Hometown Glory
The power & the hungry: Worth magazine names a new Houston power lunch hotspot
When you think about the perfect restaurant for a power lunch, the mind automatically heads to Houston's big business zones: Tony's in Greenway Plaza, Vic & Anthony's downtown and perhaps Les Mistral in the Energy Corridor, along with La Griglia in River Oaks.
But according to Worth magazine, location isn't everything. For its 2012 list of the best restaurants for a power lunch in every city, Worth picked Branch Water Tavern for Houston's top spot.
I also like that Branch Water isn't a typical $$$$ expense account restaurant. Not that there's anything wrong with those...
Sure, Branch Water has everything that a standard business lunch needs: A carnivore-friendly menu that mixes red meats with Gulf coast seafood, a comfortable and slightly masculine dining room, a chef/owner with serious culinary cred in David Grossman, and a bar that specializes in dark liquor. But with a location on Shepherd Drive just south of Washington Avenue, it does seem like an unorthodox choice.
But maybe my conception of a power lunch corridor is too narrow. After all, two of Worth's runners up, Mark's American Cuisine and Brennan's, also boast an inner loop location, though not one that's especially central to any of the above-mentioned power zones, and certainly the social crowd at Tony's isn't just there because it happens to be convenient.
I also like that Branch Water isn't a typical $$$$ expense account restaurant. Not that there's anything wrong with those, but that's not the only kind of place where dealmakers want to eat. There's as much money at Pizzitola's during lunch as there is at Da Marco. If Worth makes a power breakfast list, there's no way to avoid including Avalon Diner.
What's your favorite restaurant in Houston for a power lunch?
