a march to remember

Houston fine dining destination marches onto Bon Appetit's prestigious best new restaurants list

March continues to earn national recognition.

Photo by Julie Soefer

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.

awards

Rumor no more?

Global dim sum powerhouse Din Tai Fung may finally be coming to Houston

Din Tai Fung/Facebook

Din Tai Fung is known for its soup dumplings, noodles dishes, and more

One of the world’s most famous Chinese restaurants could be coming to Houston. Global dim sum powerhouse Din Tai Fung appears to be moving forward with a location in the Galleria.

According to an entry on the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation website, the restaurant will replace Japanese restaurant Nobu, along with some adjacent suites, to create a total area of almost 16,800 square feet. The project is expected to begin in February 2027 and end in mid-June, although that timeline is only an estimate and is very likely to shift significantly. Its projected cost is $1 million, although that is also an estimate that could change. TDLR filings are preliminary and may not indicate an official lease has been signed.

At this time, Nobu's Houston location is still open and has not announced plans to close. The restaurant debuted in 2018 with a splashy grand opening party that featured an appearance by its three co-owners: chef Nobu Matsuhisa, co-founder Meir Teper, and legendary actor Robert De Niro.

Founded in Taipei, Taiwan in 1958 as a cooking oil shop, Din Tai Fung rose to prominence on the strength of its xiao long bao (soup dumplings) that are known for their delicate skins and savory, aromatic broth. Since then, the restaurant has grown to more than 165 locations worldwide, with U.S. outposts in cities such as Los Angeles, Seattle, Las Vegas, and New York. Four of those locations hold Bib Gourmand designations in the Michelin Guide.

In addition to their massive size, Din Tai Fung’s location are known for the sheer quantity of food they can produce. Its New York location reportedly makes more than 10,000 dumplings per day — by hand. In addition to dumplings, the restaurant is also known for its vegetable plates, noodle dishes, and other dim sum-style fare.

CultureMap has contacted representatives for the Galleria, Din Tai Fung, and Nobu to learn more information about this development. We will update the article when they reply.

Axios Houston was first to report on the TDLR filing.

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