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    Houston's Best Restaurants

    These are Houston's 9 best restaurants for 2020

    Eric Sandler
    Jul 30, 2020 | 3:27 pm

    As the 2020 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards draw closer — this year’s virtual edition takes place August 6 — the time has come for the top two categories. This week’s list spotlights the nominees our panel of industry experts selected for Restaurant of the Year, one of which will replace our 2019 winner Nancy’s Hustle.

    Like most of their peers, all of these restaurants have responded to the challenges posed by restrictions designed to limit the spread of COVID-19 in thoughtful, creative ways. All have figured out ways to translate their food to-go and tweaked their menus to respond to people’s craving for comforting, familiar flavors.

    Hopefully their loyal followings and overall excellence allow them to survive the current crisis, but the message to Houstonians is simple. If these places are to remain open, they require support. If reading this article prompts someone to think, “I love that place,” then order from it this weekend.

    Who will win? Find out next week at the Tastemaker Awards — Virtual Edition. In lieu of our live tasting event, guests will receive an exclusive Tasting Tote. And, of course, attendees have access to the star of the show: our awards ceremony hosted by Bun B and streamed on CultureMap next Thursday at 7 pm.

    A limited number of general admission tickets are still available. Don’t miss out.

    Coltivare
    Now under the direction of chef de cuisine Hector Suarez and general manager Leonora Varvoutis, the Heights restaurant still turns out high quality, Italian-inspired dishes made with local ingredients. While staples like the black pepper spaghetti and pepperoni pizza aren’t going anywhere, diners will find much to enjoy in the various seasonal salads and shareable vegetables dishes that have always made Coltivare special. The restaurant has responded to the coronavirus pandemic with family-style meals, take-and-bake pizza kits, and, most shockingly of all, reservations.

    Himalaya
    Once a poorly kept secret among passionate diners, Himalaya has become one of the restaurants that represents Houston’s diversity on the world stage. Not only has it hosted both Anthony Bourdain (R.I.P.) and Andrew Zimmern, last year it landed on GQ’s list of America’s new classic restaurants with such noteworthy establishments as Thomas Keller’s Bouchon and David Chang’s Momofuku Noodle Bar. No matter how famous it becomes, classics like the chicken hara masala (with its Indian-inspired take on salsa verde) and hunter’s beef remain as flavorful as ever, and chef-owner Kaiser Lashkari’s restless culinary mind means there’s always something new to try — not that we’d blame anyone for being content with ordering Himalaya classics like fried chicken, biryani, saag paneer, and naan.

    Indigo
    Time is running out for chef Jonny Rhodes’ tasting menu restaurants that explores African American culinary traditions through the lens of the political and social forces that shaped them. Rhodes announced that he’s closing Indigo in July 2021 to focus on his grocery store, Broham Fine Soul Food, and its companion Food Fight Farms. Still, Houstonians have plenty of time to make at least one more visit to the restaurant that captured an unprecedented level of national attention, including being one of only seven American restaurants on Time’s list of the World’s Greatest Places for 2019, as well as a James Beard semifinalist nomination for Rhodes. Just don’t miss out before its gone for good; a meal serves as a potent reminder of what the hype was all about in the first place.

    Kata Robata
    For more than ten years, this Upper Kirby restaurant has served as the consensus pick for Houston’s best sushi, but diners value it for more than expertly cut and seasoned nigiri. Staples like the Texas wagyu beef skewers and lobster mac and cheese are as important to the menu as toro with uni and caviar hand rolls or hamachi and quail egg nigiri, and the team continues to innovate with dishes like the lobster sando that’s quietly Houston’s best lobster roll (it's not always on the menu, tell them Eric said you have to try it).

    Chef Hori-san and his team have developed a number of creative to-go options in response to the coronavirus pandemic, among them DIY hand rolls kits and elaborate maki and sashimi platters that allegedly feed four, but a determined duo could make a decadent dinner out of any of them.

    Nobie's
    If our judges voted solely on the basis of pie, Nobie’s would win in a landslide thanks to its rotating selections that are always can’t-miss. Beyond dessert, few establishments are better at making people feel good than Martin and Sara Stayer’s intimate Montrose bungalow that combines creative cuisine, potent cocktails, and a bumping soundtrack through a vintage hi-fi. While its dining room is closed for now, Nobie’s staples like nonno’s pasta and dilly bread remain vibrant as to-go fare, and chef Martin and his crew are always tinkering with new dishes that utilize seasonal produce. To twist what the restaurant likes to say on social media, why not stop on by and then get high?

    Riel
    Part of the fun of dining at Ryan Lachaine’s Montrose restaurant is the ability of diners to shape their own experience. Whether meeting a friend for a casual happy hour of butter burgers and crawfish rolls at the bar or celebrating a special occasion with the restaurant’s signature caviar service, Riel always puts care and craft into ensuring a good time for its customers.

    Riel aims to be a charitable member of the community, too. During the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the restaurant served as the local outpost for the Lee Initiative, which provided meals and other essential supplies to unemployed hospitality workers.

    State of Grace
    The River Oaks restaurant has shifted things slightly since it reopened in June. Staples like the duck carnitas for two and beef rib have been replaced with an expanded selection of steaks cooked on its wood-fired hearth. Thankfully, chef Bobby Matos’ commitment to seasonal sourcing remains fully intact with dishes like Texas peach toast and roasted corn pansoti that put summertime ingredients to their best use. One thing hasn’t changed: the Hill Country-inspired dining room remains one of Houston’s most beautiful spaces.

