a good year

Posh Houston restaurants uncork high honors in Wine Spectator awards

March scored a top spot for its wine list.

Photo by Julie Soefer

A host of Houston — and Texas — restaurants won big in the recent Wine Spectator's 2021 Restaurant Awards. Launched in 1981, the awards recognize outstanding wine programs at dining spots around the globe.

Of the more than 2,900 award winners from around the world, dozens are in the Lone Star State. Houstonians can read the full list online or in the August 31 issue of the magazine, set to hit news stands on July 13.

The awards fall into three categories. The highest honor, the Grand Awards, recognize top-tier programs that offer huge depth and breadth. These are the spots with serious wines that pair well with the menu, are from top-ranked producers, and offer an outstanding selection of mature vintages.

The Best Awards of Excellent recognize restaurants with an extensive wine selection from multiple regions. The Award of Excellence showcases programs that provide well-curated lists that match the restaurant's menu in both price and food pairing ability.

Four Texas dining spots were Grand Award winners, and were lauded by the magazine for their extraordinary wine programs. They are among 97 restaurants worldwide to receive the honor.

Houston
Mastro's Steak House at the Post Oak Hotel
Wine Spectator noted this swanky spot is home to the largest wine list in any of the magazine's award winners. The publication cites among its strengths a dynamic selection of wines from Burgundy, Bordeaux, California, Piedmont, Tuscany, Champagne, the Loire, and Madiera.

Pappas Bros. Steakhouse
Both the downtown and the original location earned Grand Award status, thanks to their showstopper collections. Downtown was called out for its "over-the-top" wine experiences, while the original location was lauded for its epic list with 4,100 selections.

In general, the magazine listed the restaurants' strengths in selections from Burgundy, Bordeaux, California, Piedmont, Rhône, Tuscany, Champagne, Germany, Austria, Spain, and Port.

Dallas
Pappas Bros. Steakhouse
Big D's Pappas Bros placed, too, with Wine Spectator giving it high marks for growing into "a major force in Texas wine culture." Diners here can look for a terrific variety of large-format bottles, and strength of representation from Burgundy, Bordeaux, California, Piedmont, the Rhône, Tuscany, Champagne, Germany, Austria, Spain, and Port.

Sixteen restaurants across the state received Best Awards of Excellence.

Houston
Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse
Every one of the chain's locations around the country earned a spot on the Best Awards of Excellence list. The Houston outpost was lauded for an extensive selection of wines from California, Bordeaux, Burgundy, France, and Italy.

El Meson
This Rice Village favorite got high marks from Wine Spectator for its selection of wines from Spain and California. That's likely not a surprise to Houstonians, who've long loved it for spotlighting Spanish culinary style.

Georgia James
Chris Shepherd's place earned a spot for its killer selection of wines from California, Italy, and France, all designed to enhance the upscale menu.

March
This Montrose Mediterranean newcomer was cited for its strengths in offering wines from Burgundy, Champagne, California, Bordeaux, Piedmont, and Tuscany.

Masraff's
The upscale spot won kudos for its wines from California, Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Italy.

Turner's
Berg Hospitality's Uptown restaurant was lauded for a killer selection of wines from France, Burgundy, Champagne, California, Bordeaux, Tuscany, and Piedmont.

Vic & Anthony's

The clubby, downtown steakhouse was cited for its emphasis on wines from California, Burgundy, Bordeaux, France, and Italy.

Dallas
Bob's Steak and Chop House
The Grapevine and Plano locations were award winners as well, but the Omni Hotel outpost was commended for its selections from California, France, and Italy.

The Capital Grille
This Uptown steakhouse got a nod for its excellent selections from California, France, and Italy.

Cru Food and Wine Bar
The West Village spot was cited for its carefully curated list, with selections from California, France and Italy particular strengths.

Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse

The Mansion
This classic gem of upscale dining made the list for its selections from California, France, and Italy.

Austin
Bob's Steak and Chop House

The Lonesome Dover Western Bistro
This Warehouse District's "urban Western" cuisine pairs perfectly with its wine list, heavy on California selections.

San Antonio
Bob's Steak and Chop House

Signature at La Centera Resort
This jewel in the La Centera Resort and Spa's crown landed on the list for its selections from France, Champagne, and California.

Dozens of Texas restaurants received the Award of Excellence for their wine programs. Here are some of the highlights.

