Zelko Bistro: Pair Great Food & Wine

At Zelko Bistro, the food, wine, service and atmosphere combine to create a classic yet casual dining experience. Zelko's located in Houston Heights, where the proprietor sets the stage for the experience by using fresh local and sustainable ingredients to craft a delightful menu. Then, the right wines are chosen to pair with each dish. And there are so many good wines here that the Houston Press awarded Zelko Bistro as the place with the best restaurant wine list! The selection of apps, salads, sandwiches and entrees will satisfy any diner for lunch or dinner. And try something from the expansive dessert list, like the Texas Strawberry Shortcake!

Zelko Bistro is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Zelko Bistro
705 E. 11th Street
Houston, TX 77008
(713) 880-8691
http://www.yelp.com/biz/zelko-bistro-houston-2

Oxheart: Fresh Seasonal Dining in Houston

Fans of Oxheart love their take on fresh food made with seasonal local ingredients. The chic, open kitchen setting makes you feel like you’re dining at the chef’s home. An expansive wine and beer list means you can start your meal with something special. The tasting menu gives you three options – the Spring Menu, the Garden Menu and the Tasting Menu. The changing chef’s selection might feature culinary delights like Warsaw Grouper with three egg sauce & caviar, Layered Beets with meyer lemon blossom vinegar, Heirloom Carrots with exotic spices, Freedom Ranger Chicken with summer squash, or Baked Heirloom Tomatoes with black garlic. Desserts might include something uber-yummy like Caramelized Chocolate Cake with cane syrup and green tomato jam. Open for dinner Thursday through Monday.

Oxheart
403 Westheimer Road
Houston, TX 77006
(832) 724-9464
http://www.yelp.com/biz/oxheart-houston

BRC Gastropub: Houston Food, Houston Beer

BRC Gastropub is a favorite spot for southern-style pub food in a cozy setting. It’s a beer-lovers haven, with 28 beers on tap and 25 bottled brands, offering a huge variety to please just about every taste. The food menu features their Big Bad Ass Biscuits, served with an array of spreads like bacon jam and smoked salt butter. Backyard Style BBQ Chicken Legs with bleu cheese slaw, Country Pork Pate with Creole mustard, Fried Oyster Street Tacos with carrot slaw and Dixie Chicken Cobb Salad with bleu cheese & bacon are on the entrée menu. Grilled Flatbreads, Burger Sliders, and Mac & Cheese are also offered. Open every day for lunch and dinner.

BRC Gastropub
519 Shepherd Drive
Houston, TX 77007
(713) 861-2233
http://www.yelp.com/biz/brc-gastropub-houston

Underbelly: Fine Dining in Houston

With soaring ceilings, handcrafted walnut tables and an open kitchen that lets you watch the chefs work their magic, Underbelly is the perfect spot for a unique dining experience. The frequently changing menu takes advantage of what’s seasonal and fresh from local purveyors. Stop by for lunch to feast on Grilled Shrimp Salad with buttermilk dressing, Butter Biscuits & Chicken Gravy, or a Roast Beef Sandwich with Korean red chile mayo. The dinner menu features a tasty array of entrees like Seared Snapper with tomato confit, Korean Braised Goat with dumplings, Wagyu Satay with cold soba salad and Crispy Local Vegetables with caramelized fish sauce. Save a spot in your tummy for the yum-worthy Fried Strawberry Pie with toasted rice ice cream. Open Monday through Saturday.

Underbelly
1100 Westheimer Road
Houston, TX 77006
(713) 528-9800
http://www.yelp.com/biz/underbelly-houston

Chama Gaúcha Brazilian Steakhouse: Carnivore’s Delight

Chama Gaúcha Brazilian Steakhouse serves up all the meat you can eat in the best Brazilian Churrascaria tradition. Pay a single price and flip the card at your table to the green side and the servers roaming the dining room will present you with cut after cut of various meats, sliced tableside for you to grab with the provided tongs. Try customer favorites like picanha (prime sirloin), bacon-wrapped filet mignon, or lamb, served as sliced shank or chop. Once you’ve had your fill, or when you want a break, just flip the card to the red side and you can enjoy your meal without interruption. If you’re not a meat eater, Chama Gaúcha offers an extensive salad bar that is available on its own and is also included in the main buffet.

