Food for Thought

Houston restaurants are finally getting a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Randy Evans is one of several chefs off to the Big Apple for a round ofinterviews, including Martha Stewart Radio, to promote Houston and the GreaterHouston Convention & Visitors Bureau's culinary tours with top chefs thisspring.
Renowned food and wine critic John Mariani has been a Tony’s fan for more than aquarter of a century.
Photo by Chris Conyers
Critics across the country discovered Bryan Caswell’s Reef in 2008.
Photo by Courtney Caswell
David Grossman’s Branch Water Tavern made the short list of The Daily Beast’s"Winter’s Hot New Restaurants."
Photo by Kimberly Park

The national media has dissed our beloved city on far too many occasions, but now it seems our dishes may be bringing us some respect.

How cool was it last week to see David Grossman’s Branch Water Tavern on the short list of The Daily Beast’s "Winter’s Hot New Restaurants"? About as cool as when critics across the country discovered Bryan Caswell’s Reef in 2008 and when The New York Times' Frank Bruni fell in love with Feast last year.

Even the Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau is jumping on the bandwagon, offering culinary tours with top chefs this spring. Already seven of the eight tours have sold out and the GHCVB is going to offer additional tours in June.

“It’s just really exciting,” GHCVB director of marketing and public relations Lindsey Brown says of the tours and the national buzz our chefs are getting. “It’s wonderful that the national media is recognizing Houston has more than barbecue and Tex-Mex.”

In fact, next week the GHCVB is taking chefs Chris Shepherd and Randy Evans to the Big Apple for a round of interviews, including Martha Stewart Radio, to promote Houston and the tours.

“Chris and I are going to have some fun and talk about the tours,” Evans, the chef/owner of Haven says. “It’s so cool that the Houston food scene is getting some focus. For so long we were the also-ran of the restaurant world behind New York and Chicago. Now, people are really starting to take notice.”

Of course, some folks have been onboard for a while. Renowned food and wine critic John Mariani has been a Tony’s fan for more than a quarter of a century. “Early on I recognized he was one of the most important restaurateurs in Houston,” Mariani told me recently. “He has some of the finest Italian food in the country. He’ll do anything, pay anything, to get the finest ingredients.” Mariani will be back in Houston next month as the keynote speaker of the Galleria Chamber of Commerce’s Texas Legends Gala, which will honor Vallone and his wife, Donna.

It really would be nice for Houston to be known as a dining destination rather than for its dirty air and urban sprawl. Chatting with comedian Bill Maher on the phone the other day, I tried to get him to talk about some of our restaurants. Unfortunately, he’s “practically a vegetarian” and doesn’t eat out when he’s on the road. But he loves our city.

“How can I not love a city that invented strip clubs and Ecstasy!”

OK, maybe the GHCVB has a little more work to do.

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COMING ATTRACTIONS

San Antonio coffee shop brews up plans for third Houston café

Merit Coffee Co./ Facebook

Merit Coffee Co. will open three Houston locations by the end of 2026.

San Antonio’s acclaimed Merit Coffee is continuing its Houston expansion. After taking over a former Starbucks at 5115 Buffalo Speedway in July, the Texas chain will open two more Bayou City coffee shops in winter 2026.

One of those two cafés, in the historic Swift Building in the Heights, was previously announced, but the chain has newly revealed that it will also debut a third shop at Greenside in Memorial City. Both are being developed by Houston’s Radom Capitol.

Founded in 2009 as Local Coffee, the chain now has 14 locations in Austin, Dallas, and its San Antonio home base. The business has earned accolades in all of its markets, including a 2025 CultureMap Dallas Tastemaker Award for Best Coffee Shop.

Merit’s beans, sourced from growers in Central/South America and Africa and roasted locally, might already be familiar to Houstonians who shop at H-E-B, Central Market, or Whole Foods Market. But soon the city’s coffee lovers will have access to an in-person Merit Coffee experience.

"For years, we've dreamed about bringing Merit to Houston," said Bill Ellis, CEO of Merit Coffee, in a release. "Houston has one of the most exciting food and beverage cultures anywhere in the country, and we've been intentional about finding the right neighborhoods, partners, and opportunities to establish roots here."

Merit takes pride in making sure each physical location reflects its neighborhood. The website includes line drawings of each café, which range from a 1900 stone house in Austin to a sleek glass storefront in Dallas.

The menus are largely the same at each outpost. In addition to all the classic espresso drinks, Merit also serves matcha, hōjicha tea, refreshers, and playful creations like a latte made with raspberry purée and almond ricotta cold foam.

Each city’s shops also partner with locally owned bakeries. All upcoming Houston locations will feature sweet and savory pastries from Houston’s Cake & Bacon.

"Cake & Bacon embodies everything we love about Houston's culinary scene, and we're excited to showcase their incredible work,” said Ellis.

Merit Coffee has not revealed the exact opening dates for any of its Houston locations. More details will be announced via social media later in the summer.

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