Brennan's of Houston is the 1967 Texas Creole dining room on Smith Street, the New Orleans Brennan family's Houston outpost, with turtle soup, bananas Foster tableside and Sunday jazz brunch.
Must order: Turtle soup with sherry. Bananas Foster, flambeed tableside, to close. Pecan-crusted Gulf fish at dinner.
Tip: Sunday jazz brunch is the local routine. Reserve the courtyard if the temperature stays under 30C.
Address: 3300 Smith St, Houston, TX 77006
Da Marco in Houston is Marco Wiles's Italian dining room on Westheimer since 2002, with hand-rolled pastas, a salt-baked branzino and Houston's most serious Italian wine list.
Order: Whichever pasta is on the daily blackboard. Salt-baked branzino if it is on. Order one of the older Barolos.
Tip: The upstairs room is quieter and smaller. Closed Sunday and Monday.
State of Grace in Houston is Ford Fry's River Oaks dining room on Westheimer, a Southern-and-steakhouse menu in a redesigned room of limewashed brick, chandeliers and Gulf oyster service.
Order: A dozen Gulf oysters and the wood-grilled wagyu strip. The Gulf fish of the day on a Friday.
Tip: The bar serves the full menu and is the quickest seat at peak. Sunday brunch is the local routine.
Hugo's in Houston is Hugo Ortega's regional Mexican room on Westheimer since 2002, with cochinita pibil, chiles en nogada in season and a chocolate-from-the-stone service tableside.
Order: Cochinita pibil. Chiles en nogada when in season (August to September). Tableside hot chocolate.
Tip: Sunday brunch buffet is the city standard. Reserve the noon slot; it sells out by Tuesday.
March in Houston is the Goodnight Hospitality tasting-menu room on Westheimer, chef Felipe Riccio's six- or nine-course Mediterranean menus rooted in one region per season.
Order: The full nine-course menu with June Rodil's wine pairings. Anything less misses the regional arc.
Tip: The menu changes seasonally; ask which Mediterranean region you are eating before you book. Greece in spring tends to be the strongest.
Bludorn in Houston is Aaron Bludorn's Gulf Coast fine-dining room on Taft Street, opened 2020, with a lobster pot pie that broke nationally and a serious Gulf-seafood pantry.
Order: Lobster pot pie. Whole branzino for two. The duck breast with stone fruit in season.
Tip: Bar seats face the open kitchen and serve the same menu. Book the patio if the weather is sub-30C.
Theodore Rex in Houston is Justin Yu's Nance Street bistro, a Michelin-recommended relaxed fine-dining room, a sequel to his closed Oxheart with a tomato toast across the seasons.
Order: Tomato toast in summer. Whatever is on the blackboard with stone fruit in late summer. The pork chop in autumn.
Tip: Bar is walk-in and the best seat. Arrive at opening, 5pm Thursday through Monday.
