Just a feel-good kind of bar. Buy a drink, and know it goes to a good cause. Proud to be on the founding board of this amazing organization that has donated more than $1 million to local charities.
924 Congress
Houston, Texas 77002
Saint Arnold is just one of our really cool breweries doing really cool things. Take a tour of any one of our local breweries, and get some knowledge. (a.k.a. beer)
2000 Lyons Avenue
Houston, TX 77020
A beautifully run bar by the Justins (Vann and Yu). They have a great whisky selection, but I think the hidden gem there is the Madeira selection and the snacks.
202 Travis Street, #100
Houston, TX 77002
Huynh is one of the most delicious spots on the East side of downtown. It’s a small, casual restaurant that produces some of the best Vietnamese food out there. Friendly service, good technique, bold flavors. Try the grilled short rib and the goi vit.
912 Saint Emanuel Street
Houston, TX 77003
What all other sandwich shops strive to be—perfect. They’ve been rocking banh mi sandwiches since the ‘80s. Order the cha gio (Vietnamese egg rolls), and don’t forget to add a fried egg to your banh mi.
2900 Travis
Houston, TX 77006
David Buehrer changed the coffee culture in Houston. He was the first to go out to restaurants and explain why coffee is so important. You will find me at Blacksmith several times a day.
1018 Westheimer
Houston, TX 77006
Seth and Terrence are smart, amazing chefs. They have a brilliant perspective on food that’s different from anyone else in the city.
807 Taft
Houston, TX 77019
Where it all began. Sit at the bar and talk to your bartender. Learn something. Little known fact: Underbelly was conceived on a bev nap at Anvil.
1424 Westheimer
Houston, TX 77006
This is classic Houston. Opened in 1967, this is where I learned about family in the restaurant business. I worked nine years there. It’s the place that started to shape me, where I started to learn creative freedom.
3300 Smith Street
Houston, TX 77006
Houston’s version of a meat and three. It’s walking distance from our restaurants, so it’s a staff favorite for a quick, delicious, affordable lunch.
912 Westheimer
Houston, TX 77006
Small, slightly hidden spot right in the center of Montrose that has arguably the best bourbon selection in the city.
1641 Westheimer Rd B
Houston, TX 77006
The OG pho spot in Houston with locations across the city, but the one in Midtown is my favorite. The Tran family is always willing to share stories with me and help me with ideas along the way.
2808 Milam Street, Suite D
Houston, TX 77006
I never thought a honky tonk would be one of my favorite places to hang out, but this bar is run by some great people. I don’t dance, but I definitely will drink their bourbon.
2531 Kuester
Houston, TX 77006
It’s inspiring to see someone tell their own amazing story through their food—where they’re from, who they are. Hugo is a good man. And I love to eat his food.
1600 Westheimer
Houston, TX 77006
Want to talk beer? The staff at Hay Merchant knows so much. I’m also pretty happy they serve cocktails now.
1100 Westheimer
Houston, TX 77006
Classic Houston institution. It’s a cook’s bar, and you’re likely to encounter industry folk when you’re there.
600 W. Gray Street
Houston, TX 77006
One of the best restaurants in Houston. Small, quaint, precise. Ryan Pera is a great chef and dear friend. I call him “The Oracle.” Try the chicken wings. Arguably the best cacio e pepe ever.
3320 White Oak Drive
Houston, TX 77007
Tacos and whiskey! Tacos and whiskey! Tacos and whiskey! And patio. Ask about the ring toss.
1039 Yale Street
Houston, TX 77008
Fantastic ribs and an even better family. Mama makes the sides—they’re the best around.
3510 Ella Boulevard
Houston, TX 77018
Amazing young couple doing amazing things by staying true to their style of cuisine. Try the red oil dumplings or the mapo tofu and cool off with the cucumber sticks. I'm also stoked that they chose to open their second location in Montrose at 1201 Westheimer.
9348 Bellaire Boulevard
Houston, TX 77036
One of the oldest Vietnamese restaurants in the city. Go for an interactive, family-style experience. Order the Seven Courses of Beef.
9600 Bellaire Boulevard
Houston, TX 77036
A true measure of what Houston is all about—cultures blending. Take a Southern crawfish boil and blend it with Vietnamese flavor. Add stir-fried blue crabs and braised turkey necks, and you have one hell of a meal.
11360 Bellaire Boulevard
Houston, TX 77072
Best dim sum around. Don’t expect traditional cart service. All dishes are made to order. My favorites? Pork spare ribs and shrimp dumplings.
