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    Road Trip!

    Foodies gone wild: Your guide to the debauchery of New Orleans restaurant week

    Davon D.E. Hatchett
    Sep 13, 2012 | 2:02 pm
    • The crab cakes at Ruth's Chris
      Ruth's Chris New Orleans/Facebook
    • Mr. B's Bistro in New Orleans
      Mr. B's Bistro/Facebook
    • Welcome to the first Ruth's Chris Steak House: It all began in New Orleans.
      Photo by Davon D.E. Hatchett
    • Mr. B's barbecued shrimp
      Photo by Emile C. Browne
    • Mr. B's shrimp and grits
      Photo by Emile C. Browne
    • Fried soft-shelled crab at Mr. B's
      Photo by Davon D.E. Hatchett
    • Blueberry Mojito at Mr. B's Bistro
      Photo by Davon D.E. Hatchett

     Houston Restaurant Weeks has come and gone. No more glee-filled, multi-course lunches and dinners, high-end meals at rock-bottom prices, and multiple wine-pairings that cost less than one glass of wine.

    Gourmands across the city have to man- and woman-up, dry their tears, take their taste buds off of “indulge” status, and wait for next year.

    Or do they?

    Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret. Want to know what’s better than Houston Restaurant Weeks? Restaurant week in another city.

    Why? You get to eat and travel. So I can’t imagine anything more comforting for those having HRW withdrawals than New Orleans hosting its second-annual Louisiana Seafood Restaurant Week (it runs through the end of Sunday, making for a perfect potential weekend getaway).

     

      Martinis for a quarter? Only in New Orleans. 

    After just coming down from a month plus of restaurant deals here in Houston, one might wonder “what’s the fuss?” Well, on paper, the Louisiana Seafood Restaurant Week has a very similar blueprint to Houston Restaurant Weeks: Two- (sometimes three-) course lunches cost $20, and three-course dinners run $35, with several terrific restaurants to choose from.

    But this is New Orleans, dawlin', and restaurant week has a slightly different spin on it.

    A saying attributed to Ben Franklin states that one should “Eat to live, not live to eat.” As a city that culturally identifies itself by its cuisine, and where indulgence is practically an art form, the philosophy isn’t “eat to live” but rather “live to eat.” It’s quite apropos, then, that the Crescent City’s Louisiana Seafood Restaurant Week is aptly named “We Live to Eat.”

    Clearly, Mr. Franklin would have utterly despised New Orleans.

     A Dining Strategy

    I had the providential good fortune of being able to attend the inaugural seafood week in September 2011. In order to develop a good dining strategy to determine which restaurants to pick, I decided to reach out to Sarah Peltier, Greater New Orleans regional director of the Louisiana Restaurant Association. She immediately suggested Mr. B’s Bistro which turned out to be an amazing choice.

     Mr. B’s Bistro is owned and operated by the Brennan family. Many members of the wait staff have been working there for 20-plus years, which is a testament to how the owners treat them like family. Once you step through the wood and glass revolving front door, you’ll be treated like family, too.

     

      The city has such a connection to food that it’s easy to have a fantastic meal in New Orleans, and during this week chefs are eager to put their cooking prowess on full display. 

    I decided to dive right into the spirit of “We Live to Eat (WLTE)” and ordered several dishes to sample, starting with shrimp and grits. The smooth, buttery and creamy grits were topped with bacon-wrapped shrimp and a generous drizzle of savory-sweet red-eye gravy. It was perfection on a plate.

    My next dish was classic Mr. B's Barbequed Shrimp: A bowl of plump, juicy shrimp covered in a velvety, peppery brown butter sauce that found me “kissing” my fingertips (because “licking your fingers” sounds so un-Southern belle-like).

    The final entree made me feel like I’d hit the culinary trifecta when the soft-shelled fried crab arrived. The sweet crab was encased in a crisp, crunchy, seasoned crust and nestled in a pool of lemony butter sauce that was almost good enough to drink. For dessert, I tried both the white chocolate brownie and the pecan pie. The pièce de résistance, however, was a fresh, hand-crafted blueberry mojito to-go, which allowed me the distinct pleasure of strolling through the French Quarter to walk off the meal I’d just reveled in, while sipping my cocktail.

    You can’t get that at restaurant weeks in Houston.

    Next up was lunch at Café Adelaide located in the Loews Hotel. I looked at the menu and my jaw dropped: the restaurant offered full-sized 25-cent martinis. Martinis for a quarter? Only in New Orleans.

    The numerous first course offerings included turtle soup, blue crab-golden tomato gazpacho, a duck tasso flatbread and the B.O.L.T (bacon-crusted oyster, lettuce and tomato) po'boy. I picked the po'boy as a starter, another version of shrimp and grits with basil beurre sauce for my entree and creme brulee for dessert. The po'boy got a resounding “thumbs up.”

    Although my shrimp and grits were tasty, they were edged out by those I’d had at Mr. B’s. The creme brulee custard was wonderfully silky with a perfectly crunchy-charred sugar crust. As for martinis, I’m pleading the fifth on how many, if any, I had.

     Night Moves

    Dinner found me at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, which was the first one ever built. The chain was founded in 1965 by Ruth Fertel after she bought the existing Chris Steak House in New Orleans. In buying the restaurant, Fertel had to agree to keep the "Chris" name for a certain period of time.

    She later relocated the restaurant and renamed the rebuilt establishment "Ruth's Chris." I wanted to test the saying “there’s nothing like the original” and I wasn’t disappointed.

