Houston Eater | April 4, 2024
Houston is a culinary capital, offering an onslaught of cuisines and restaurants that keep local diners and visitors alike hungry for more. And with a nonstop list of new openings, the question remains each month: Where to dine now? Fortunately, Eater Houston has you covered — sharing key intel about some of the hottest and buzziest new restaurants each month. Restaurants like Belly of the Beast, Monarca, and La Griglia have been rotated out, making way for recent openings like Late August, Bar Bludorn, and more.
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Late August
Duchess Uptown Park
Mediterranean, Asian, and South American culinary techniques are the centerpiece of Duchess Uptown Park, the newest addition to the bustling shopping district. Shaped by chef Omar Pereney in collaboration with owners Peggy and Daniel Chang and Roveen Abante, the menu features the prized seafood and coastal cooking of each region, largely prepared over a wood-fired grill in the restaurant’s kitchen. Posh emerald green and cobalt blue booths envelop diners as they embark on a coastal dining journey. For dessert, do share with someone special the Duchess Rose, a rose-shaped pastry of white chocolate mousse, white chocolate feuilletine, strawberry compote, elderflower foam, and micro basil leaves — perhaps one of the most delicate dessert presentations in town.
Bar Bludorn
Nestled in Memorial’s Hedwig Village, Aaron Bludorn’s third Houston restaurant is a tavern-style experience that exudes the same quality and hospitality on display at Bludorn and Navy Blue. Analog to the chef’s flagship restaurant, Bar Bludorn’s menu features explorative takes on Gulf Coast seafood, pasta, and plates infused with regional flavors. Bludorn’s calling card — oysters served raw, roasted, or fried — have a permanent place on the menu, as do a host of pasta dishes. Expect to find artichoke tortellini, pappardelle with mustard-stoked rabbit ragout, and carbonara constructed with poached egg yolk, nuggets of rendered bacon, and English peas. Start your meal with country ham beignets laced with ricotta cheese and whole grain mustard, and finish with dessert: Ice cream sandwich, citrusy coconut mousse, and fresh baked cookies await.
Tsujita Artisan Noodle
A favorite of the late LA Weekly and Los Angeles Times food critic Jonathan Gold, Tsujita Artisan Noodle became a staple of the Los Angeles dining scene thanks to its rich, soothing bowls of ramen and buns filled with pulled pork, karaage chicken, and chicken char siu. At the first Houston location in Westchase, the artisan noodles that Gold was such a fan of retain a prominent place on the menu, as do inventive bowls of ramen and tsukemen, the latter known for its much-sought-after dipping noodles served alongside a thick, porky broth.
MF Lobster & Ceviche
Chef Chris Kinjo’s highly anticipated MF Lobster & Ceviche opened in Autry Park. The French-Vietnamese restaurant has found a solid home in the 14-acre urban district. Like other businesses in the community, the elegant restaurant is known for its thoughtful, refined fare, which centers the versatile lobster. Find the crustaceans pressed within a decadent grilled cheese sandwich, bathed in a creamy sauce with linguine, or cooked with brown butter and nestled within warm, doughy bao buns.
Mandito’s Tex-Mex
Armando and Cinda Palacios opened the second location of Mandito’s in Katy, bringing the couple’s love for Tex-Mex cuisine to this prominent Houston suburb. “Mandito” which means “little Armando” in Spanish, is a nod to the affectionate family childhood nickname given to Armando, whose first restaurant bears his namesake. Among hefty plates of cheese enchiladas and piping hot chicken fajitas, the Katy location will also offer lighter options, including burrito bowls, Tex-Mex-inflected salads, like the spicy kale Caesar, and alternative protein options for plant-based visitors.
Pizzana
Houston welcomed the Los Angeles favorite Pizzana into the city’s ongoing pizza renaissance. The brainchild of couple Candace and Charles Nelson, actor Chris O’Donnell and his wife and partner Caroline, and pizzaiolo Daniele Uditi, the Houston location boasts the beloved selection of pizza, pasta, and salads that made the restaurant a mainstay of California’s dining community. Consider the creste alla vodka, which is dusted with Calabrian chile, and don’t miss the pizzaiolo’s pizzas, which features Pizzana’s lauded two-day fermented “slow dough.”
Conservatory Galleria
The Conservatory is adding to Houston’s collection of food halls, setting up post in the heart of the Galleria area. Options run the gamut here: start the day with a smoothie or acai bowl at Thrive Juices, progress to a hot chicken sandwich from Bird Haus or birria tacos from Blk Mkt, and finish with Peruvian seafood plates at CVCHÉ. Keep an eye on the Conservatory’s instagram to track live events, concerts, and sporting events hosted at the hall.
Tasty Box
While many fast food restaurants can be unassuming, Tasty Box has made itself stand out in a crowded field, thanks to a focus on delivering quick, albeit imaginative, bites. The woman-owned restaurant boasts affordable truffle dogs and kimchi burgers, both of which are equally outstanding. Halal-friendly, Middle Eastern options, like the beef gyro and falafel wrap, are some of the best in town.
Xiaolong Dumpling
The dumpling options in Houston are diverse and expansive — a testament to the vibrant and rich Asian communities that are integral to the city’s culture and dining scene. Xiaolong Dumpling has added its hat in the ring, bringing affordable pan fried pork buns, green onion pancakes, and an exorbitant amount of steamed dumpling and bao bun options to the Downtown community. The eclectic artwork and fresh plants make the restaurant an excellent option for a lunch date or meal with friends, and don’t forget to indulge in the Southern fusion dishes, either: The shrimp and grits dish, topped with hot peppers and green onions, is not to be missed.
PINCHO Burgers and Kebabs
The Miami-originated burger and kebabs chain Pincho Burgers and Kebabs opened its first Houston outpost earlier this year, and its popularity has continued on a remarkable streak. Classic options available at other locations, like chicken sandwiches, shrimp kebabs, and vaca frita — or braised beef — are available here, as is the Tex-Mex bowl, a generous combination of a fire-roasted corn, pineapples, black beans, and fresh tomatoes topped over jasmine rice and drizzled with chipotle aioli.
