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    Foodie News

    Where to eat right now: 10 must-try restaurants for January

    Ruthie Miller
    Jan 6, 2012 | 10:40 am
    • The chef's table at Triniti gives you a view of chef Ryan Hildebrand in thekitchen.
      Photo by Ruthie Johnson Miller
    • Houston has a VPN-certified pizza master cranking out beauties at Pizaro's PizzaNapoletana.
      Photo by Ruthie Johnson Miller
    • Stop by the Rice Box Truck to say hi to proprietors Arthur and John.
      Photo by Ruthie Johnson Miller
    • If you stop by Nabi, be sure to try the green tea Twinkie.
      Photo by Ruthie Johnson Miller
    • The falafel sandwich at Local Foods, alongside the beet slaw and butternutsquash
      Photo by Ruthie Johnson Miller
    • Craving pasta? Try the pasta carbonara at Coppa.
      Photo by Ruthie Johnson Miller
    • Headed to Triniti? Try the veal broth studded with mushrooms and foie grasdumplings.
      Photo by Ruthie Johnson Miller
    • Sweet-n-sour chicken comes with a steamy-hot eggroll at the Rice Box Truck.
      Photo by Ruthie Johnson Miller

    Happy new year, food folks! We hope you resolve to try some fun new places this month. Here are 10 hot places to get you started . . .

    Some are new restaurants entirely, while others are more seasoned, but all are well worth a visit.

     Triniti
    Ryan Hildebrand’s new restaurant officially opened on Christmas Eve to much fanfare, offering an enviable menu of American cuisine with a French twist. Located on Shepherd at Alabama, the attractive, open space fills nightly with pretty people looking to nosh on things like veal broth with foie gras dumplings, Texas quail with duck sausage stuffing and roasted pheasant with fingerling potatoes.

     Pizaro's Pizza Napoletana
    Authentic Neapolitan pizza? It’s finally here thanks to Pizaro’s on the west side.

    Proprietor Bill Hutchinson is a VPN-certified pizza master, while his wife Gloria makes what might be the finest starter salads in town, complete with homemade dressings. Son Matt is the one tossing the dough up front. The resulting pies, complete with housemade mozzarella and sauce, are stunningly delicious.

     Roost
    We expect great things from this farm-to-table gem (on Fairview near Shepherd) in the new year. They’re already doing the little things right — like a lovely bread service and nice charcuterie plate. Mains and vegetable sides are tasty, too, and the menu changes often.

    A final, fabulous plus for this little newcomer: Roost is BYOB until it secures the right liquor license.

     Rice Box Truck
    Craving the Chinese food of your youth?

    Find this big red truck outside of Anvil most weekdays at lunch to dig on saucy delights like General Tso’s Chicken, Sweet-n-Sour Chicken, pan-fried dumplings, and fried rice. While you wait for your food, introduce yourself to proprietors Arthur and John, two of the nicest guys on the scene. Follow the @RiceBoxTruck on Twitter for a schedule.

     Tony’s
    Forget what you’ve heard about Tony’s. The Houston institution has suffered from the standard ups, downs and inconsistencies that follow 45-year-old restaurants, but young chef Grant Gordon has rekindled the burning flame.

    He’s earned raves for fantastic soups and mains, but the real joy is in the delicate, housemade pastas paired with sauces both classic and creative.

     Local Foods
    This sandwich shop opened in November, offering wonderful sandwiches, soups and salads. It’s the casual component of the upscale Benjy’s restaurant and located in the former Antone’s space right next door (in Rice Village).

    We love the truffled egg salad sandwich and BLT, plus the beet slaw and kale salad. Go early at lunchtime, as the lovely light-filled sanctuary fills up fast.

     Nabi
    Taking the old Tomo spot on Westheimer is Nabi, a new Asian offering. While most of the menu skews sushi/Japanese, there are some outliers from the other eastern influences — pork buns, for example, and vegetable curry.

    The food is fine, though not outstanding, but be sure to try the green tea Twinkies for dessert.

     Coppa
     Coppa seems to be the it place these days, inspiring oooh-and-ahhhs over bright pastas, hearty meatballs, and creamy burrata. Neapolitan pizzas are worth a try as well.

    The space is open and modern — and almost always lively, loud, and full. That said, be sure to have a reservation if you go.