Chamagaucha Brazilian Steakhouse
5865 Westheimer Road
Houston, TX 77057
(713) 244-9500

Provisions: Stock Up in Houston

Provisions has won over diners with their fresh, flavorful menu, an open kitchen dining area and spacious terrace. Get your party started with a refreshing cocktail like the Highland with green chartreuse, tequila, sugar cane & lime. Add on a Bread & Cheese Plate or a wood-fired pizza with mozzarella, basil & tomato. Some yummy pasta dishes adorn the menu, as do meat entrees like Hanger Steak with spring onions, Suckling Pig Porchetta for Two and Ham’O’Day with mustard rye. Fish entrees include Curried Mussels with cauliflower, Shrimp Salad with celery-apple remoulade, and Big Eye Tuna with fennel. Save a spot in your tummy for a tantalizing dessert like Neapolitan Chocolate Mousse Cake.

Minutes from The Marq on Voss, Provisions is open Monday through Saturday for lunch and dinner.

Provisions
807 Taft Street
Houston, TX 77019
(713) 628-9020
http://www.yelp.com/biz/provisions-houston

Uchi: Creative Sushi

If you're getting bored with regular sushi offerings head over to Uchi for a unique twist on your favorite rolls. This Houston restaurant tries to use locally sourced ingredients whenever possible and provide only the freshest pieces of fish. Start with the tomato katsu, panko fried green tomatoes and sesame. The tomatoes come out hot and tender. Customers say these are some of the best fried green tomatoes. The brussel sprouts will make you love brussel sprouts. The yokai berry is a refreshing dish with salmon, kale, and Asian pears. Regulars enjoy the creative rolls like the Ham & Eggs with katsu pork belly, yolk custard, and espellette, the Bond with avocado, sun-dries tomato, gobo, and soy paper, the Pitchfork with wagyu beef, leek crisp, avocado, and yuzu kosho, and the Shag tempura roll with salmon, avocado, and sun-dried tomato. A meal at Uchi is expensive but if you come during Happy Hour you can enjoy great bargains on regular menu dishes. 

Uchi
904 Westheimer Road
Houston, TX 77006
(713) 522-4808
http://www.yelp.com/biz/uchi-houston

Roost: Come Home in Houston

Using farm fresh ingredients and a seasonal tapas menu that fuses Southern, Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine, Roost has earned itself a favorite place on the Houston dining scene. The menu changes every three weeks, so you can always count on new flavors emerging from the kitchen. Sumptuous plates – to share, or not – include a Mason Jar Pickles of Local Produce, Smoked Trout Mousse with rye toast points, Fried Cauliflower with miso dressing & pine nuts, Beer Can Cornish Hen with honey mustard sauce, Curried Crab Cakes with chayote squash slaw and Angus Flatiron Steak with pickled watermelon. The ‘Gimme Some Suga’ dessert menu features taste tempters like Coffee N’ Donut Holes with salted caramel & coffee ice cream. Yum!

Moments from The Marq on Voss, Roost is open for dinner Monday through Saturday.

Roost
1972 Fairview Street
Houston, TX 77019
(713) 523-7667
http://www.yelp.com/biz/roost-houston

Ambrosia: Sweet Eats in Houston

Ready to try a unique melding of Asian recipes and Texas-style ingredients? Head to Ambrosia, a cozy little bar and restaurant where a distinctive culinary experience awaits you with tasty tapas menu. Get the party started with a refreshing White Coconut Sangria or a Shere Khan cocktail with tequila, ginger beer & blood orange juice. Follow it up with some yummy Curry Wedges with potatoes, curry & cheese. Other options include Vegetarian Samosas with apple cilantro chutney, or fresh Ceviche with tostada chips. Gangnam Style Ribs is another tasty dish, as are crisp Flatbread with mushrooms cooked in Marsala wine & topped with melted mozzarella cheese, and Green Curried Chicken.

Moments from The Marq on Voss, it's open Tuesday through Saturday for dinner.

Ambrosia
2006 Lexington Street
Houston, TX 77098
(832) 649-4636
http://www.yelp.com/biz/ambrosia-houston

Mockingbird Bistro: Where The Food Sings

Chef and owner of Mockingbird Bistro John Sheely has thirty years in the restaurant business, so he’s got a pretty good handle on what Houston diners are looking for by now. And judging from the reception Mockingbird Bistro has enjoyed since opening in 2002, his instincts are pretty trustworthy. Serving a unique combination of cuisines he likes to refer to as “Texas Provence,” the bistro-style restaurant has won raves from diners and critics alike. Some hallmark dishes include a spectacular Kobe beef burger that is cooked to absolute perfection, a tantalizing duck three ways that boasts remarkable foie gras, and what might be the best Caesar salad you ever eat. The wine selection at Mockingbird Bistro is among the best in town, with a gifted sommelier on site to walk you through the selection and make recommendations based on your meal and price range. This place is a real gem and shouldn’t be missed.

Mockingbird Bistro
1985 Welch Street
Houston, TX 77019
(713) 533-0200
www.mockingbirdbistro.com

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