What's Trending

Houston Hotels with Must-Try Restaurants

You're peering into the open refrigerator door staring at cold leftovers, again. Yes, you've mastered a few recipes that have you feeling like a top chef, but maybe it's time to shake things up. Head to one of the hotels listed below for some great lodging accommodations, beginning with a better-than-home-cooked-meal at these chef-driven restaurants. After dinner, who knows? Maybe a dip in a rooftop pool, or a much deserved spa treatment? Maybe you'll bring along that cooped-up furry friend of…

Read More

Must-Try Soul Food Stops in Houston

Southern by nature, spicy by virtue, and delicious by all standards. Soul food is the ultimate comfort food. The depth of flavors in the seemingly innocuous ingredients is an art form that few can master. Ham hocks, chitterlings, smothered oxtails and mac and cheese, catfish, okra and lima beans round out some of the usual soul food suspects. To bring out the best in Houston soul food, enjoying soul food with friends and family is a must. In fact, families run a number of Houston soul food…

Read More

Meatless Meals Even Carnivores Will Love

Meatless Monday may end up being one of your most flavorful days of the week. Houstonians are spoiled with a bounty of vegetarian options that won’t feel like a substitute for a meaty dish. Our Indian vegetarian cuisine with a tradition going back thousands of years, and our locally-sourced, American-style dishes might make you forget about those fajitas for even longer than 24 hours. Kiran’s 2925 Richmond Ave, Suite 160 Houston, TX 77098, Upper Kirby This spacious, elegant northern Indian…

Read More

Bobby Heugel

Owner, Anvil Bar and Refuge James Beard-nominated Bobby Heugel has forever changed the way Houstonians look at libations. The native Houstonian bartended his way through college and developed a drink program that highlighted quality spirits and fresh ingredients while earning a Master's degree in Inter-Cultural Communication. After college, Heugel continued to pursue the craft, turning out creative cocktails at Benjy's and Beaver's Ice House, before launching Montrose's Anvil Bar and Refuge…

Read More

Bryan Caswell

Chef/Owner of Reef, Little Bigs and El Real Tex-Mex Cafe Staying true to his Gulf Coast roots, Chef/Owner Bryan Caswell imparts his love for fishing and the ocean in his seasonally-changing, award-winning Reef restaurant. Diners love the spot's refined blend of locally-grown produce and use of Third-Coast-caught seafood, as do foodies on the national stage. He has expanded his restaurant empire with Little Bigs and El Real Tex-Mex Cafe. Caswell has been named a Finalist for a James Beard Award…

Read More

Chris Shepherd

Chef/Owner, Underbelly Midwest-raised Chef Chris Shepherd spent weekends as a child scouring farms throughout Oklahoma in search of straight-from-the-vine tomatoes, fresh corn and peas. He left boundary-pushing Catalan restaurant to open Underbelly in March 2012, featuring locally-sourced food inspired by the ethnic diversity of Houston. The Art Institute-alum and former Executive Sous Chef-turned-Sommelier of Brennan's brings his farm-to-table passion to fruition at the new spot, which was…

Read More

Grant Gordon

Executive Chef, Tony's In 2010, Houston native Grant Gordon took over as executive chef of Tony's at the age of 24-parlaying his experience and skills into the top job at one of the city's most venerated restaurants and earning him a position on Forbes' 30 under 30 list. Gordon graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York and proceeded to hone his skills at restaurants in New York, Napa Valley and Austin before returning to his hometown. Clearly a quick study, the chef…

Read More

Greg Gatlin

Chef/Owner, Gatlin's BBQ With a culinary family history, food has always played a prominent role in Greg Gatlin's life. But it took some time for the owner and pit master of Gatlin's BBQ in the Heights to discover that the restaurant business was his calling. The Rice University grad was a business consultant before starting a small catering company on the side. Demand for his delicious barbecue grew and when an opportunity to take over a small cottage in the Heights presented itself in 2010…

Read More

Hugo Ortega

Chef/Owner of Hugo's and Backstreet Cafe Mexico City-born Chef Hugo Ortega is living the American Dream. He immigrated from Mexico to Houston and began in the restaurant business as a dishwasher at Backstreet Café. He moved to the kitchen, graduated from culinary school and is now its executive chef/owner. He also crated Montrose-set Hugo's restaurant and Caracol in the Uptown area. There, he's rediscovered the foods of his homeland, serving up Authentic Regional Mexican cuisine and gaining…

Read More

Irma Galvan

Chef/Owner, Irma's It's not an exaggeration to call Irma Galvan a Houston culinary legend. After all, she has the James Beard Award to prove it. Born in Brownsville, Galvan moved with her family to Houston's Second Ward as a child and worked in local bakeries when she was young. After an early career in furniture retail, this spunky lady opened her namesake Mexican restaurant in a depressed part of Downtown in 1989. Since then, the quaint, funky Irma's has become a go-to spot for judges, bankers…

Read More