txmo best new restaurants

3 Houston favorites land on Texas Monthly's best new restaurants list

Texas Monthly food editor Pat Sharpe has delivered her annual assessment of the state's best new restaurants. Published this morning on the magazine's website, the article, titled "The Best New Restaurants in Texas for 2020," ranks 10 establishments as well as honorable mentions.

To be eligible for the list, establishments must have opened between December 1, 2018 and December 1, 2019, and it must be a restaurant's first Texas location. Sharpe notes that this year's list has an international feel with eateries that take their inspiration from places such as Italy, Japan, Goa, and Spain. She finds another tie that binds most of her choices.

"I've noticed a trend that has been growing growing since since the craft cocktail movement began a couple of decades ago; restaurants are becoming more like bars," Sharpe writes. "That is, more casual and (sigh) noisier than ever."

Houston and Dallas lead the way with three entries each, but give a slight edge to the Bayou City — all of its entries rank in the top five: Squable (two), Davis St. at Hermann Park (three), and MAD (five). One Fifth Gulf Coast and Rosie Cannonball earn honorable mentions.

Sharpe praises Squable owners Justin Yu and Bobby Heugel for "wisely staying out of the way" of the creative dishes being served by chefs Mark Clayton and Drew Gimma. Davis St. earns a spot for chef Mark Holley's seafood-oriented menu. The critic seems utterly delighted by MAD's whimsical cuisine and decor, writing that chef Luis Roger is "having the time of his life" with the modern tapas that are the restaurant's standout dishes.

Homewood (four), Salaryman (six), and Khao Noodle Shop (eight) represent Dallas, with Ka-Tip Thai Street Food and Beverley's making the honorable mentions section. Fort Worth's sole spot on the list belongs to Gemelle, the Italian restaurant from celebrity chef Tim Love.

Austin's Comedor takes the top spot, marking the second year in a row that one of the city's Mexican restaurants made a strong impression on the critic (Suerte took second last year). Sharpe raves about the modern Mexican restaurant, comparing it to James Beard Award-winner Hugo Ortega's three Mexican restaurants as well as Pujol, the Mexico City restaurant ranked 12th in the world.

"Be advised that the Texas Mexican Food Timeline does have a significant new date: 2019," she writes. "In other words, there's Before Comedor (BC) and After Comedor (AC). It's just that simple."

No surprise to see Vixen's Wedding on the list in eighth place; Sharpe's had her eyes on it since she authored a rare preview of the Goan restaurant from chefs Todd Duplechan and Jessica Maher. Honorable mentions go to Nixta Taqueria and DipDipDip Tatsu-ya.

Savor, the restaurant at the Culinary Institute of America, provides San Antonio with its lone entry in the top 10, but both Evo and Kindling Texas Kitchen (in the suburb of Cibolo) earn honorable mentions for the Alamo City.

Squable takes second.

Photo by Jenn Duncan

Squable takes second.

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H-E-B names 3 innovative Houston food companies among 'Texas Best'

H-E-B Quest for Texas Best Hive Food Co.

Photo courtesy of H-E-B

Hive Food Co. is known for its infused honey.

After months of pouring over video submissions, H-E-B is entering the final leg of its annual grocery games. The San Antonio-based supermarket chain has narrowed down the finalists for its annual Quest for Texas Best competition, including three from Houston.

Ten innovative Texas entrepreneurs were chosen from a record-breaking 978 entries representing more than 500 companies spread across the Lone Star State.

Now in its 13th year, the contest asks Texas small businesses to put their best foot forward for the chance to win a combined $100,000 in cash prizes and the opportunity to be stocked on H-E-B shelves. Since the competition's beginning, the grocer has discovered more than 1,000 unique products, many of which have become literal household names.

“Quest for Texas Best is more than a competition; it is a launchpad for Texas entrepreneurs,” said James Harris, senior director of diversity & inclusion and supplier diversity for H‑E‑B, in a release. “H‑E‑B began as a small business, and we know firsthand how powerful the right opportunity can be.”

This year, the San Antonio and Houston regions were at the head of the pack with three finalist nods each. But the entrepreneurs hailed from all over the state — from border town Roma to Fort Worth suburb Haltom City. The top 10 hopefuls include:

Boerne — Coley’s Foods Inc., a frozen cookie dough company
Floresville — Dean & Peeler Meats, a beef producer known for its smoked Gouda sausage and Angus tallow
San Antonio — WFN Foods, maker of heat-and-serve taco fillings like beef barbacoa, pork carnitas, and carne guisada
Roma — In Your Smokin' Face, a spice company specializing in bold chile piquín and carne asada blends
Haltom City — Sol Dias, a gourmet paleta and Mexican ice cream company
Glenn Heights — Uncle Marc’s, a manufacturer of barbecue seasonings, rubs, and sauces
Houston — Doggie Express, a small-batch maker of decorated treats for canine celebrations
Houston — Big Bayou Cocktail Sauce, a saucy supplier branching out to Bloody Mary and margarita mixes
Houston — Hive Food Co., beekeepers known for gourmet infused honey
Bastrop — La Fregona, creators of a chile sauce for elotes and esquites

The final contenders will pitch their products on October 8 at H-E-B's headquarters in San Antonio, where judges will determine the top four winning products and award $50,000 to the Grand Prize winner and the "Texas Best" title — an honor that guarantees placement on H-E-B store shelves.

The first-place winner will receive $25,000, the second-place winner will receive $15,000, and the third-place winner will receive $10,000.

Since 2014, H-E-B has handed out nearly $2.75 million in prize money to Texas entrepreneurs. But Quest for Texas Best isn’t just about capital: the winners receive marketing, mentoring, and supplemental support to grow their brands. Fifty-five Texas small businesses that took part in the contest have achieved $1 million in sales and earned a commemorative H-E-B Million Dollar Club belt buckle.

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