Consistently drawing crowds to EaDo, this lively local bistro was named one of Esquire’s best new restaurants in 2018; this year, Jason Vaughan was listed as a “Best Chef: Texas” by the James Beard Foundation. Dishes are meant to be shared, and the food is inventive and reasonably priced. Order this to go: the remarkable crispy rice porridge sourdough bread with shio koji butter(!); the “Pickle Party,” with Spanish chorizo and Los Cameros cheese; the Little Gem lettuce salad with crispy pancetta and anchovies; and the roasted cauliflower with pepitas and salsa macha. Skip the tough sirloin tip. To finish, go for the dreamy chocolate mousse with brown butter mochi and candied peanuts (think of an interstellar Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup). Pro tip: The menu helpfully denotes dishes that are not good travelers (and therefore not available) with an asterisk.
Note: Review reflects COVID-19 protocols in place at the time of visit.