The downtown brother to Houston’s original Pappas Bros. is handsome and clubby. Settle in and ask the sommelier for wine suggestions; the list is one of the best in the country. Most of the steaks are USDA Prime, and our bone-in tenderloin and juicy dry-aged ribeye were cooked exactly to specs. Generous sides—such as the earthy roasted mushrooms dusted with fresh black pepper—epitomize well-made steakhouse classics. For a showstopper, check out the tender carpaccio of beef presented on a block of ice with Parmesan crisps, aioli, red onion, and capers. Dessert? The New York–style cheesecake with white chocolate shavings. You only live once.