Eat and Be Merry

Tony's is gifting Houstonians an exquisite dining experience this holiday

For the holidays this year, Tony's is giving Houstonians a quartet of tasty gifts: chef Austin Waiter's new tasting menu, the ease of full-service catering, Christmas Eve dining either in-restaurant or to-go, and New Year's Eve at the beloved restaurant.

The tasting menu
Tony's has been open for 55 years this year, having spent each year renowned for its excellence in both food and service. Tony Vallone, the restaurant's legendary late owner, would always say, "first in season, first at Tony's," referencing how it was at the forefront of seasonality with the freshest ingredients.

Executive chef Austin Waiter vows to continue the teachings of his mentor. The new five-course tasting menu includes marinated black bass, handmade caramelli topped with caviar, alba white truffle risotto, and Colorado lamb chops with chanterelles. It's $125 per person, with $45 and $95 wine pairings. You can drool over the full menu here.

Holiday catering
It's one thing to host a party, and another entirely for the party to cater to you. That's the dedication and attention to detail that Tony's full-service catering and special events team brings to each and every event.

Tony's works with you to create a fully customized menu, bringing the Tony's experience right into your home. Let one of their chefs cook in your kitchen and serve you and your guests in the comfort of your dining room. The highly trained staff can cater any dining experience or size of party, on any budget. Place a catering inquiry here.

Christmas Eve dining
The holidays are stressful enough, so order your big meal in from Tony's and check at least one major thing off your list. Guests can order online for pick-up on Christmas Eve between 11 am-3 pm.

Menu highlights include lamb shank, whole Prime tenderloin, Italian sausage and peppers, baked ziti, whole cheesecake with praline topping, and more. Order online here.

Tony's will also be open for in-restaurant dining on Christmas Eve, and you can make reservations here.

New Year's Eve celebration
Tony's is giving Houstonians a safe, socially distanced way to ring in the New Year, with two seatings of a four-course, multi-choice dinner. The first seating is at 6 pm for $95 per person, and does not include live music. The second is at 9:15 pm for $195 per person, with live music by Nick and the Hits. Call Tony's at 713-622-6778 to make your reservations.

Bring the Tony's experience home this holiday.

Photo by Heirloom Interactive

Bring the Tony's experience home this holiday.

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HIGH STEAKS COMPETITION

2 Houston-born steakhouses named among top fine dining restaurants in U.S.

Brenner's on the River Walk/Facebook

Brenner's on the River Walk is the only Texas restaurant to win a Traveler's Choice Award.

For all of the diversity in Houston’s dining scene, the city’s steakhouses remain one of its culinary strengths. So much so that two concepts that are Bayou City born rank among the country’s best fine dining restaurants, according to the 2026 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards.

Notably, the awards don’t recognize the original, Houston locations of either restaurant. Instead, diners selected the San Antonio location of Brenner’s (No. 8) and the Lake Charles (No. 9) and Las Vegas (No. 19) locations of Vic & Anthony’s Steakhouse. No other Texas restaurant made it to any of the top 10s on the site’s other ranked lists that cover everything from viral sensations to culinary tours.

The awards are calculated based on both the quality and quantity of reviews and ratings collected by Tripadvisor over over 12 months, July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. The review platform also says a mysterious “additional editorial process” contributes to the final rankings. Whether that affects review bombing or not is left unsaid.

"Food is at the heart of how we experience a destination, and these awards recognize the restaurant and culinary experiences travelers consider among the very best," offered Laurel Greatrix, Chief Communications Officer, Tripadvisor Group, in a release.

Brenner’s is a relative newcomer to the River Walk, opening in summer 2023, joining its two Houston locations in the Energy Corridor and along Buffalo Bayou near Memorial Park. Like Vic & Anthony’s, it’s part of Landry’s, the hospitality conglomerate owned by Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta.

Named for Tilman Fertitta’s father and uncle, Vic & Anthony opened in downtown Houston in 2003. It expanded to Las Vegas in 2006 and Lake Charles in 2014 — both inside Golden Nugget casinos.

Although Tripadvisor did not provide context in the award announcement, over 350 of the site’s users have rated Brenner’s as “excellent.” Similarly, Vic & Anthony’s in Lake Charles has more than 700 “excellent” reviews, with the bustling Las Vegas location earning more than 1,900 “excellent” reviews.

All three restaurants enjoy enviable ratings of 4.6 or higher, although Brenner’s dipped slightly from its No. 6 ranking in 2025. Somewhat surprisingly, on a list dominated by steakhouses, the top fine dining restaurant was long-running Italian staple Ristorante Paoletti in Highlands, North Carolina.

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Eric Sandler contributed to this article.

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