Houston

(From December 2009) Chef-owner Marco Wiles’s first-rate Italian restaurant—his flagship—can satisfy a multitude of appetites. One of us started with a rich black truffle risotto and followed that with a thick veal chop topped with a bit of olive oil, some roasted tomatoes, and arugula. The other began with burrata cheese and roasted cherry tomatoes followed by a grand slab of seared Alaskan halibut in a light tomato broth. We shared a side dish of great garlicky spinach. Beer & wine.

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(From December 2009) Rain or shine, this tangerine-walled Montrose room is always inviting. Curious about the buffet offered for Sunday brunch, we were delighted with our first plate from the chaat table: puri with corn and mint and samosas oozing yogurt and tart tamarind chutney, perfect to nibble while sipping Kashmir Royales (lychee, lime, and sparkling wine). Fresh-from-the-kitchen salmon with green masala sauce and chicken cooked with black pepper and ginger almost filled us up but didn’t keep us from the apple-fig tart, touched with ginger. Bar.

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(From December 2009) If you’re offered fresh truffles, say yes; they made our paglia e fieno (Italy’s famous “straw and hay” pasta dish) sinful in the extreme. In fact, Tony’s can always be trusted to get the finest ingredients and treat them well, whether it’s buttery flounder with lump crab meunière or a hunk of beef stuffed with black truffle butter. Even first courses get assiduous care: A Bosc pear salad sports red and yellow endive, and burrata cheese elevates lovely heirloom tomatoes. Choose the intimate bar area for a more casual meal. Bar.

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(From December 2009) Some of the simplest dishes here remain the best at this old house, like a brisk salad of arugula and roasted tomato and truffle egg toast. We enjoyed our spaghetti with mussels, leeks, and white wine (though the dish was not improved by the addition of chewy chunks of pancetta) and a thin-crusted pizza layered with prosciutto, mozzarella, tomato, and arugula. Our servers, though, were over-whelmed (as were we) by a nearby party of 25 high-spirited diners. Bar.

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(From December 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 heir-loom tomatoes—all colors, sizes, shapes, and flavors—with avocado, pecorino cheese, little piles of herbs, and citrus vinaigrette. Gratitude was also expressed for the corn chowder studded with bacon and potatoes, the perfectly roasted chicken with cilantro-chicken sausage and grits, and the hefty slabs of sashimi-grade grilled tuna. Bar.

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(From December 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). Bar.

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(From August 2009) On our visit to this tall, cool hot spot our entrées were almost outshone by our appetizers: iceberg lettuce loaded with Cabrales cheese and pancetta and ravioli filled with beets and ricotta. The same was true of stellar sides of truffled polenta with mushrooms and a corn pudding that was sweet enough for dessert. Our thick pork chop came with a great cherry mustard sauce and favas; less successful were the grilled scallops, which were a touch too rare. Good service and a nice wine list, though. Bar.

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(From July 2008) There’s nothing quite like the authentic food and icy cervezas served from the trailers and stalls that line the streets of Mexico City, but we played a good game of pretend at this Southwest Freeway storefront. Its taco-stand facade set the mood for our small flour-tortilla tacos—one each of fajita, spicy chipotle brisket, and chicken mole. The chipotle mix (tinga) also starred in miniature masa “pies” (sopes), along with black beans, onions, and cheese. Tres leches cake rounded out a satisfying, if imaginary, trip south. Beer & margaritas.

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(From May 2009) A quiet meal in a plush room with rich red accents and lovely contemporary crystal chandeliers makes for a special night out—with prices to match. But a humble dish done well is a joy, like the moist roasted chicken with chanterelles and brioche-thickened chicken jus; it’s served with brussels sprouts and a side of crusty mac and cheese. And don’t let us forget to mention a kabocha squash soup with a bit of brown butter and sage and meaty pan-seared crab cake with a blood-orange-and-fennel sabayon. This is a place that shows Houston to good advantage. Bar.

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(From December 2008) “Over the top” is no overstatement for the latest incarnation of this celebrated restaurant. Stairs from a swanky lounge lead down to sweeping water walls, and tropical-themed murals adorn the ceiling of the riverside dining room. The drama continues with the menu, with starters like plump pork ribs wrapped in bacon and glazed with tamarind and entrées like crisp-skinned roasted salmon atop avocado mousse and seared redfish with smoked tomato jus and tamale gnocchi (talk about fusion!). Bar.

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