Foodie News

Eat, sleep, love: Affordable Houston spot named one of the best hotelrestaurants in America

One of the best things about Houston is how rewarding it is to explore, with some of the city's best offerings tucked away in houses, on side streets or found at your average hole-in-the-wall.

But it's the same quality that can make the city frustrating to an outsider. Luckily there is the eternal refuge for visitors with expense accounts — the hotel restaurant.

"Twenty years ago, hotel food was like country-club food — OK but not exciting and never top of the line. In the last 10 years, hotels decided they had to have outstanding restaurants." Zagat Survey CEO Tim Zagat told USA Today.

Zagat and USA Today named the top hotel restaurants in the 25 most-traveled cities, and Quattro, inside the Four Seasons, was named Houston's best for its "inventive fare, boutique wines and a staff that's as fabulous as the ultra-contemporary setting."

Quattro was also singled out as the most affordable restaurant of the 25, with an estimated cost of $46 for a meal.

Quattro is consistently excellent, but we would also consider Vic & Anthony's (with Inn at the Ballpark) and La Toretta's Chez Roux as Houston's top restaurants that come with optional sleeping arrangements.

CultureMappers, do you like hotel restaurants when you travel? What other Houston hotel eateries are worth a trip with or without a night's sleep?

unspecified

oscars of the food world

4 Houston chefs and restaurants are James Beard Award finalists

Photo by Julie Soefer

March is nominated for its beverage program.

Houston has had a strong showing among the finalists for this year’s James Beard Awards. The city’s chefs and restaurants scored two nominations in nationwide categories as well as two of the five nominations for Best Chef: Texas.

Here are all of the Texas nominees in the national categories:

Emerging Chef: RJ Yoakum, Georgie (Dallas)
Best New Restaurant: Ema (Houston)
Best New Restaurant: Mabo (Dallas)
Best New Bar: Bar Colette (Dallas)
Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service: Arjav Ezekiel, Birdie’s (Austin)
Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program: March (Houston)
Outstanding Bakery: Starship Bagel (Dallas)
Outstanding Hospitality: Mixtli (San Antonio)

Photo by Julie Soefer

March is nominated for its beverage program.

The nominees for Best Chef: Texas include two nominees from Houston. Here are all of the nominees in the category:

Thomas Bille, Belly of the Beast (Spring)
Emmanuel Chavez, Tatemó (Houston)
Emil Oliva, Leche de Tigre (San Antonio)
Regino Rojas, Purépecha (Dallas)
Michael Anthony Serva, Bordo (Marfa)

The finalists are drawn from the semifinalists who were announced in January. Houston led the way with 13 total semifinalist nominations. Dallas and San Antonio restaurants earned eight semifinalist nominations each, followed by six for Austin-area establishments.

Considered the Oscars of the food world, the James Beard Foundation announced the finalists for its Restaurant and Chef Awards on Wednesday, April 2. The awards recognize excellence by chefs and other culinary professionals in a wide range of categories ranging from Outstanding Chef to Best New Restaurant. For 2025, the James Beard Foundation added three new categories to recognize the beverage side of hospitality: Best New Bar. Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.

Winners must also have “demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive,” according to the organization’s website. The awards also include media categories that will be announced on May 7.

Notably, all four of Houston's nominees also earned spots in the Michelin Guide. Both Ema and Belly of the Beast hold Bib Gourmand designations, while Tatemó and March are two of the six Houston-area restaurants to receive a coveted Michelin star.

While Ema, Billie, and March are all first-time finalists, Chavez has now been a finalist three times: once for Best New Restaurant and twice for Best Chef: Texas.

“These remarkable leaders exemplify our 'Good Food for Good' mission through their commitment to excellence, to the evolution of the independent restaurant industry, and our broader food culture,” James Beard Foundation CEO Clare Reichenbach said in a statement. “We look forward to celebrating everyone at the 35th anniversary of the James Beard Awards in June.”

The Foundation will reveal its Restaurant and Chef Award winners at an awards ceremony on Monday, June 16, 2024, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

awards chefs james beard awards