    I enjoyed the nods to New Orleans reflected in the menu such as the quintessential bowl of gumbo, which was delicious. I also thoroughly enjoyed the decadently delicious lump meat crab cakes which were filled with crab meat that was barely bound together. For my entree, I ordered an exquisitely cooked filet mignon with a side of butter-laden mashed potatoes. It was an impeccably classic steakhouse meal, with a nice “down-on the-bayou” touch.

     

      The final entree made me feel like I’d hit the culinary trifecta when the soft-shelled fried crab arrived. 

    The city has such a connection to food that it’s easy to have a fantastic meal in New Orleans, and during the WLTE week the chefs really are eager to put their cooking prowess on full display. Add in the fact that the restaurants also feature fantastic and inexpensive drink specials (that you can take with you as you peruse the French Quarter while listening to jazz and brass band street players) and you have a restaurant week experience unlike any other.

    In my assessment, and without question, the “We Live to Eat” New Orleans Seafood Restaurant Week is definitely worth the trip up Interstate 10 for a high octane, epicurean-fueled weekend.

    Some people trek to New Orleans every February for Mardi Gras. Others make it a point to be in the city in May for the Jazz Festival. Still others are doggedly determined to make it to Bayou Bacchanal in November.

    While those are all excellent reason to make your way to the city, in my book, the “We Live to Eat” Louisiana Seafood Restaurant Week is at the top of the list.

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    news/travel

    2025 world's best awards

    6 Houston hotels ranked with the best in the world by Travel + Leisure

    Amber Heckler
    Jul 8, 2025 | 2:30 pm
    The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa
    Photo courtesy of The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa
    The Houstonian is back on top as the best resort in Texas.

    Several renowned Houston hotels and resorts were just declared the best in the world by Travel + Leisure readers, according to the publication's annual World's Best Awards.

    The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa was honored as the No. 1 best resort in Texas, while the prestigious Post Oak Hotel ranked as the No. 7 best hotel in the nation. Among T+L's list of the 15 best hotels in Texas, four more distinguished Houston properties made the cut.

    Every year, Travel + Leisure surveys its readers to determine the ultimate travel experiences around the world, which include the top hotels, resorts, travel destinations, and more. The 2025 survey had more than 180,000 responses from T+L readers with over 657,000 votes across 8,700 accommodations, cruise lines, and other properties.

    The Houstonian Hotel reclaimed the top spot for 2025 after previously slipping into No. 4 in 2024. The publication celebrated this "serene sanctuary" for its numerous sports and fitness activities, plus its rejuvenating 26,500-square-foot spa, pool, and jacuzzi. The resort's location next to Memorial Park also provides guests with the feeling that they've escaped the hustle and bustle of the city.

     The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa “The staff treats you like you are a long-awaited family member," said a T+L reader.Photo courtesy of The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa

    "Resort guests receive complimentary access to the fitness club, which has dedicated spaces for a myriad of sports, including nine tennis courts, a shaded jogging trail, an indoor track, and a lap pool," the report said. "On top of the unbeatable facilities and location, the Houstonian’s memorable hospitality had our voters eager for repeat visits."

    In a press release, general manager Steve Fronterhouse said the entire Houstonian team was honored to receive the worldwide recognition.

    "To be named the best resort in Texas by the discerning readers of Travel + Leisure is not just a reflection of our 27 acres and amenities; it’s recognition of the Southern hospitality and warmth our staff delivers every day," he said. "We are grateful to all of our guests who continue to make The Houstonian their home away from home.”

    The full list of best Texas resorts, in order, are:

    • The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa, Houston
    • Omni PGA Frisco Resort & Spa, Frisco
    • JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa, San Antonio
    • Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa, Austin
    • Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center, Grapevine
    Best hotels in the U.S.
    In addition to being ranked among the top 10 best hotels in the U.S., The Post Oak Hotel was also hailed as the No. 1 best hotel in Houston. The hotel succeeds at providing guests with a flawless level of service and accommodations, while its on-site restaurants and bars add to the overall opulence of the property's amenities.

    "And naturally, there's a world-class spa on site and a Rolls‑Royce showroom in case you need to pick up a new ride," the report said.

     The Post Oak Hotel Stay in style at The Post Oak Hotel.  Photo courtesy of The Post Oak Hotel  

    A T+L reader said The Spa at The Post Oak Hotel is "a destination in itself" and noted that guests could still have a memorable experience in Houston even if they never step foot off the 700,000-square-foot premises. But if guests did choose to explore everything the city has to offer, the hotel provides an over-the-top travel method.

    "There is a rooftop helipad so that you don't even have to sit in Houston traffic if you don't want to," the reader said.

    The full list of Houston winning hotels, in order, are:

    • No. 1 – The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston
    • No. 2 – Hotel ZaZa
    • No. 3 – Four Seasons Hotel Houston
    • No. 4 – JW Marriott Houston Downtown
    • No. 5 – Hilton Americas-Housto

    Other Texas awards
    San Antonio's Hotel Emma and Fort Worth's Bowie House, Auberge Resorts Collection were the only two other Texas properties to earn acclaim in T+L's list of the "15 Best City Hotels in the U.S."

    San Antonio was also deemed one of the best U.S. travel destinations in 2025, ranking 12th out of 15 total cities.

    In a release, Travel + Leisure editor in chief Jacqui Gifford said the 2025 World's Best Awards "reflect a travel landscape in motion."

    "From a high-desert city in the American Southwest to a quiet Greek island, our readers are seeking depth, character, and a strong sense of place," Gifford said. "We're thrilled to honor the hotels, destinations, and travel companies that are delivering those transformative experiences."

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