     Kobecue
    Korean fusion isn’t a common request in Houston, but Kobecue aims to change that with its fast-casual eatery on Richmond at Weslayan. If you’re looking for authentic, this isn’t your place.

    But it’s a fun, filling meal that serves as an easy introduction to a genre you may not know well. If you’re a newbie, try the tacos and pork burgers. If you’re more daring, go for the bibimbap or kimchi fries.

     The Waffle Bus
    We’re beyond excited that this new food truck, which offers waffles and waffle sandwiches, plans to open early this month. Um, strawberry Irish cream creme brulee waffle? Red Velvet Belgian Waffle with white chocolate powdered sugar?

    Yes, please! Follow @TheWaffleBus on Twitter for opening details and locations.

    Need more recs? Try our lists from previous months:

     July – August – September – October – November – December

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    hola, mayahuel

    Netflix chef's modern Mexican restaurant opens in Houston this month

    Eric Sandler
    Jul 7, 2025 | 6:45 pm
    Mayahuel restaurant
    Photo by Bethany Ochs
    Mayahuel's menu combines seasonal ingredients and heirloom corn.

    The countdown is on to Houston’s newest modern Mexican restaurant. Mayahuel will officially open for dinner on Friday, July 18.

    Located in the Autry Park mixed-use development, Mayahuel united Culinary Khancepts — the hospitality group behind Liberty Kitchen, State Fare, and Leo’s River Oaks (among others) — with star chef Luis Robledo Richards. Known locally for his short-lived taqueria Comalito, Richards is the pastry chef behind Mexico City’s celebrated Tout Chocolat. His resume includes serving as a judge on the Netflix series Sugar Rush: The Baking Point and being named the Best Pastry Chef in Latin America by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

    At Mayahuel, Richards will feature dishes made with seasonal ingredients and heirloom corn that’s imported from Mexico. At opening, it will be a tidy group of 16 savory dishes — divided into starters, “Tacos y Masa,” and entrees, as well as a separate tasting menu. The restaurant takes its name from the Mexica goddess of the maguey plant, which only blooms once, to emphasize its connection to Mexico’s land and culture.

    “At Mayahuel, we’re not just preparing food — we’re honoring time, place, and process,” Richards said in a statement. “Our ingredients are chosen only when they’re at their best. We don’t force nature to fit our schedule — we follow its lead.”

    Dinner at Mayahuel could begin with dishes such as bread and tortillas served with miso and salsa matcha butters, a bluefin tuna tostada with uni cream and yuzu aioli, salmon aguachile, or a beef carnitas croquette. The “Tacos y Masa” section includes beef cheek and shrimp tacos, a duck confit tamal, and a squash blossom tetela. Entree choices include filet mignon with mole negro, cochinita with black bean puree and tortillas, and sea bass with potatoes and salsa Veracruzana.

    Brunch is a more casual affair built around items such as chilaquiles, French toast, enfrijoladas, and a Mexican take on eggs Benedict topped with salsa roja hollandaise.

    Large format desserts each take inspiration from one of three ingredients — vanilla, coffee, or cacao. Priced at $28 each, the menu describes them as “a thoughtful, interactive finale that honors tradition through technique, seasonality, and imagination.”

    Pairings include cocktails made with agave spirits, fresh juices, and house made syrups. Notably, all tequilas will be additive-free, which means some prominent brands may not be featured behind Mayahuel’s bar.

    The restaurant occupies an approximately 5,100-square-foot space that’s divided into a 16-seat bar, a 40-seat dining room, an eight-seat chef’s table, a 36-seat, second floor dining room, and a 34-seat patio. It joins other concepts in Autry Park such as French restaurant Annabelle Brasserie, sushi spot Doko, fine dining steakhouse Turner’s Cut, Vietnamese restaurant Annam, and a still-unnamed concept from Austin’s Emmer & Rye Hospitality.

    “Mayahuel is about creating a sense of place and story,” Culinary Khancepts founder Omar Khan said. “It’s a natural evolution for our group — rooted in culture, crafted with care, and designed to be as memorable as it is welcoming.”

    Mayahuel will be open for happy hour and dinner Monday-Saturday and brunch on Saturday and Sunday. Reservations are available on OpenTable.

    Mayahuel restaurant
      

    Photo by Bethany Ochs

    Mayahuel's menu combines seasonal ingredients and heirloom corn.

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