Seasoned GQ food writer Alan Richman has delivered up a list of "The 12 Most Outstanding Restaurants of 2013," which promises to be a "no-b.s., trend-free, buzz-transcending, down-right mouthwatering roundup" of restaurants that "redefine fine dining."
The two Houston restaurants that made the cut just happen to be some of the most buzzed-about in the city, which Richman notes "is becoming the most electrifying food destination in America."
Uchi's Houston home — the Austin-based restaurant group's third — made the list for its "spectacular sushi" offerings. Though the "irresistible possibilities" of sushi wowed, it was the Texas quail marinated in coconut milk, shrimp paste and curry oil that Richman suggests you don't miss (along with the 2010 Patz & Hall Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir).
Also on the list was Oxheart, chef Justin Yu's veggie-centric, 30-seat Warehouse District eatery. Richman praises the "ridiculously reasonable $49 tasting menu" and the elegant precision of Karen Man's pastry creations, but gives special kudos to the restaurant's warm sunflower-seed soup and the 2003 R. López de Heredia Viña Gravonia (presumably recommended by staff sommelier Justin Vann).
Barring Brooklyn, Houston is the only city to score two spots on the list which only includes a dozen restaurants in the U.S. total.
