a march to remember
Houston fine dining destination marches onto Bon Appetit's prestigious best new restaurants list
Texas restaurants are well-represented on Bon Appetit’s list of America’s 50 Best New Restaurants for 2022. Seven Lone Star State establishments earn the magazine's approval.
They are:
- Birdie’s, a counter service restaurant in Austin known for its seasonal menu and well-chosen list of natural wines
- Canje, the Caribbean restaurant in Austin from star chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph
- El Rincon del Maiz, a taqueria in Garland that serves vegan tacos on seven different types of corn tortillas
- La Onda, chef Victor Villarreal’s Latin-inspired seafood restaurant in Fort Worth that includes dry-aged fish among its offerings
- March, the Houston fine dining restaurant dedicated to tasting menus inspired by different regions of the Mediterranean
- The Nicolett, a Lubbock restaurant that serves “High Plains Cuisine” in the form of dishes such as elk tartare and house-made pappardelle stuffed with avocado
- Reese Bros. Barbecue, a San Antonio food truck that pairs classic Texas barbecue with Mexican-inspired sides
The strong showing represents an improvement over 2019, when only four Texas restaurants made the list. Instead of awarding Best New Restaurants in 2021, Bon Appetit recognized restaurants that showed leadership during the pandemic with its Head of the Table awards, including Houston's Lucille's and its companion non-profit, Lucille's 1913.
Once again traveling the country to select this year's honorees, the magazine's editors express optimism about the state of dining in America. They note that a broader range of immigrant culinary traditions has spread across the country, writing that it means “more Guyanese and South Indian and Palestinian and Indigenous Mexican food for all of us.” They also praise restaurants that are “putting their staff first” by offering improved working environments.
“I hope this list, divided by region and filled with our thoughts on what to order and what to know, acts as an invitation to shake off any skepticism as to whether going out is ‘worth it’ these days,” restaurant editor Elazar Sontag adds.
Each restaurant on the list receives a brief profile along with a list of recommended dishes. For March, the magazine praises the luxurious dining room and chef Felipe Riccio’s six and nine-course tasting menus.
“The food and drink are every bit as riveting as the space itself, with tasting menus that change twice a year to reflect chef Felipe Riccio’s exploration of a different subregion of the Mediterranean,” the article states. “To dine here is to submit to the warm, luxurious embrace of a team that is doing the absolute most.”
Earning Bon Appetit’s approval is only the latest recognition for the Montrose restaurant. Last month, it landed on the cover of Food & Wine. It has also earned spots on best new restaurants lists by Robb Report and Esquire.
From this long list of 50 restaurants, Bon Appetit will reveal its ranked top 10 list on September 14.
