Shade

Let’s give it up for a restaurant that understands the importance of a pre-dinner cocktail and a little wine with your meal. If for nothing else, Shade deserves a round of applause as the first establishment to circumvent the 100-year-old code in the Heights that prohibits the sale of alcohol. But there's more to adore at Shade than merely the tipples.  Tucked away in one of Houston’s most historic neighborhoods (amid biker bars, antique shops, funky boutiques and restored Victorian mansions), Shade has a counter-intuitive modern décor with subtle touches of Victoriana in the gaslight-esque sconces on the patio, overall a sleek but low-key backdrop for Shade's fresh, New American menu. Choices include fried Texas quail, sage-and-garlic-grilled veal chop, and shrimp and crab campechana. 

With the social set flocking to new bars and clubs on Washington, Shade is a great place to kick-off an evening of sampling some of the city’s hottest nightspots.