hamaca (large shrimp piled atop an arresting blend of hearts of palm, tomatoes, capers, and plantains in a soy-ginger broth); rich rigatoni with chicken, peas, and mushrooms; and a thin-crusted carnitas pizza with red onions and cilantro. Beer & wine.. 

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(From December 2010) Peach-toned walls give a flattering glow to the interior of Arturo Boada and Bill Sadler’s Uptown Park restaurant, but its columned porch beckoned us on a mild evening. Two great salads kept our attention: a caprese of yellow and red grape tomatoes, mozzarella, capers, oregano, and basil and an inspired mix of baby greens, walnuts, pancetta, orange slices, and goat cheese. Sonia’s Ravioli, stuffed with chicken and porcini mushrooms and served with white wine–basil sauce, proved delicious and beyond rich, but it didn’t preclude our sharing a slice of tiramisu. Bar.

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(From May 2012)

The back dining area in this long, airy space keeps the bar noise tolerable and makes conversation possisble. Which only enhances appetizers like chopped asparagus enriched with cheeese and chunks of salami and an intesnsely flavored tomato basil soup with a swirl of pesto. Crispy-skinned salmon tasted juicy and mellow (though it rested on a bed of undercooked green beans), and a four-ounce filet of beef was perfectly cooked. Nice wines and service. Bar.

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(From April 2012)

Fortunate to live where some winter days invite alfresco dining, we recently brunched in Sunday sunshine at this longtime favorite, kept up-to-date with fresh touches to its always-tasty standards. Example: a platter of deeply roasted vegetables (eggplant, fennel, peppers, onion, and squash) served on a bed of saffron-scented grains. Short ribs and butternut squash hash, topped with poached eggs, made a perfect breakfast skillet, but we wished for more lemon-butter sauce on our otherwise fine shrimp and cheese grits. Bar.

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(From June 2011) This upper Montrose place perfectly fit our needs—a spare, quiet room; freshly prepared pan-Asian dishes; and personal service from perpetually spunky hostess (and chef’s mom) Bessie Chow. We started with vegetable-laden dumplings and then dug into bowls of chicken lo-mein (an old-fashioned but still delectable Chinese-American comfort food), pad thai, and crunchy orange beef with spinach. Our favorite? Crispy shrimp tossed with caramelized wal-nuts and Sichuan sauce on shredded bok choy. Beer & wine.

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(From March 2012)

Along with its cool seventies decor, Benjy’s three-course Sunday supper ($19!) feels like the good old days: simple, farm-fresh tomatoes with basil and balsamic vinaigrette; swoon-worthy tender beef tips in a wine reduction with sautéed onions and mushrooms atop wilted spinach; warm chocolate cake with Mexican vanilla ice cream. You’ll be equally delighted with entrées like pan-seared scallops atop glass noodles or spicy beef udon with baby bok choy. Bar.

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(From January 2011) At this softly lit Brennan’s outpost in CityCentre’s Hotel Sorella, expect a fusion of Texas tastes and Creole cuisine. Dishes can be hit or miss, but all are ambitious and presented stylishly. Our favorite? A bone-in pork chop brined in Creole mustard and rum, perfectly grilled, and served with mashed new potatoes gussied up with bacon and jalapeño. Alas, rainbow trout was overcooked and trying to catch its breath under all the seasoning, pecans, and brown butter. Bar.

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