9889 Bellaire Boulevard #110
Houston, TX 77072
Best broth around. There are a few locations around Houston, but this one is open late. Ask for the bone marrow on the side.
12148 Bellaire Blvd #101
Houston, TX 77072
This is my favorite restaurant for live seafood and delicious treats. Don’t miss the tamarind Dungeness crab, shrimp and scrambled eggs and the spicy green beans.
11768 Bellaire Blvd
Houston, TX 77072
I stumbled across this spot searching for fresh rice noodles and discovered they also serve one of the best Banh Xeos I’ve had. It took me back to Vietnam.
12319 Bellaire Blvd #100
Houston, TX 77072
My Indian family. This restaurant is one of my favorite places to eat, and the masala bhindi might be my favorite dish in the city.
6690 Southwest Fwy
Houston, TX 77074
They serve arguably one of the best baba ghanoush that I’ve tasted, along with their fire-roasted breads. The standout dishes: anything grilled over live fire.
8619 Richmond Ave
Houston, TX 77063
Makers of Korean rice specialties and Houston’s best kimchi. These are the guys that make the rice sticks for our goat and dumplings (now available at Hay Merchant).
10082 Long Point Rd
Houston, TX 77055
The place that started it all for me. They told me “no” when I ordered the Yum Nhean, which made me want to explore my city and learn more about other cultures and cuisines.
6929 Long Point Rd
Houston, TX 77055
One of the best places for a mix of traditional dishes and barbecue. The staff is always so helpful and will walk you through your experience.
9501 Long Point Rd
Houston, TX 77055
You have to go during the weekend to see it in all its glory. Spit-roasted goat and live music. Don’t expect Tex-Mex. It’s the real deal.
6917 Long Point Rd
Houston, TX 77055
One of the nicest grocery stores I’ve ever visited. It has the best food court around.
1302 Blalock
Houston, TX 77055
Robert del Grande is an icon in this city. He was one of the first to break out into regional cuisine. He actually started the Southwestern cuisine movement and is still going strong.
1800 Post Oak Blvd
Houston, TX 77056
A guiding light for Japanese cuisine. Chef Manabu (Hori) Horiuchi shows honor and integrity when handling his fish. Just sit at the counter and dine omakase, and you’ll understand.
3600 Kirby Drive, Suite H
Houston, TX 77098
The Hamilton family has been making custom shirts in Houston since 1883. Nothing feels better than a Hamilton Shirt—the fit, the experience, the service. Ask for David.
5700 Richmond Avenue
Houston, TX 77057
Our biggest supplier of local produce. An amazing family—third generation farmers.
3217 Spring Cypress Rd
Spring, TX 77388
Find them at the farmers market or take a tour of their farm. They make amazing goat cheese, but don’t miss the feta.
Felix Flores is a wine guy turned swine guy. He takes great care of our pigs and goats.
Know your rancher—these are the words that the folks at 44 Farms live by. We get the majority of our beef for all of our restaurants here. We have a personal relationship, and I know they’re raising their cows right.
963 PR 44
Cameron, Texas 76520
One of the smartest wine guys I know. He can be found waltzing the aisles at Houston Wine Merchant. Go see him. Now.
My brother. My longtime best friend. We learned together and have grown together. He moved to San Antonio to run the restaurants at HEB, and I miss him.
My mentor and teacher. He taught me seasonality and how it reflects on a changing menu. He made me understand customer relations, and he made me be a presence in the dining room.
One of the most influential men for Gulf seafood. A true believer of all things Southern.
It’s not often that you meet people who are destined to make change. She’s teaching the next generation of cooks in her Cultivated Classroom. She’s teaching inner-city kids about fresh vegetables and knife skills and to think big. She’s making the world a better place.
What can you say about these guys? They are changing the bar scene of Houston on a daily basis. Just making it fun. I love the bourbon selection at Bad News Bar and the upstairs patio at Grand Prize Bar, but all their spots are great. I can't keep up. I can't wait for them to take me on a dive bar crawl.
Most chefs will rise to the occasion when called. These guys (Seth Siegel-Gardner, Terrence Gallivan, Justin Yu and Ryan Pera) continue to give back. Not only do they run some of the best restaurants in the city, they have a true sense of community and make this city a better place.
I don’t know where I’d be if I hadn’t met Liz. She taught me Korean food. She took the time to teach me. Liz didn’t just change my life—she changed a lot of people’s lives. The world is a better place because she was in it for a while. I miss you.