    Theodore Rex
    Justin Yu’s downtown restaurant continues to evolve in interesting ways. With the kitchen firmly under the direction of chef de cuisine Kaitlin Steets, T. Rex remains committed to serving the very best locally-sourced ingredients it can find and using it in creative ways such as a recent fried eggplant sandwich or housemade pasta with a vibrant tomato sauce. Service remains excellent courtesy of a front of house staff who seem to have an almost psychic ability to discern exactly what wine a diner is craving or what dish to suggest to round out a meal.

    UB Preserv
    Chris Shepherd and chef de cuisine Nick Wong have been having a little fun at this intimate Montrose restaurant. Instead of serving the familiar menu that’s anchored by staples such as a Thai-style crispy rice salad and boudin shumai, UBP has mixed things up by trying different genres each week — everything from Korean to Mexican to this week’s British pub. While the changes have been a fun demonstration of Wong and his team’s skills, we’ll look forward to the return of the restaurant’s lively dim sum brunch.

    Coltivare chef de cuisine Hector Suarez.

    Hector Suarez Coltivare
      
    Photo by Julia Weber
    Coltivare chef de cuisine Hector Suarez.
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    Pioneering Mexican chef and chic speakeasy popping up at Houston hotel

    Brianna Griff
    May 23, 2025 | 10:00 am
    Chef Alejandro Ruiz of Casa Oaxaca
    Photo courtesy of Four Seasons Hotel Houston
    Four Seasons Hotel Houston is hosting a two-night pop-up dinner featuring chef Alejandro Ruiz of Casa Oaxaca.

    Houston diners won’t need a passport to explore Mexico’s culinary capital next month. On June 16 and 17, Four Seasons Hotel Houston will host From Oaxaca, With Love, a five-course experience that teams celebrated chef Alejandro Ruiz of Casa Oaxaca with Oaxaca City cocktail bar Sabina Sabe and agave-spirits producer The Lost Explorer.

    The evening begins with Sabina Sabe bartender Mike Prado greeting diners with a cocktail in Bandista, the hotel’s speakeasy bar and lounge. The libations promise to be divine, with Sabine Sabe currently ranked No. 54 Best Bar in North America, and Bandista sitting at No. 59.

    From there, the party moves into a dining room filled with contemporary works supplied by Oaxaca Serrano Contemporary Art Gallery and underscored by live music.

    Ruiz, whose flagship Casa Oaxaca earned a spot in Mexico’s inaugural Michelin Guide, built his reputation by elevating the dishes he learned as a child cooking alongside his mother on the family farm.

    The chef stays close to his roots with recipes crafted using native ingredients such as chiles, corn, insects, and seeds purchased directly from local producers. Ruiz has long been considered an ambassador of the southern Mexican state — his enfrijoladas caused Noma’s famed Chef Rene Redzepi a moment of rapture.

    For his Houston appearance, diners can expect a true taste of Oaxaca: think a mini tostada topped with heirloom chapulines, chicatanas, and gusanos de maguey (grasshoppers, flying ants, and agave worms); red snapper cured in a bright tomatillo-rice-vinegar broth; and a slow-braised short rib finished in a fruit-laced mole.

    Prado will pair each course with cocktails such as the Pimiento Margarita, combining The Lost Explorer Tobalá mezcal with vermouth, peach, pimiento, cinnamon, and lime.

    “It is our great pleasure to welcome chef Alejandro Ruiz and Sabina Sabe to Houston, Texas,” Tom Segesta, Four Seasons Hotel Houston’s general manager, said in a statement. "These dinners, featuring these awarded ambassadors of Oaxacan food and drink, are sure to be enjoyed by our local community and guests from around the world.”

    The pop-up continues the hotel’s ongoing dinner-series format, which has previously spotlighted restaurants ranging from Emeril’s in New Orleans to Employees Only in New York and an Italian-American steakhouse from James Beard Award winner Chris Shepherd.

    From Oaxaca, With Love begins at 7 pm on Monday, June 16, and Tuesday, June 17. Seating is limited, with tickets priced at $250 per person plus tax and gratuity. Each reservation will receive a signed English-language copy of Ruiz’s cookbook The Food of Oaxaca: Recipes and Stories from Mexico's Culinary Capital. Reservations are available via OpenTable.

    Those who wish to linger can book the hotel’s Advance Purchase offer, which discounts room rates by up to 25 percent when reserved three or more days ahead.

    The menu features:

    Starter Trio

    • Mini tostada with heirloom insects
    • Zucchini blossom stuffed with ricotta and roasted banana purée
    • Hoja santa “taco” with quesillo, beans, and wild mushrooms

    Green Aguachile

    • Red snapper cured in tomatillo-rice-vinegar broth, Persian cucumber, red onion, cilantro, ginger-toasted peanuts
    • Cocktail: Pequeño Gigante – Madre Cuishe mezcal, hoja santa, ginger, lime, Oaxacan spices

    Tortilla Soup

    • Tomato-pasilla mixe broth, crispy tortillas, fresh cheese, cream, pork cracklings, mint-celery garnish
    • Cocktail: Pimiento Margarita – Tobalá mezcal, Mistela vermouth, peach, pimiento, cinnamon, lime

    Braised Short Rib

    • Anchamanteles mole, seasonal fruit relish, banana purée, crispy plantain
    • Cocktail: Agave Xerez – The Lost Explorer tequila, Palomino sherry, green apple, pear

    Textures of Oaxacan

    • Chocolate Mousse, sponge cake, ice cream, tuile, passion-fruit jelly, cacao nibs
    • Neat pour of Tobalá mezcal
    • Traditional water-based hot chocolate infused with cacao flower

    Chef Alejandro Ruiz of Casa Oaxaca
      

    Photo courtesy of Four Seasons Hotel Houston

    Four Seasons Hotel Houston is hosting a two-night pop-up dinner featuring chef Alejandro Ruiz of Casa Oaxaca.

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