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.
Signature dishes: Tagliatelle al ragu, Branzino al sale
Must order: Whatever pasta is on the daily blackboard. The salt-baked branzino if available.
Tip: Sit upstairs in the smaller dining room. The downstairs window seats are the loudest in the house.
Address: 1520 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006
Brennan's of Houston is the 1967 Texas Creole dining room on Smith Street from the New Orleans Brennan family, with turtle soup, bananas Foster tableside and Sunday jazz brunch.
Signature: Turtle soup, Bananas Foster tableside
Order: Turtle soup with sherry on the side. Bananas Foster, flambeed tableside, to close.
Tip: Sunday jazz brunch at 10am or noon books fast. Request the courtyard if the weather holds.
Nancy's Hustle in Houston is the EaDo bistro on Polk Street since 2017, with the much-copied Nancy Cakes cornbread, a strong natural-wine list and a counter open until 11pm.
Signature: Nancy Cakes (cornbread), Burger
Order: Nancy Cakes (cornbread with bottarga butter) and the burger. The pasta of the day is always good.
Tip: Bar seats are first-come; the dining room takes reservations. Sunday burger night still draws a line.
The Original Ninfa's on Navigation in Houston is Ninfa Laurenzo's 1973 Tex-Mex room, the birthplace of the restaurant fajita, still serving skirt steak tacos al carbon and Ninfaritas.
Signature: Fajitas (tacos al carbon), Ninfaritas
Order: The fajitas (tacos al carbon) for two. A Ninfarita on the rocks first.
Tip: Sit on the back patio under the strings of lights. The front room is loud and the bar takes 90 minutes to clear at 7pm.
Brennan's of Houston is the 1967 Texas Creole dining room on Smith Street from the New Orleans Brennan family, with turtle soup, bananas Foster tableside and Sunday jazz brunch.
Signature: Turtle soup, Bananas Foster tableside
Order: Turtle soup with sherry on the side. Bananas Foster, flambeed tableside, to close.
Tip: Sunday jazz brunch at 10am or noon books fast. Request the courtyard if the weather holds.
State of Grace in Houston is Ford Fry's River Oaks dining room on Westheimer Road, a Southern-and-steakhouse menu in a glossy room with limewashed brick and chandeliers.
Signature: Wagyu steak, Oysters on the half-shell
Order: A dozen Gulf oysters and the wagyu strip. The wood-grilled 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.
Coltivare in Houston is Ryan Pera's Italian room on White Oak Drive since 2014, with wood-fired pizzas, on-site vegetable gardens and salads pulled minutes before they hit the table.
Signature: Wood-fired pizza, Garden salad from the on-site beds
Order: The Margherita pizza and whichever pasta is on the day's board. Salads come from the back garden.
Tip: Walk-in only. Get there before 6pm or be ready to wait at the bar for 90 minutes.
Crawfish and Noodles in Houston is Trong Nguyen's Viet-Cajun room on Bellaire Boulevard since 2008, the country's defining Viet-Cajun crawfish boil with lemongrass garlic butter.
Signature: Viet-Cajun crawfish boil, Blue crab in garlic butter
Order: A pound of crawfish (in season Feb to June), the blue crab in house garlic butter, salt-pepper shrimp.
Tip: Crawfish are seasonal. October to January menu pivots to blue crab and Dungeness. Cash card surcharges apply.