Houston
Brenner's on the Bayou
Wine strengths: California, France, Italy

Kiran's
Wine strengths: California, France

Rainbow Lodge
Wine strengths: California, Italy

Roka Akor
Wine strengths: California

Rosie Cannonball
Wine strengths: Beaujolais, France, Italy, California

State of Grace
Wine strengths: California, France, Italy

Dallas
Antonio Ristorante
Wine strength: Italy

Lavendou Bistro Provencal
Wine strengths: France, California

Law
Wine strength: California

The Mercury
Wine strengths: California, France

Austin
Cafe Blue (Both locations)
Wine strength: California

Ciclo
Wine strength: California

Siena Ristorante Toscano
Wine strength: Italy

San Antonio
The Palm
Wine strength: California

awards wine

NY Times names pioneering Houston restaurant to 'greatest Mexican' list

Photo by Julie Soefer Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau

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The New York Times included four Texas restaurants on its list of “41 of the Greatest Mexican Restaurants Across the United States.” Published Thursday, August 13, the Texas restaurants on the list are:

Burnt Bean Co., a barbecue restaurant in Seguin
Garcia’s Mexican Food, a Tex-Mex diner in San Antonio
Hugo’s, an interior Mexican restaurant in Houston
Nixta Taqueria, a creative taco concept in Austin

Mostly written by James Beard Award-winning food writers Brett Anderson and Bill Esparza, the duo “visited dozens of Mexicans restaurants across the country over the course of a year” to compile the list, the Times explains.

“This list is not an attempt to rank the best Mexican restaurants,” the duo write. “It is, rather, a mosaic of great places to eat, from food trucks to corner restaurants to tasting-menu counters. We hope it tells an expansive story about Mexican cooking in America today — a dynamic cuisine all its own, and as American as any food.”

As Texas Monthly’s No. 1 ranked barbecue joint, Burnt Bean Co. is already well known for its smoked meats, but the Times also hails its Mexican cuisine, which includes its signature Sunday morning menu with menudo, barbacoa tacos, and brisket huevos rancheros.

“You could call it Tex-Mex barbecue, but it’s just how barbecue is eaten in a state whose Mexican border is more than 1,200 miles long,” Anderson writes

Founded in 1962, Anderson hails Garcia’s for its consistency, affordability, and pioneering combination of smoked brisket tacos. “Garcia’s is what an idealized American diner looks like in this part of the country: housemade salsas, tortillas instead of toast and plates of nourishing food at prices that explain why some customers visit multiple times a day,” he writes.

The article credits Hugo’s for introducing the city’s diners to a deeper understanding of the breadth of Mexican cuisine. “Aged into a fine-dining lion in the cradle of Tex-Mex, Hugo’s still features longtime staples like banana leaf-wrapped cabrito, grilled octopus and sautéed chapulines, not to mention mezcals and Mexican wine,” Anderson writes.

“I’m so glad I took a risk taking that train to Houston and, eventually, opening Hugo’s,” Ortega said in response to CultureMap’s request for comment about being included on the list. “I had no idea how it would turn out, I just knew was it was the food that I grew up eating and it was different than what I was seeing in Houston at the time. It was – and is – the food of my heart, my family, my ancestors. The foundation of Mexican cuisine is making everything from scratch which is what we continue to do every day at Hugo’s, and at our other concepts, too. I am humbled and thankful.”

Operated by Edgar Rico and Sara Mardanbigi, Nixta has drawn lines of Austinites eager for its creative spin on tacos, which includes Asian ingredients such as fish sauce and furikake, as well as a dessert that nods to Mardanbigi’s Persian heritage.

“The reservations-only tasting menu, served Thursday through Saturday, further showcases the couple’s stunning creativity and ambition,” writer Priya Krishna notes. “But most of the time Nixta remains what it always has been: a counter taquería of the utmost excellence.”

Of course, knowing that the list isn’t a ranking makes it easier to understand the decision to pick Hugo’s as Houston’s representative — both for its historical significance and continued excellence. If Anderson and Esparza had decided to seek out a newer option, they could have considered restaurants such as, Michelin-starred Mexican tasting menu concept Tatemó; Modern Mexican-American restaurant Belly of the Beast, which is led by James Beard Award-winning chef Thomas Bille; Maximo, which is led by James Beard Award-winning chef Adrian Torres; or Casaema, the breakfast and lunch concept that earned a spot on the Times’ list of its favorite dishes of 2024.

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